You’re Not “Too Small” for a Smarter Benefits Strategy
If your company has between 20 and 200 employees, you’ve probably been told this before:
“You’re too small for that.”
“That strategy doesn’t apply at your size.”
“There’s not much more we can do.”
Whether it’s your broker or your advisor, these messages are all too common for employers in this size range, especially here in the Richmond market.
And yet, most of them are false.
At BenX, we partner with growing Virginia companies in that 20–200 employee sweet spot, and we see firsthand that the right strategies do exist… they’re just not being brought to the table. Too often, these groups are treated like they’re either “too small for creative solutions” or “not big enough to matter.”
Let’s be clear: you’re not too small. You’re just being underserved.
The Lie of "Nothing Left to Try"
Something we hear during prospective client meetings is:
“We’ve already tried everything.”
That belief usually comes from years of working with a legacy brokerage firm that brings the same playbook every renewal season: increase deductibles, shift cost to employees, and cross your fingers that the renewal comes in lower next year.
But when we dig in, we often find that the employer has barely scratched the surface of what’s actually possible.
And that’s frustrating, because this employee size segment has just enough leverage to do something smarter, more proactive, and more strategic.
What Can a 100-Employee Company Actually Do?
Here’s the good news: companies with 20–200 employees have access to far more strategies than they’ve been led to believe.
Below are just a few examples of tactics that can create real savings and improve employee experience if you have a partner who knows how to deploy them:
1. Pharmacy Cost Control
Programs like specialty drug carve-outs, copay optimization, and manufacturer assistance coordination can save tens of thousands without shifting cost to employees.
2. Level-Funding or Captives
Too many groups are told these aren’t options until they’re 500+ lives. Not true. Many level-funded and captive programs are built for 20–200 life employers, with better transparency and long-term savings potential.
3. Plan Design Based on Claims Data
Even at your size, you can get meaningful data. Want to know what procedures are driving spend? What Rx categories are spiking? That data can inform custom plan design changes that reduce waste and align with your people.
4. Network Optimization
Certain companies don’t need to stick with the default PPO network. There are smarter network configurations like narrow, tiered, or steerage-based options that help members find higher quality care at lower cost.
5. Individual Coverage HRAs (ICHRAs)
ICHRAs can give employers more control over costs while giving employees choice, but they’re often misunderstood or dismissed too quickly. When designed strategically, an ICHRA can be paired with a decision support platform to guide employees toward plans that actually fit their needs. For the right group, it’s a “modern” way to offload risk, control budget, and still offer quality coverage.
You Need a “Broker” Who Will Go Beyond the Renewal
If your current broker keeps saying, “You’ve tried everything,” it might be time to ask: Have they? Or have they just run out of ideas?
At BenX we often meet employers who feel stuck. But the reality is you’re in the perfect size range to rethink your entire strategy. You have just enough scale to access more sophisticated tools, and you’re still nimble enough to implement change quickly.
The problem isn’t your size
It’s that you’ve been fed a limited menu.