What HR directors should demand from a benefits broker in 2026/27

Higginbotham now places an EBLI rider or standalone policy whenever it serves an employer on both sides. Most HR directors have never encountered EBLI. That gap in awareness is precisely the kind of thing a good broker should be closing proactively, not waiting for a claim to surface it. HR leaders reviewing their broker relationships should ask directly whether EBLI coverage is in place and, if not, why not. 

How your broker should be containing costs right now 

On cost containment, Hutchings runs a nurse navigation model that HR directors can ask their own brokers to implement or match. When an employee needs a pre-scheduled elective service such as an MRI or knee surgery, a navigator sources three provider options within the employee’s geographic area through a platform built on direct contracts with those providers. If the employee selects one of those options, both their deductible and out-of-pocket costs are waived entirely, written into the plan document. 

The reimbursement target on those direct agreements is 150 percent of Medicare or lower. “That will always be less than what that contractual agreement is through a normal network,” Hutchings said. The result is a genuine three-way win: the employee pays nothing at the point of care, the employer pays lower pre-negotiated rates, and the focus on high-quality providers reduces the risk of costly readmissions. For HR directors managing self-funded or partially self-funded plans, this is an immediately applicable benchmark. For those still on fully insured plans, it is a framework for the conversation to be having with their broker right now. 

Are you paying your broker the right way? 

Higginbotham operates on a transparent fee model, either per employee per month (PEPM) or a percentage of premium, with Hutchings personally preferring PEPM. His reasoning should inform how every HR director reviews broker compensation. “If the best we can do for a client is a 15 percent increase on their medical plan, should I be getting paid 15 percent more in my fee? That just ethically doesn’t feel great.” 

The value argument he makes to plan sponsors is framed around a comparison that resonates immediately with CFOs and HR directors alike. “My goal is for you to feel that you could go out and hire somebody. I want to be an extension of your team. Hopefully you’re getting more out of our partnership than you would going out and having to hire, train, and put somebody on your staff to do what we’re doing for you.”