Brokers today are moving away from a single point solution for health care to menu of solutions that, hopefully, provide a better experience at a lower cost. (Photo: Emily Payne/ALM)

Brokers talk a lot today about cutting ties with the carriers. What does that mean? It means they're not selling a single point solution to cover all of an employer's health care needs. Instead, they're selling a menu of solutions that, hopefully, provide a better experience at a lower cost than a traditional health plan.

“When you think about the term 'creative plan design,' our minds automatically and historically go to deductible, copay, network,” Josh Butler of Butler Benefits and Consulting explained to attendees of a session at the recent BenefitsPRO Broker Expo. “Health care is not the same as health insurance. At the end of the day, if you ask people what they really want, they want health care. They want transparent, good quality, fairly priced. You don't necessarily need health insurance.”

Butler was a panelist for the session, “How to help employers reduce costs and improve outcomes with creative plan designs.” He was joined by Bret Brummitt of AG Insurance Agencies and Rachel Miner of Thrive Benefits, and hosting the discussion was Q4i's Wendy Keneipp.