Pennsylvania Waste Management Employer Cuts Health Insurance Renewal by 24% with The Difference Card
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A Pennsylvania-based industrial waste management company was facing a painful health insurance renewal when UPMC Health Plan delivered a +42% increase for their February 2026 plan year. With more than 60 employees enrolled and prior-year benefits spend of approximately $800,000, this increase would have pushed total costs north of $1 million, well beyond what the organization could sustainably budget.
Recognizing that a traditional renewal wasn’t an option, the company’s executive team turned to their trusted advisor, Anthony Reda, for a more creative solution. Tony’s team at the Rodgers Insurance Group went to market, evaluating both conventional fully insured options and alternative funding strategies. Ultimately, a combined solution featuring Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and The Difference Card delivered the winning outcome.
Rachel Wilburn from The Difference Card’s Pittsburgh consulting team partnered closely with the Rodgers Insurance Group to design a smarter, more sustainable plan funding strategy that solved the employer’s renewal challenge, without sacrificing benefit quality for employees.
The Strategy: Lower Fixed Costs + Protect Employees
The first step was working with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield to restructure the underlying medical plans and dramatically reduce fixed costs. Instead of maintaining the employer’s legacy triple-option plan design with low deductibles and rich copays, the Rodgers Insurance team modeled plans with higher deductibles and adjusted copays, immediately lowering the employer’s fixed premium exposure by more than $300,000.
Next, Rachel and the Rodgers Insurance Group team layered in a Difference Card Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP) to strategically fill the gap in employee out-of-pocket costs. This ensured employees retained strong, usable benefits, while the employer benefited from a far more efficient funding structure.
The final plan lineup included:
- Two copay-based EPO plans, and
- One High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) paired with an Health Savings Account (HSA)
Difference Card’s integrated health claims experience with Highmark BCBS was another key feature that allowed this employer to offer an efficient MERP with minimal administrative requirements for the staff of their firm.
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The Results: From +42% to a Budgetable, Guaranteed Outcome
Instead of absorbing a +42% increase, the employer brought their renewal down to approximately +18%, a dramatic improvement that aligned with their financial reality and long-term budgeting goals.
Even better, by leveraging the Monthly Budget feature of the Difference Guarantee, the employer secured:
- $200,000 in guaranteed savings
- A level-funded, predictable cost structure for their alternative funding arrangement
- 100% return on any surplus in a good utilization year
The end result: stable benefits, protected employees, and a sustainable healthcare cost model—all while avoiding a seven-figure health plan spend.
A Proven Approach to Healthcare Cost Containment
At The Difference Card, we specialize in healthcare cost containment strategies that help employers take control of rising healthcare expenses, without compromising the employee experience. Through innovative solutions like the MERP, PLUM, and the Difference Guarantee, employers gain predictable budgets, measurable savings, and long-term sustainability.
