California Construction Company Enhances Health Benefits While Reducing Fixed Insurance Costs by 28%

September 11, 2025

Cassidy Lutosky Meyer

Senior Sales Consultant

Cassidy Lutosky Meyer is a dedicated sales consultant specializing in and passionate about delivering improved health insurance benefit plans while reducing costs. With a strong background in sales, nonprofits and fundraising, she has passion for helping organizations optimize their benefits offerings for employees while providing savings. As a Sales Consultant, Cassidy collaborates with brokers to understand their clients unique needs and provides tailored solutions that enhance employee satisfaction and drive cost savings. Her expertise lies in presenting innovative strategies that align with organizational goals.

When faced with an 8% health insurance rate increase for their September 1st renewal, a Northern California construction and landscape management company turned to their insurance consultant for a creative solution. The proposed increase would have raised their fixed health insurance costs to more than $1.3 million—well above budget.

At the same time, employees were asking for richer benefits that aligned with the union-level offerings of competitors in the construction industry. The company’s leadership needed a strategy that would control costs while enhancing the benefits package to attract and retain talent.

That’s when their broker partner, McGriff, stepped in. McGriff, through its parent company Marsh & McLennan Agency, is a proud “Purple Producer” firm with The Difference Card and immediately identified the Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP) strategy as the right fit. Together with Cassidy Lutosky Meyer, a Difference Card Sales Consultant, the team designed a customized solution.

The Solution

The company had been offering four plan design options through two carriers—Sutter Health Plans and Kaiser Permanente. By restructuring the plan design into a dual-option insurance structure, The Difference Card and McGriff teams were able to:

• Reduce fixed premiums by 28%—a savings of $370,000 annually

• Design a MERP funding strategy to enhance employee benefits with first-dollar coverage, creating a more competitive offering in line with industry standards

To ensure predictable costs, the employer leveraged the Difference Guarantee’s Monthly Budget feature. This allowed the company to maintain a consistent monthly payment while guaranteeing a 100% return of surplus funds at year-end.

The Results

During open enrollment, employees were thrilled to learn they could keep their preferred provider networks while gaining access to richer benefits—at no added cost. Meanwhile, the employer achieved meaningful cost savings without compromising their long-term budget strategy.

At The Difference Card, we’re proud to help construction companies build smarter, more sustainable health plans that control costs while improving employee satisfaction.