A Post-Renewal Checkup for HR Leaders & Business Owners
For most employers with a January 1 medical renewal, the heavy lifting is finally behind you. You’ve reviewed plan options, assessed costs, communicated updates to employees, and locked in your benefits strategy for the coming year. But before you move on, this moment presents an important opportunity.
How well did your benefits partner actually guide you through the renewal process?
To help employers reflect on that question, we created a quick, two-minute Benefits Partner Evaluation — a simple way to assess whether your current advisor delivered the level of strategy, communication, and support your organization deserves.
The evaluation is built around five essential components of a high-performing benefits partner. As you read through the sections below, compare your renewal experience to what best-in-class service should look like.
👉 Start the Benefits Partner Evaluation here: https://www.flexiquiz.com/SC/N/benefits-partner-report-card
1. Plan Design & Optimization
Did your benefits partner bring you the full range of options — or only the default renewal?
Strong benefits partners do more than present the standard plan or simply accept the carrier’s numbers. They should:
* Provide a comprehensive review of the market, including fully-insured, level-funded, and self-funded strategies
* Introduce creative solutions such as captives, cost-containment programs, alternative plan structures, or bundled offerings
* Build recommendations around your workforce, claims patterns, cost drivers, and long-term goals
If you weren’t shown a full landscape of possibilities — or only learned about alternatives after the renewal arrived — this is an area worth revisiting in your Evaluation.
2. Fee Transparency & Cost Control
Did you receive clarity on costs and a strategy to manage them?
Cost is one of the biggest factors in any renewal. A high-quality benefits partner should provide:
* A transparent breakdown of all fees, including advisor compensation, carrier commissions, and administrative charges
* Benchmarking that shows how your plan compares to others in your industry
* Proactive negotiation efforts designed to reduce or mitigate increases
If your renewal didn’t come with a clear explanation of why your rates changed and how your partner advocated for you, this section of the Evaluation may highlight opportunities for improvement.
3. Compliance & Risk Mitigation
Did your partner help you stay ahead of ACA, ERISA, COBRA, and other regulatory obligations?
Compliance isn’t once-a-year housekeeping — it’s an ongoing responsibility. Your benefits partner should:
* Provide updates on regulatory changes that impact your benefit offerings
* Offer guidance on required notices, filings, deadlines, and documentation
* Help identify potential compliance risks and recommend steps to mitigate them
If compliance only came up at renewal — or didn’t come up at all — your Evaluation score may reflect that gap.
4. HR Support & Employee Communication
Did your employees feel informed and supported during open enrollment?
Benefits deliver value only when employees understand how to use them. Excellent partners help ensure that happens by:
* Providing employee education through meetings (in-person or virtual), microsites, FAQs, and clear benefit summaries
* Supporting HR with onboarding, offboarding, mid-year changes, and vendor coordination
* Offering tools and materials that simplify complex benefits information
If your HR team carried most of the communication burden alone, your Evaluation may reveal that your partner isn’t functioning as a true extension of your HR team.
5. Ongoing Engagement & Service
Did communication end after renewal — or continue throughout the year?
Benefits strategy should never be a once-a-year conversation. A strong benefits partner will:
* Stay accessible year-round, not just at renewal time
* Schedule regular check-ins to review utilization, trends, and potential improvements
* Bring forward new ideas and solutions long before renewal pressure sets in
If renewal time is the only time you hear from your advisor, this section of the Evaluation will likely reflect that.
Ready to See How Your Benefits Partner Performed?
The Benefits Partner Evaluation helps you quickly identify where your advisor excels and where there may be room for improvement — all based on your real-world renewal experience.
👉 Start the Benefits Partner Evaluation here: https://www.flexiquiz.com/SC/N/benefits-partner-report-card
If Your Evaluation Raises Questions… We’re Here to Help
At PF Compass, we believe employers deserve more than a renewal spreadsheet. You deserve a partner who brings creativity, clarity, and year-round strategic support. If your Evaluation results raise concerns — or simply spark curiosity — we’d be happy to discuss how we approach benefits strategy differently.
Let’s connect and strengthen your 2026 benefits outlook.
Brian Honan | Partner
PF Compass Employer Guidance & Benefit Solutions
440 Route 22, E., Suite 190
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Tel (973) 732-0697
