How can plan design help us manage year-over-year premium increases?

While healthcare costs rise each year, thoughtful plan design can help you manage premium increases without cutting coverage or shifting costs to employees. The key is to focus on prevention, primary care, and predictability.

Here’s how strategic plan design can stabilize costs and improve long-term outcomes:

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• Center your plan on primary care: When employees have $0 access to preventive and primary care, they’re less likely to delay treatment or rely on the ER for minor issues. This reduces high-cost claims and lowers renewal increases. Vitable gives every member $0 virtual or in-home primary care, mental health, and prescriptions, all at a predictable rate.
• Encourage coordinated, in-network care: Use a curated or narrow network to guide employees toward high-quality, cost-efficient providers. Coordinated care prevents duplicate tests and unnecessary procedures, keeping claims efficient.
• Use data to target high-cost drivers: Review claims trends to identify the biggest cost sources, like frequent ER visits, unmanaged chronic conditions, or low preventive engagement. Then, adjust your plan design with $0 telehealth, chronic care support, and mental health programs to address them.
• Adopt alternative plan models: Level-funded plans provide more control and potential refunds for low claims. MEC + Primary Care models (like Vitable) maintain ACA compliance and affordable everyday care. ICHRA lets you set defined contributions for predictable budgeting.
• Remove barriers that discourage early care: High deductibles and confusing plan structures often lead to delayed treatment and bigger claims. Simpler, low- or no-cost options drive early engagement and lower long-term costs.‍
• Promote a proactive care culture: Encourage preventive visits, screenings, and mental health check-ins through education and simple incentives. When employees know care is easy and affordable, utilization improves, and major claims decline.

Vitable’s primary-care-first design keeps costs stable by focusing on prevention and early engagement. With $0 access to primary, mental, and episodic care (plus transparent pricing) Vitable helps employers manage renewals while improving workforce health.

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You can’t stop premiums from rising, but you can slow the trend. A plan that prioritizes accessible, $0 primary care builds a healthier workforce, reduces high-cost claims, and creates long-term cost predictability.