Why a parallel healthcare economy beats high-cost insurance.
Parallel economies form when the main one stops serving its customers. In healthcare, it already exists — it's just not on the renewal spreadsheet.
One of our advisors sold group health insurance for 15 years — then walked away from the book.
Broker, then a first cost-sharing client, then all in. Not because it was trendy, but because the math for families kept getting worse.
You should be skeptical. We'll make the case against ourselves before we're done.
Our goal: you leave still skeptical, but better informed.
Why we walked away from the old model
Just moving the paperwork
$200B
a year on claims, payments and prior authorizations in U.S. health care.
Sahni NR, Gupta P, Peterson M, Cutler DM. Health Affairs Scholar. 2023;1(5):qxad053.
Cost containment is whack-a-mole.
Contain one cost and another pops up: prescriptions, imaging, specialty drugs, the latest blockbuster medication. Renewals keep climbing.
Third-party payment lands us in the worst box.
The Milton Friedman framing.
Every box in the middle adds cost. The parallel economy deletes boxes.
Traditional
Parallel
Two buckets, each solved on its own terms.
Don't buy groceries the way you'd rebuild a house after a fire. Paying for both the same way makes everyday care more expensive and more complicated than it needs to be.
Everyday care
Frequent, routine and predictable. Pay simply with a flat monthly membership — no claims, no network needed.
- Primary & urgent care
- Prescriptions
- Lab work
- Mental health
Large & unexpected
Rare, high-cost and unplanned. Shared by a community of members under clear, published guidelines.
- Surgery
- Hospital stays
- Accidents & ER
- Serious diagnoses
Every option worth your time shares four habits.
Six honest objections, answered.
Objection 1 of 6
"There's no promise to pay."
What's true
Correct. Sharing is voluntary and never guaranteed.
Where it breaks
Compared to what? Insurance has denials, prior authorizations and surprise out-of-network bills.
Objection 2 of 6
"Pre-existing conditions get excluded."
What's true
Large needs tied to them phase in over time.
Where it breaks
Day-to-day care for those conditions lives with your everyday-care doctor from day one.
Objection 3 of 6
"My people need a network."
What's true
A card at the front desk is easy and familiar.
Where it breaks
Easy isn't cheap. You need a doctor you trust, not a list.
Objection 4 of 6
"This only works for healthy people."
What's true
Maintenance medications generally aren't shared.
Where it breaks
Chronic care fits everyday care. An ICHRA can keep an ACA plan open if that's the better fit.
Objection 5 of 6
"It's unregulated, and they'll drop you when you're sick."
What's true
It isn't insurance, so insurance rules don't apply.
Where it breaks
Every member gets the same published guidelines. Read them first — we'll walk you through them.
Objection 6 of 6
"Employers can't contribute."
What's true
Right: employer ICHRA dollars don't buy a share.
Where it breaks
ICHRA is the on-ramp, and someone has to guide the switch. That's us.
Health benefits are having their pension-to-401(k) moment.
Retirement
Pension 401(k)
Health
Group plan ICHRA + parallel options
Parallel healthcare, explained in 10 minutes
Medical cost sharing is not insurance. Sharing is voluntary, not guaranteed, and subject to each program's published guidelines. Members remain responsible for their bills.
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Under 65 or on Medicare, book a free 20-minute call with a licensed advisor. No pressure, no upsell — just clear, affordable options for your life.