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Employee Benefits Consultant · Houston, TX

Your benefits plan
is costing you
far too much.

Most employers pay a 30–40% carrier markup every year — and never see it. I help CFOs and HR leaders at mid-size companies understand exactly what they're paying for, and build a strategy that gives that money back.

See Your Savings Estimate Meet Tess
Tess McCoy
Therese McCoy
MS · CEBS® · CSFS®
Hotchkiss Insurance
15+
Years Experience
20–30%
Avg. Client Savings
40–10K
Employee Range
#1
Fiduciary-First
CEBS® CSFS®

The Problem

The numbers don't lie —
and they're not in your favor.

Premium costs have outpaced wages for a decade. Yet most employers still renew the same fully-insured plan, year after year, with no claims data and no leverage. There is a better way.

Average Family Premium, 2018–2024
+30%
The average employer-sponsored family premium climbed from $19,616 to $25,572 — a $6,000 increase in just six years.
Source: KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey 2024
Mid-Size Employer Self-Funding Savings
20–30%
Average annual savings when employers move from fully-insured to self-funded arrangements, validated across thousands of plans.
Source: Validation Institute

10-Year Premium Growth vs. Wages

Premiums+47%
Wages+42%
Inflation+30%

Source: KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey 2023

"The system wasn't built for employers. I help you build one that was."

— Tess McCoy

Therese McCoy
15+
Years in
Benefits

About Tess

An insider
who works for
you — not the carrier.

My career started on the inside. Before advising employers, I served as Director of Strategic Employer Engagement at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic — one of Texas' most respected multi-specialty health systems. I watched, from the inside, how healthcare dollars moved. Where they went. Who kept them.

That experience is the foundation of everything I do now. As a consultant at Hotchkiss Insurance, I hold the CEBS® — the gold standard in benefits — and the CSFS® designation for self-funding expertise. I work with employers of 40 to 10,000 people who are tired of being told what their plan costs and never understanding why.

I specialize in self-funded arrangements, group captives, and cost-containment strategies. I'm a ParetoHealth partner — meaning I can connect eligible employers to one of the nation's most established captive programs. And I focus specifically on the healthcare industry, where the stakes are highest and the workforce deserves better.

MS Degree CEBS® CSFS® Self-Funded Plans Group Captives Risk Management Cost Containment

What I Do

Strategy first.
Always.

I don't sell products. Every engagement starts with understanding your business before a single plan design is considered.

Benefits Strategy & Design
A full review of your current plan, carrier contracts, and cost drivers — followed by a clear roadmap built around your goals. No bias toward any carrier.
Self-Funded Plan Transition
Guiding employers from fully-insured to self-funded or group captive — with stop-loss protection, transparent claims data, and meaningful savings from day one.
Group Captive Solutions
As a ParetoHealth partner, I connect eligible employers to one of the nation's most established captive programs — Fortune 500 buying power for mid-size businesses.
Cost Containment & Analytics
Claims analysis, reference-based pricing, pharmacy carve-outs, and more — using data, not guesswork, to redirect your healthcare dollars.
Healthcare Industry Benefits
Specialized consulting for healthcare employers — from community health systems to large physician groups — who need plans that attract and retain top clinical talent.
Employee Education
Your plan only works if people use it wisely. Clear, engaging communication strategies that move the needle on enrollment, utilization, and satisfaction.

Savings Estimator

How much are you
leaving on the table?

Takes 60 seconds. Enter your current situation and see a realistic savings range — based on actual industry benchmarks.

Your Estimate
Annual Premium Spend —
Estimated Annual Savings —
Potential Savings Rate —
5-Year Savings Potential —

Estimates are illustrative, based on industry averages. Actual savings vary by claims experience, plan design, and stop-loss structure. Contact Tess for a personalized analysis.

Schedule a No-Cost Benefits Audit

Client Outcomes

What employers
actually say.

★★★★★

"Tess completely changed how we think about our benefits spend. We moved to a self-funded plan and saved over $400,000 in year one. Our employees barely noticed a difference — except that their premiums went down."

JR
J. Robinson
CFO · Regional Home Health Agency · 310 Employees
★★★★★

"We're a physician group competing with large health systems for talent. Tess built us a benefits package that we can actually lead with in recruiting conversations. Our offer acceptance rate went up noticeably."

SP
S. Patel
Managing Partner · Multispecialty Group · 85 Providers
★★★★★

"What I appreciate most about Tess is her honesty. She told us things about our previous broker relationship that others had never flagged. She's clearly working for us — not for a carrier override."

KL
K. Lee
VP of Human Resources · Community Health System · 620 Employees

Insights & Analysis

Read the
Insights.

Weekly briefs that pull back the curtain on U.S. healthcare — what it means for the plans you sponsor and the people covered by them. No carrier talking points. No fluff.

Health Plan Decoded

The honest benefits conversation no one is having.

Hospital pricing. Spread pricing. Rebate retention. OON repricing. Direct contracting. The mechanics of why your costs keep rising — and the structural fixes that actually work.

Read the Blog →
Featured · Hospital Pricing
When Hospital Pricing Stops Being "High" and Starts Being a Joke
The Contract Series
Spread Pricing · Rebates · OON Repricing · Direct Contracting
Women's Health
The $8 TikTok Diagnosis
Have a question? Chat with Tess directly.