Why Early Benefits Planning Leads to Better Results

For many employers, benefits planning doesn’t truly begin until medical renewals roll in. But waiting until the last minute to evaluate options can lead to missed opportunities, rushed decisions, and unexpected cost that may put benefits leaders in a tough spot. 

With another renewal season in full swing, here’s why acting now can give your clients a major strategic advantage.  

The Planning Trap: Waiting for Renewals 

When employers delay decisions until renewal time, they often face: 

• Compressed decision-making windows:  
  There’s simply not enough time to properly evaluate new or improved solutions that could better serve employees or help lower costs in the future. 

• Limited opportunity to compare options:  
  Vendors that offer better results may not be fully explored or given a chance to present performance metrics. 

• Implementation headaches:  
  Short timelines can make onboarding rushed and clunky, frustrating HR teams and confusing employees. 

The Real Risk of Waiting 

Delaying benefits decisions can have real business consequences: 

• Renewal surprises: Employers may face 10–20%+ cost increases with very little room to adjust. 

• Weakened negotiating power: Last-minute shifts leave little leverage when working with brokers, carriers, or vendors.
• Lost opportunity: Employees go another year without new high-impact benefits that could improve satisfaction and retention. 

Real Reporting, Real Results

We go beyond dashboards. You’ll receive outcome-driven reporting to help tell the story of how virtual care is:

• Avoiding costly ER visits
• Improving chronic condition management
• Supporting mental health and stress reduction
• Increasing employee satisfaction and retention

Virtual Care Solutions Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought 

Today’s healthcare landscape is evolving fast. Employers need benefits that go beyond access and actually deliver measurable performance, employee engagement, and cost containment. Virtual care providers that offer integrated services including primary care, mental health, and urgent care can play a vital role in achieving those goals. 

Early planning means more time to evaluate what’s possible and more opportunities to deliver better outcomes for your clients. 

Unlike medical or pharmacy benefits, First Stop Health fits seamlessly regardless of renewal timing or carrier.  

First Stop Health is Renewal Proof 

• Carrier-agnostic:  Works with any plan  

• Quick implementation: Go live in weeks, not months Low lift for HR: Turnkey launch, minimal resources required Immediate ROI: Real cost savings and employee satisfaction before renewal hits  

Last September and just in time for flu season, a mid-sized employer implemented First Stop Health before renewal and saved more than $200k in year one from 95% of visits being diverted. That’s a 405% Return on Investment or $5.05 saved for every $1 spent on our virtual care. No disruption, just results. 

What to Ask Your Telehealth or Virtual Care Provider

When evaluating or renewing your virtual care solution, ask these questions:

• How is engagement measured — and improved over time?
• What’s your approach to integrating care across urgent, mental health, and primary care?
• What kind of reporting and ROI metrics do you provide?
• Do you offer performance guarantees?

The best partnerships aren’t built in a panic. Early planning allows time for: 

• Evaluation of outcomes-focused vendors 
  Employers can vet virtual care partners that offer performance guarantees and solutions that employees love.  

• Strategic alignment 
  Employers, brokers, and vendors can collaborate to design a plan that truly meets the workforce's needs, not just one that fits into a deadline. 

• Stronger execution 
  With time on your side, implementation becomes seamless, communication improves, and engagement grows. 

Ready to help your clients enable cost containment strategies and support healthier, happier employees? 

Let’s talk about how First Stop Health can support your strategy this renewal season. 

• Virtual Primary Care 
• Virtual Mental Health 
• Virtual Wellness Specialist Care 
• Virtual Urgent Care

FAQs: Choosing the Right Virtual Care Provider

 Why do employers delay benefits decisions until medical renewals?
Many employers hold off on making benefits decisions because they want to see their medical renewal rates first. The assumption is that this information will help guide budgeting and plan design. However, this delay often compresses timelines, limits vendor evaluations, and increases the risk of rushed decisions or costly surprises.

What are the risks of waiting to make benefits decisions?
Waiting can lead to renewal rate shocks (10–20%+ increases), reduced leverage when negotiating with vendors or carriers, and missed chances to add high-impact programs like virtual care that boost employee satisfaction and retention.

How can early planning improve benefits strategy and support cost containment?
Early planning gives employers more time to evaluate vendors based on outcomes, pricing, and integration. It opens the door to proactive solutions — like telehealth or virtual care — that can reduce ER visits, support chronic care, and prevent more expensive interventions.

What makes a virtual care provider “renewal-proof”?
A renewal-proof virtual care provider operates independently of a medical carrier's renewal timeline. First Stop Health, for example, is carrier-agnostic and can be implemented anytime—allowing employers to move quickly when opportunity strikes without waiting for renewal season.

What cost savings can be achieved by implementing virtual care early? 
One employer saved over $200,000 in the first year after launching First Stop Health's virtual care solution ahead of their renewal—achieving a 405% ROI and diverting 95% of visits from costly in-person settings.