Turn healthcare into a managed financial strategy.
Know where the money goes, what's driving trend, and which moves create a measurable return, all year long instead of only at renewal.
“Why did our renewal go up again?”
Benefits that Care. Strategies that Work.
Your health plan is spending money. Is it creating value?
ECG helps employers reclaim dollars hidden in their healthcare supply chain and redirect them to better benefits, stronger organizations, and the people who matter most.
Independent. Transparent. Accountable. We sit on your side of the table.
- Clinton County−33% at renewal
- Siedhoff Distributing$292K saved in year one
- Enertech GlobalRx cost −$281K in 12 months
- Ronnoco Beverage$229K saved in 15 months
- City of CarlyleHealth budget −40%
- City of Red BudSame $250 deductible since 2007
Who we work with
A health plan should strengthen the organization it serves.
We work with leaders who want a strategy they can understand, accountability they can measure, and benefits their people actually use.
Offer benefits employees can actually use.
Remove out-of-pocket barriers, make the best care easy to find, and give your people a real person to call.
“Why aren't employees using what we pay for?”
Redirect savings to what matters.
Protect jobs, strengthen your mission, improve retention, or reinvest in the organization's future.
“What could we do with that money instead?”
Zero-cost care
Care your employees can use without reaching for their wallet.
We contract directly with high-quality surgeons, specialists, imaging centers, and labs, then pass the savings straight to your people. The goal is simple: nothing out of pocket for most of their care.
- Labs & bloodwork$0
- Imaging MRI · CT · X-ray$0
- Virtual care$0
- Most prescriptions$0
- Direct-contracted procedures$0
- Direct-contracted surgeries$0
ECG Care Navigation
One call connects employees with a real person who finds the $0 option and books the appointment. It's often days sooner than waiting on a prior authorization.
“Most employers do not have a healthcare budget problem. They have a healthcare purchasing problem.”
What ECG changes
Stop managing increases. Start managing the healthcare supply chain.
Traditional renewals show you what healthcare costs. ECG asks why it costs that much, and what can be changed.
Pharmacy strategy
Most prescriptions never need to touch a PBM markup. Employees pay $0 for most scripts, and high-cost specialty drugs are sourced a smarter way.
Direct care
Direct contracts with surgeons, specialists, imaging, labs, and Centers of Excellence at transparent, predictable prices.
Risk financing
Stop-loss and captive structures designed to return unused dollars instead of leaving them with the carrier.
Member navigation
A real person helps employees find the right care at the right price, so the savings actually get used.
How we work
A disciplined path from data to durable results.
We don't start with a carrier quote. We start by understanding where your dollars go and whether they're working for you.
-
01
Diagnose
A clear picture of cost, utilization, contracts, and friction.
- Claims & trend analysis
- Rx Spend MRI
- Contract & fee review
-
02
Design
A plan built around your people, goals, and appetite for change.
- Executive review
- Funding & risk strategy
- Implementation blueprint
-
03
Implement
We coordinate partners, communication, and the employee experience.
- Vendor accountability
- Enrollment support
- Employee education
-
04
Govern
We manage the plan all year, not just when renewal arrives.
- Cost-driver reviews
- Performance reporting
- Continuous improvement
Client results
Public, private, and not-for-profit employers keeping more of their healthcare dollars.
≈3%
average annual increase, 20 years
Two decades of cost stability
A $200 deductible held unchanged for 20 years. The employee's monthly contribution moved from $50 to just $52.
$473K
total value returned
Value returned to the mission
Pharmacy savings, manufacturer rebates, and captive underwriting profit, reclaimed for the organization.
$292K
saved in year one
A trucking company changes course
A family-owned business with 86 employees enrolled needed a new way to manage costs. Working with ECG paid off in the first year.
Bill Schmaltz, founder. Co-author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Fixing American Healthcare.
About ECG
Helping employers fix healthcare, one plan at a time.
Employers Consulting Group is an independent healthcare consulting firm in St. Louis. Our team pairs cost strategists with a practicing nurse practitioner, claims specialists, and pharmacy experts, and we ask the questions others avoid.
- Based inSt. Louis, Missouri
- Serving employersFor over 20 years
- NetworkNextGen Benefits partners nationwide
- Our approachIndependent, transparent, accountable
What could your health plan dollars accomplish if they stopped disappearing into the system?
Start with a fact-based look at your current plan. In a few minutes, the Health Plan MRI scores your plan across seven areas and shows where the opportunities are. Or talk it through with Bill directly.