The Right Broker Can Save Your Business—The Wrong One Can Cost You Big

Our President & CEO, Jerry Calistri, CSFS, CHRS, recently published an Op-Ed in Pennsylvania Business Central’s May 2025 edition. Click here to view the original article.

By Jerry Calistri, CSFS, CHRS President | CEO, Swift Kennedy 

As healthcare premiums continue to rise and employee expectations grow more complex, one decision is proving more critical than ever for business leaders: selecting the right employee benefits broker. It’s a decision that goes far beyond compliance or convenience—it can directly impact your company’s bottom line, employee satisfaction, and ability to attract and retain top talent.

Too often, employers approach benefits renewals with a transactional mindset—submit the census, plan designs, and last year’s renewal rates, then wait for the broker to “shop the market.” But this isn’t strategy—it’s paperwork. And in today’s benefits environment, it’s simply not enough.

Why the Right Broker Matters

The reality is stark: choosing the wrong broker or agent can cost your business tens—if not hundreds—of thousands of dollars annually. Conversely, working with the right advisor can uncover savings of up to 50% of your current premium without reducing benefit levels. Just imagine what your company could do with that kind of budget flexibility—invest in hiring, improve wages, expand services, or reinvest in growth.

This isn’t just about large corporations with leverage. Economies of scale exist for businesses of all sizes, and a great broker understands how to position each client to maximize their negotiating power, explore creative funding options, and leverage technology for better outcomes.

Here are five key concepts to consider when evaluating your current broker relationship—or selecting a new one for your upcoming renewal.

1. Are You Being Asked the Right Questions?

A strategic broker begins by understanding your business goals, not just your census data. What are you trying to achieve—lower turnover, better employee engagement, improved cost predictability? If your current broker isn’t asking these questions, they’re not building a benefits strategy. They’re just managing spreadsheets.

Benefits aren’t one-size-fits-all. A strategic partner will tailor a plan that supports your business objectives, aligns with company culture, and works within your financial framework.

2. Benefits Are a Talent Tool—Are You Using Them That Way?

Employee benefits are one of the largest line items in your budget—but are you leveraging them to attract and retain the right people?

Exceptional talent management goes beyond pay. Benefits play a huge role in candidate decisions and employee loyalty. The right plan structure can help you attract healthier, more engaged employees—which directly impacts your claims experience and premium costs. A great broker will help you position your offerings competitively to reduce turnover, boost morale, and ultimately drive down healthcare costs through better employee behavior and utilization.

3. Are You Exploring the Full Range of Funding Options?

Many companies have a preferred funding method—fully insured, level-funded, self-funded—but sticking to one approach year after year without question can be a costly mistake. The best brokers proactively quote alternative funding arrangements to determine each carrier’s “delta”—the difference between risk, price, and opportunity.

Even if you ultimately stick with your preferred model, this analysis positions you to negotiate better terms, understand the market more deeply, and uncover potential savings.

4. What’s Being Done About Prescription Drug Costs?

Prescription drugs now account for over 22% of total healthcare spend, and that number is rising. Specialty medications, in particular, are breaking budgets left and right. If your broker isn’t offering real solutions—such as alternative pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), formulary management, or copay assistance strategies—you’re essentially flying blind.

Controlling pharmacy costs is no longer optional. It’s essential. If your broker can’t explain your spend and offer solutions to manage it, get a second opinion.

5. Are You Using Technology to Stay in Control?

Today’s benefit programs should operate on data, not guesses. If you’re not using:

• Online benefits administration tools
• Claims and utilization analytics
• Plan design modeling
• Historical rate tracking
• Employee contribution forecasting

…then you’re not making informed decisions—you’re reacting to surprises. Technology should be driving your benefits strategy, not lagging behind it. Your broker should provide or integrate tools that empower you with actionable insights—not just once a year, but continuously.

The Bottom Line: You Deserve a Strategy, Not a Spreadsheet

The difference between an average broker and a strategic partner isn’t hard to spot—it’s in the questions they ask, the tools they provide, and the savings they uncover. If your current broker isn’t helping you build a comprehensive strategy that puts you in control of your benefits, you owe it to your business—and your employees—to seek out competitive quotes.

This year, don’t let renewal season be another exercise in frustration. Make it a turning point. With the right broker, your benefits plan can become a competitive asset—not just a cost of doing business.

Jerry Calistri is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Swift Kennedy & Associates, a leading health insurance brokerage firm specializing in employee benefits solutions. With over 34 years of experience in the health insurance and benefits industry, Calistri brings a deep understanding of healthcare reform, strategic benefits planning, and cost-containment strategies for employers of all sizes.

His career began with the Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund in Harrisburg, followed by a leadership role as Regional Sales and Operations Manager for the Western Region at Geisinger Health Plan. These early experiences helped shape his expertise in both public and private sector benefits management.

A Certified Healthcare Reform Specialist and Certified Self-Funding Specialist, Calistri has conducted numerous educational seminars and consulting programs for employers, chambers of commerce, and small business development councils throughout Pennsylvania. His insights have guided businesses through the complexities of healthcare legislation, funding strategies, and employee benefits optimization.

Calistri is actively involved in shaping the future of the industry. He is a Senatorial Member and PAC Board Member of Health Agents for America, a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and a member of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP), where he previously served as President of the Mid Penn chapter.

Under his leadership, Swift Kennedy & Associates continues to provide innovative, client-focused benefit solutions that help organizations reduce costs, stay compliant, and attract top talent.