An employee benefits broker who markets your plan sends your census and claims data to competing carriers, collects their quotes, and puts those quotes in front of you alongside the incumbent’s renewal. If the only document you saw at your last renewal was your current carrier’s rate increase paired with a suggestion to raise the deductible, your plan probably wasn’t marketed properly.
Mercer projected that health benefit cost per employee would rise 6.5% on average in 2026 after plan changes, the largest increase since 2010, and KFF’s 2025 survey put the average annual family premium at $26,993. Some HR teams only take a close look at their broker’s work when the renewal lands, with a decision due in weeks and a full workload already on the calendar.
Competing Quotes Placed Next to Your Renewal
A marketed renewal includes quotes from carriers other than the incumbent, laid out in a side-by-side comparison that shows monthly premium by coverage tier, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, copays, prescription tiers, and network. In Northern Virginia and the District, that field usually draws from Aetna, Anthem, CareFirst, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare.
Your broker should match the plan designs in that comparison to your current plan or label clearly where those designs differ. A $3,000-deductible quote might look cheaper than your $1,500 plan, but presenting it unadjusted overstates how competitive the market is.
A Documented Record of Carrier Outreach
Your broker’s marketing summary should list every carrier that received your request for proposal, the date it went out, the data included, and each carrier’s response. Declinations belong on that list too, with each carrier’s reason. A list with no declinations could mean only friendly carriers were asked.
Carriers need weeks to underwrite a group, so your broker should start the market review 90 to 120 days before your effective date. A renewal that reached you 30 days out with a decision due in a week left no room to test anything.
Virginia and D.C. small-group plans (50 or fewer employees) are priced on Affordable Care Act rating factors rather than your claims history. At that size, testing the market means comparing networks and plan designs across carriers and quoting underwritten alternatives such as level-funded plans. For larger groups, your broker should include claims experience and large claimant data in the request for proposal, since that’s what carriers price.
Benchmarking Against Employers Like Yours
Benchmark data compares your plan’s cost and design to that of employers of similar size, industry, and region. A useful report puts your total cost per employee and employer contribution by coverage tier next to the regional figures. KFF found that covered workers paid an average of $6,850 toward family premiums in 2025. When your premium runs above the regional median while your deductible sits well below it, the gap may come from plan design, and a design change will likely close more of it than a carrier switch.
Negotiated Concessions in Writing
A carrier’s first renewal offer is an opening position, particularly for groups with credible claims experience. If your broker negotiated, you might see a revised rate from the incumbent after competing quotes arrived, a cap on next year’s increase, or wellness and implementation credits. If the rate you signed matches the carrier’s first number, ask your broker to explain in writing why no concession was available.
A Written Recommendation Tied to Your Goals
Your broker’s recommendation should reference the budget and priorities you set before the renewal began, such as holding the employer cost increase under 5% without changing the deductible. It should explain why one option wins, what employees will notice at open enrollment, and how the choice affects the next two plan years. A memo that only lists the carrier’s options leaves your HR team to rank them while it’s preparing for open enrollment.
A Compensation Disclosure Before You Sign
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (2021) requires brokers and consultants who expect to receive $1,000 or more in direct or indirect compensation from an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) group health plan to disclose that compensation before the contract is entered into, extended, or renewed. Commissions that rise with your premium are common and legal, which is one more reason to confirm the market was tested. If you’ve never received a disclosure, raise it with your broker, since the fiduciary requirement exists to protect you.
Checklist for Reviewing Your Last Renewal
- Your renewal packet included quotes from more than one carrier besides the incumbent, with plan designs matched or clearly labeled.
- You received a marketing summary listing every carrier approached, including declinations and the reasons given.
- The marketing process began at least 90 days before your effective date.
- A benchmarking report compared your costs and contributions to employers of similar size and region.
- The final rate differs from the incumbent’s first offer, or your broker explained in writing why it doesn’t.
- A written recommendation referenced goals and a budget you set before the renewal started.
- You received a compensation disclosure before signing.
A 12-person group with two competitive carriers in its county may reasonably miss the first item. If most items are missing, ask your broker for a marketing summary and benchmarking report 120 days before your next renewal.
How BBG Markets Renewals
From its Fairfax, Va., office, Business Benefits Group has advised employers for nearly three decades. Competitive carrier marketing, benchmarking analysis, and a documented plan recommendation are standard parts of BBG’s renewals. That work sits inside the Assess Performance and Perception and Strategic Design steps of BBG’s six-step process, and it feeds a three- to five-year benefits strategy so each renewal decision accounts for the ones that follow.
If your renewal is within the next six months, send BBG your current plan summary and last renewal packet. The team will show you what a fully marketed renewal for your group would include.