Bring Predictability to One of Your Most Unpredictable Expenses

For many employers, healthcare has become one of the fastest-growing and least predictable expenses on the balance sheet. Year after year, renewal increases arrive with little explanation and even fewer options.

Custom Design Benefits (CDB) works with employers to change that dynamic. Through self-funded health plans and proactive cost management strategies, we help organizations take control of spend, improve visibility, and create a more stable path forward—without disrupting members or replacing your broker.

Whether you’re managing 100 members or a workforce in the thousands, our approach is built to scale with your organization and support more informed financial decisions.

Let’s talk about what’s important for your specific role.

Two business colleagues walking and talking together in a modern office

Built for the People Responsible for the Decision

Healthcare strategy affects every part of your organization. Our model is designed to support leadership, finance, and HR without creating tradeoffs or administrative burden.

For CEOs:

Control Risk Without Slowing Growth

Healthcare is one of the largest and least predictable expenses on your balance sheet. Left unmanaged, it impacts profitability and long-term planning.

CDB helps you reduce exposure to unpredictable renewal increases, align your health plan with business strategy, and gain visibility into a major operating cost.

The Results:

Healthcare benefits become manageable, not disruptive.

For CFOs:

Replace Guesswork with Financial Clarity

Fully insured plans make it difficult to understand what you’re paying for or why costs increase.

With CDB, you gain transparent claims-level data, predictable cost management, and strategies that reduce waste.

The Results:

You can plan with confidence instead of reacting to renewals.

For HR Leaders:

Reduce Burden While Improving the Employee Experience

You’re balancing rising costs with employee expectations and internal pressure.

Our model is built to support you:

Guided implementation and employee communication
In-house advocacy so members can talk to a real person for help
Plan designs that reduce confusion and frustration

The Results:

Fewer escalations and a plan you can confidently stand behind.

Get in Touch

Designed for the People Who Count on You

Our strategy goes beyond the budget because we know as leaders of our own organization, the people matter most.

From our inception to present day, CDB has remained centered in serving people. We value clear communication, dedicated care, and above all, extraordinary service.

That Results In:

Tenure

Our team grows and stays at CDB. With our average tenure of 7 years, their expertise and commitment define your members’ experience.

Alignment

We all share the mission to care for your members and your budget. That simplifies everything.

Positivity

We’ve defined our culture carefully so our team is empowered to help and have fun doing it.

97%

Customer Satisfaction

Customer Retention

Your Broker Stays at the Center

With CDB, your broker stays fully involved, partnering to strengthen what works. Rather than starting over, self-funded gives you and your broker room to define what works for your business. Together, we work with your broker to:

Support plan design and long-term strategy

Provide transparent data and reporting

Strengthen client relationships through better outcomes

This is a collaborative model designed to enhance, not replace, your existing relationships.

Share This With Your Broker

Real Employers. Measurable Results.

Employers don’t switch strategies for theory. They do it for results that hold up over time.

A roofing company with 400+ members achieved 47% savings per employee in year one compared to national benchmarks

A building and remodeling firm reduced costs to 50% below the national average

A real estate organization with 700+ members saved more than $100,000 in prescription costs in four months

A municipality avoided a major renewal increase and instead reduced costs by 19%, resulting in $800,000 in annual savings

These outcomes are driven by coordinated strategies, not isolated changes.

Custom Design Benefits case study snapshot detailing employer savings results

View Case Study

Intro to Self-Funding

Interested in exploring a self-funded health plan? Check out these resources below.

Self-Funded vs Fully Insured: What’s the Difference?

Traditional fully insured plans leave employers exposed to rising premiums, limited visibility, and little control over outcomes.

Self-funded health plans work differently. Instead of paying fixed premiums to a carrier, employers pay for actual healthcare claims, paired with strategies that actively manage costs.

With CDB, employers gain:

Greater control over healthcare spend

Full transparency into claims and cost drivers

Plan design flexibility aligned to workforce needs

A strategy designed to stabilize costs and reduce renewal volatility over time

This approach doesn’t just shift costs; it helps reduce them.

Explore Self-Funded

Frequently Asked Questions

× Is self-funding risky?

Self-funding includes protections like stop-loss insurance and active claims management. Many employers experience greater predictability compared to fully insured plans.

+ How do we manage large or unexpected claims?

+ How long does implementation take?

A CDB team member smiling while holding a tablet

Ready to See What’s Possible?

CDB helps employers reduce healthcare costs, improve predictability, and gain control without unnecessary disruption.

Talk With Our Team