BENEFITS RISK MANAGEMENT
A Client-Focused Approach
Traditional Carriers: An Outdated Approach
All the best intentions in the world to control costs will not achieve results if you are not utilizing the right benefit platform. Traditional carriers simply do not offer the information or the means to effectively create a positive impact on costs.
The Cost Problem:
As healthcare costs continue to rise, traditional funding models like fully insured plans have become less sustainable. Employers are seeking more strategic ways to manage their benefits spending without compromising on quality or employee satisfaction.
Christi Group: A Better Approach
Christi Group changes the game and puts our clients back into the driver’s seat while maintaining safety and flexibility. Until employers begin asking the right questions and implementing the right platforms, the healthcare trend line will not change. Period.
Christi Benefits provides clients with unique health plan platforms to implement the right strategies and control costs.
- Health plan platforms tailored to the unique needs of your business
- Strategies designed to control costs
- Profit participation plans as a result of quality management
- Superior care and a better experience for employees
Implementing The Right Health Care Platform To Control Costs
We implement programs that utilize a broad spectrum of alternative funding platforms such as:
- Fully Insured
- Level Funded
- Retrospective Funding
- Partial Self-Funding
- Medical Captives
- Cost-Plus Programs
- Self-Funding
By choosing the right health plan funding model and understanding the balance between protection and control, employers can significantly reduce costs while delivering a superior employee experience.
Funding Models Overview
Fully Funded Plans:
Stability Through Outsourced Risk
In fully funded models, employers pay a fixed premium to an insurance provider, who assumes all claims risk. This model offers cost predictability and minimal financial exposure, making it a popular choice for smaller organizations.
However, it also limits transparency and control over how health dollars are spent.
Pros
- Predictable budgeting
- Low financial risk
Cons
- Lack of transparency
- No savings from low claims years
- Limited plan customization
Level-Funded Plans:
A Balanced Hybrid Approach
In a self-funded plan, the employer assumes direct responsibility for claims. This model provides maximum control over plan design, vendors, and costs. Employers can implement stop-loss insurance to mitigate high-cost claims and may save significantly in low-claims years.
Pros
- Cost stability with refund potential
- Moderate transparency
- Some customization options
Cons
- Potential liability for high claims
- Less control than self-funded models
Bundled vs. Unbundled Self-Funding
However, it also limits transparency and control over how health dollars are spent.
Bundled Plans
A single carrier manages all aspects, including administration and stop-loss. Easier to manage but less flexible.
Unbundled Plans
Get a Plan Tailored to Your Business
Employers are no longer limited to a one-size-fits-all approach.
With careful analysis of funding options and an understanding of the protection-control continuum, organizations can design smarter, more sustainable health plans.
Leveraging innovative models and aligning plan design with workforce needs can reduce costs while improving employee satisfaction.
Why Christi Group?
We transform organizations with innovation and transparency
With over 35 years of experience, Christi strives to be the leaders in our business. To innovate and push all of the boundaries that deliver to our clients best-in-class solutions that help grow their business and provide relentless support and resources to their employees.
Everything we do. Everything we touch. Everything we innovate. Everything is done in the best interest of our clients. We create and empower a lasting relationship that stands the test of time and provides the best solutions for all of the unique challenges every organization faces.
We’ve built an environment where the best minds thrive. Through unmatched training, modern tools, flexible work options, and clear growth opportunities, we’ve cultivated a high-performance culture that drives innovation—and positions us as a leader in our field.
Clients trust us with their most complex business challenges—and we earn that trust through deep expertise, relentless effort, and an unwavering commitment to honesty and respect. It’s how we do business, and it’s how we build lasting partnerships.
At Christi, we take pride in being one of the few remaining independent and resilient consulting firms in our marketplace. Our independence removes barriers to innovation, empowering us to deliver limitless, tailored solutions to our clients. Free from the demands of stockholders, quotas, excessive employee turnover, or corporate bottom lines. We remain solely focused on what matters most, delivering maximum value to our clients.