How MarketStar eliminated a 37% benefits renewal increase — without raising employee costs

Facing a steep renewal increase, MarketStar chose a different path. Rather than absorb the spike or shift costs to employees, the company partnered with Garner — and held costs flat without cutting benefits or switching carriers.

MarketStar is a global revenue enablement company headquartered in Ogden, Utah, with approximately 2,700 employees on their self-insured health plan. The company experienced consecutive cost increases, including a 60% YoY jump in health care costs and a projected 37% renewal hike.

Faced with the unpalatable options of accepting the renewal hike or shifting costs to employees, MarketStar instead chose to partner with Garner to lower costs while enriching benefits. Redesigning their benefits program enabled MarketStar to bend the cost curve without reducing benefits or disrupting carriers.

MarketStar partnered with Garner to enhance value within their existing benefits structure—without disrupting care for employees or changing their carrier relationships.

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Together, they introduced two plan options designed to deliver the strongest possible benefits without disruptive change:

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• A co-pay plan offering $0 out-of-pocket costs when employees use Garner-recommended providers
• An HSA plan fully compliant with IRS guidelines, requiring only the minimum deductible and out-of-pocket responsibility ($1,600 in 2025; $1,700 in 2026), with incentives covering everything above those thresholds

MarketStar achieved a 37% improvement versus the proposed renewal and richer benefits than pre-Garner:

• Renewed at 0% — eliminating the projected increase entirely
• Members who used Garner saw 100% of their average out-of-pocket costs covered on those visits
• 61% of all employees used Garner to find a doctor, well above typical engagement benchmarks for voluntary benefits