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Your health insurance renewal shows up, and the numbers feel unreal. The cost jumps again, nobody can clearly explain why, and you are left trying to protect your team’s benefits while your budget gets squeezed. We sit down with Alice Rhodes, VP of Benefits at AUI, to unpack the real mechanics of self-funded health insurance for small and mid-sized employers and to explain why “self-funding” is less about going it alone and more about gaining control, clarity, and options.

Alice walks through what actually changes when an employer moves away from a fully insured premium and starts paying claims directly. Alice explains why claims transparency matters, how seeing your data can reveal the true cost drivers, and how employers can use that insight to shape smarter benefits and better employee education. We also dig into customization, the ability to adjust deductibles, copays, emergency room incentives, and in-network vs out-of-network design so the plan fits your workforce instead of forcing your workforce to fit the plan.

If risk is your biggest concern, we make it concrete. Alice breaks down stop-loss insurance, including specific stop loss for individual high claims and aggregate stop loss to cap total plan exposure, plus the role of a third-party administrator (TPA) and a broker in handling the complexity. We also cover level-funded health plans, a popular hybrid option that keeps monthly payments predictable while still offering potential savings and better reporting. If you are tired of unexplained premium increases and want a more strategic approach to employee benefits, this conversation gives you a clear starting point.

Subscribe for more practical business leadership conversations, share this with a business owner who dreads renewals, and leave a review if it helped. What is the biggest question you have about self-funding or level funding?

🎙️ Connect with Chrissy Myers and discover how resilience, expertise, and community can transform your world:

🔗 Follow Chrissy on LinkedIn for behind-the-scenes insights, leadership tips, and updates on her journey as the CEO of two thriving businesses.

📘 Grab your copy of 'Reluctantly Resilient' to learn how Chrissy turned challenges into opportunities and how you can do the same in your life and business.

🤝 Explore Clarity HR and discover how Chrissy’s team simplifies HR for small businesses, giving you peace of mind to focus on what matters most.

💼 Visit AUI to see how Chrissy's employee benefits expertise can help you build a healthier, happier workforce.