HR Brew: Some Employers are Putting Health Insurance in Workers’ Hands. Here’s How It’s Going.

Real employers are proving out the ICHRA case in year six of the model. Janek Performance Group turned a projected 40% premium hike into a manageable 15% by making the switch — while BrightView Health used it to solve an access problem, giving employees the power to actually find in-network providers instead of being boxed into a self-funded plan's narrow network. Early friction fades fast: Janek's HR lead says sentiment has flipped from shock to enthusiasm, with new hires now citing the ICHRA as a perk that excites them at onboarding. The infrastructure to support the shift has matured too — administrators like Zorro and Take Command Health now handle plan selection, education, and payroll integration, turning what used to be a heavy lift into a manageable one. With roughly 200,000 employees and dependents now covered this way and growth described as strong by the HRA Council, ICHRA is proving it can deliver real budget relief without sacrificing employee coverage.