Administrative Experience Emerges as Key Pressure Point for Self-Funded Plans, Brighton Health Plan Solutions Survey Finds

New report shows employee satisfaction remains high, but trust can break down when administrative friction gets in the way

NEW YORK, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Self-funded health plans are working for many health systems, but the experience behind them is proving harder to get right. Brighton Health Plan Solutions (BHPS) today released its 2026 Self-Funded Health System Benefits Report, which found that 92% of executives at self-funded health systems said their employee health plan is successful. At the same time, 35% said they are re-evaluating how tightly care should be steered into their own networks, while employee trust weakens when billing, claims, referrals and exceptions become harder to navigate.

The report is based on two surveys conducted in March 2026: a Censuswide survey of 250 U.S. C-level executives at large, multi-site health systems with self-funded plans, and a Pollfish survey of 352 employees enrolled in their employer’s self-funded plan at similarly sized U.S. health systems.

Key findings from the report include:

• 92% of executives at self-funded health systems said their employee health plan is successful, including 52% who said it is very successful. Just 2% said their plan is unsuccessful, showing broad confidence in the model even as some leaders reassess how it should work.
• 35% of executives said they are re-evaluating the balance between domestic utilization and employee choice.
• 54% of executives said administrative flexibility is critical to making self-funded plans work.
• Nearly all (99%) executives said the TPA is important to overall plan performance, including 59% who said it is very important and 16% who called it mission-critical.
• Executives and employees pointed to different sources of friction. Executives were most likely to cite privacy concerns at 38%, while employees ranked privacy last at 5%. Instead, employees were most likely to point to unexpected out-of-pocket costs, cited by 37%.
• Only 54% of employees said they are confident plan decisions serve their best interests, even though 78% said they are satisfied with their plan overall.
• 49% of employees said they at least sometimes feel tension between their employer’s role as a healthcare provider and as their insurer.
  
  

The findings show that self-funded, system-directed health plans are working for many health systems, but the employee experience still matters. While employees are generally satisfied with their coverage, trust erodes when the administrative experience behind the plan falls short.

The report also suggests health systems are reassessing how these plans should work. As leaders weigh utilization, flexibility and employee experience, administrative performance will play a bigger role in whether self-funded plans keep delivering for both the organization and its workforce.

“Custom self-funded health plans have become an important strategy for health systems because they can uniquely support patient care coordination and long-term plan performance,” said Michelle Zettergren, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Brighton Health Plan Solutions. “Through their integrated delivery systems, care management and navigation programs, health systems are able to improve patient experiences and outcomes.”

As health systems look to improve retention, trust and plan performance over the next several years, the findings point to a clear next step: improve the administrative experience around the plan, not just the plan design.

See full results and findings by reading the 2026 Self-Funded Health System Benefits Report.

About Brighton Health Plan Solutions
Brighton Health Plan Solutions, LLC (BHPS) is a national healthcare enablement company and third-party administrator at the forefront of innovation in the self-funded market. BHPS offers over three decades of network administration experience, direct contracting expertise, unmatched administrative flexibility, customizable network solutions, comprehensive casualty solutions, a plug-and-play architecture and an award-winning technology platform highly adaptable to unique client needs. In collaboration with clients, providers and partners, BHPS is proudly redefining the health plan experience for more than 1 million members across the U.S. For more information, visit brightonhps.com.

Media Contact
Idea Grove
bhps@ideagrove.com

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