Renewal Season Doesn’t Have to Suck: How to Stop Dreading Your Benefits Renewal
“If your benefits renewal feels like a fire drill every year, it’s not you, it’s your broker.”
For most small and mid-sized businesses, benefits renewal season arrives like an unwanted guest: late, disorganized, and somehow more expensive than last year. You barely have time to react before your broker is asking you to sign off on a 15% increase.
Sound familiar?
If so, you’re not alone…. and you’re not stuck with that experience. The renewal process doesn’t have to be a rushed, expensive mess. With the right strategy (and the right partner), it can be an opportunity to improve your plan and control your costs.
Let’s break down why most renewals suck, and what a better one looks like.
The Traditional Renewal Trap
Most brokers treat renewals like an afterthought. They show up 30 days before your plan renews, if you're lucky, and simply pass along whatever the carrier is offering. No time to plan. No real options. Just sign here and brace for another cost increase.
Here’s what happens when there’s no strategy:
Employers absorb higher premiums.
Employees get stuck with plans they don’t understand.
No one feels like they're winning.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average annual premium for employer-sponsored family coverage in 2024 climbed to $25,572 — a 7% increase from the previous year. (KFF 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey)
When your renewal is handled reactively, there’s little you can do to push back on those rising costs.
What a Modern Renewal Looks Like
“Your renewal should be a strategy session - not a sales pitch.”
At JAM Benefits, we flip the script. We believe renewals should be proactive, transparent, and aligned with your business goals. Here’s what that looks like:
90–120 Days Out: We start early. That gives us time to review data, shop plans, and evaluate better funding models, like level-funded or ICHRA, without rushing.
Claims & Utilization Review: If you’ve been on a plan long enough, there’s often data we can use to identify smarter plan designs or cost-saving options.
Market Check (Without the Chaos): We benchmark your current plan against the market and look at alternative carriers or structures strategically, not just to stir up noise.
The result? You don’t just “renew”—you evolve your benefits.
Lower Costs, Better Benefits: Yes, It’s Possible
Many businesses feel stuck with rising premiums, but that’s not the full picture. With the right moves at renewal, you can reduce costs and improve your offerings. Here’s how:
Level-Funded Plans: Great for groups as small as 5 employees. Often lowers premiums and provides money back if claims are low.
ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursment Arrangement): A flexible option that lets employees choose their plan and often saves employers 20–40% annually.
Add Voluntary Benefits (Smartly): Offering low-cost perks like dental, vision, or mental health services can boost retention without breaking your budget.
Educate Employees: In the 2024–2025 Aflac WorkForces Report, 51% of employees say they still don’t fully understand their health insurance policies, including deductibles, copays, network rules, and more—despite understanding reaching an all-time high this year. That lingering confusion leads to frustration, underutilization, and missed benefits. (Aflac WorkForces Report)
What You Should Expect From Your Broker
“You deserve more than a PDF and a signature line.”
Here’s what a real renewal process looks like:
120 days out - Strategy session, plan performance review
90 days out - Market check + cost modeling
60 days out - Finalize plan design + employee communications
30 days out - Launch open enrollment, offer 1-on-1 support
15 days out - Confirm enrollments, prepare for go-live
You deserve a broker who’s doing more than relaying carrier emails. You deserve a partner helping you build a better benefits strategy year over year.
The JAM Benefits Difference
At JAM Benefits, renewals aren’t just “part of the job.” They’re where we shine. We’re not a legacy agency phoning it in. We’re a modern partner who treats your benefits like the business asset they are.
Here’s what you get with us:
Clear timelines and no last-minute surprises
Modern tools that make enrollment painless
Plan design tailored to your actual team
Ongoing support—not just during renewal, but year-round
Final Word: Take Back Control of Your Renewal
Renewal season doesn't have to be stressful, rushed, or expensive. With the right game plan and the right broker, it can be a chance to reset, realign, and actually get more value for your money.
If you’re tired of rubber-stamping expensive renewals with no strategy, let’s talk.
“At JAM Benefits, we don’t just renew; we reimagine.”
🚀 Ready to take control of your next renewal?
Let’s build a smarter benefits strategy together.
👉🏼 Schedule some time to chat with us here!