Daniel Patullo
Benefits Plan Structure & Cost Control
Most Benefits Plans Are Built Backwards
Most companies end up with the same type of benefits plan, whether it fits their workforce or not.
Everyone gets the same coverage. The pricing looks fine upfront. Then at renewal, the numbers jump, and no one can clearly explain why.
That’s not random. It’s how the plan was built.
The Problem Isn’t the Insurer
A 30-year-old and a 60-year-old don’t use benefits the same way.
But most plans treat them the same.
Over time, that mismatch shows up in the claims. When claims are unpredictable, renewals follow.
Most brokers deal with this after the fact. They explain the increase, shop the market, and move on.
That doesn’t fix anything. It just resets the cycle.
I’ve seen the same pattern play out across dozens of plans. Different companies, same structure, same result.
A Different Approach
I approach benefits differently. The structure comes first.
Instead of one uniform design, coverage is built around how employees actually use benefits. Life stage, usage patterns, and cost drivers all factor into how the plan is set up.
When the structure aligns with real usage:
claims stabilize
renewals become predictable
costs are controlled over time
This isn’t about finding a cheaper option for one year. It’s about building a plan that doesn’t break every renewal.
Who I Work With
I work with Canadian businesses with roughly 5 to 50 employees.
That’s where most plans are the most volatile, and where structure makes the biggest difference.
Most of the companies I work with have already:
seen renewals jump year after year
been told to just shop the market
never been given a clear explanation for what’s actually driving their costs
If your renewals have been unpredictable, there’s usually a reason.
If you want to understand what’s actually going on and how to fix it, we should talk.