Alera Group advisors drove plan savings and quality outcomes for 67 clients across seven markets with Garner
Since 2022, Alera advisors have used Garner's data-driven solution to steer employees to higher-quality, lower-cost providers in high-cost specialties like orthopedic surgery and oncology — driving down plan costs for employers while improving outcomes for members. What began as a strategic alliance with Benefit Commerce Group in Arizona has grown to 67 shared clients across seven markets, adding 26 new clients in 2024 — a 40%+ increase from the prior year.
"Garner is one of the easiest solutions I've ever introduced," says Seth Vandegrift, Vice President Strategy & Growth. "It's refreshing to bring something data-driven that actually lowers costs and improves outcomes — and clients love it."
CASE STUDY 1 ᐧ FULLY INSURED ᐧ NON-PROFIT ᐧ HEALTHCARE
Fully-insured healthcare organization drives 21.8% decrease in net paid claims with Garner
A non-profit community health organization based in Oregon that provides healthcare services across 25 clinics was facing a 19.4% medical renewal from its carrier. They turned to Alera to find a solution to their high renewal that didn't shift costs to employees. The Alera team recommended adding Garner and changing to a non-copay plan with the same deductibles from a different carrier. After factoring in the cost of Garner, this lowered their renewal by -11.5%, and the $5,000/$10,000 Garner incentive allowed them to offer richer benefits to employees.
These meaningful incentives drove 81% of all employees to utilize Garner to find a doctor which turned into a 96% reduction in out-of-pocket costs when utilizing Garner. By delivering care to higher-quality, lower-cost doctors, they saw a -21.8% reduction in net paid claims, reversing their trend of double-digit claims increases from the prior year that drove up premium costs.
The results
-21.8%
Decrease in net paid claims
-11.5%
Savings at renewal
96%
Lower employee out-of-pocket costs when utilizing Garner
