ICHRA isn’t emerging. It’s already here. And for brokers still waiting to embrace it, hesitation could become a liability.
As group-plan costs escalate and employee expectations evolve, more client conversations are shifting toward consumer-first benefits models. Brokers relying on spreadsheets alone risk losing clients to proactive advisors who bring modern tools and strategy.
“If you’re not talking about ICHRA, another broker is — and you’re going to lose business.”
Employers have long viewed ICHRAs (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements)as a last resort. But the shift is underway and happening fast.
According to the HRA Council’s 2025 Data Report, the number of U.S. employees offered ICHRA or QSEHRA has more than quadrupled since 2020. Employers with 5-1,000 employees lead growth, and 84% of employers offering ICHRAs have 20 or fewer employees.
This isn't a niche offering anymore. It's mainstream.
Plus, regulatory support — especially enhanced ACA subsidies in 2025 — opens a window of opportunity for brokers: Those who lean into metrics and execution will win.
To help brokers move from hesitation to high performance, this playbook breaks down the data, tactics, and tools behind successful ICHRA adoption. Inside, you’ll find the KPIs that matter most, a step-by-step guide to placing your next 10 cases, and real-world benchmarks to help you confidently scale your organization.
The power shift: Why ICHRA is your next growth engine
Many benefits brokers still cling to a cost-first, “only-if-we-have-to” mentality around ICHRA. But that mindset is shortsighted.
Old mindset:
ICHRA is only for clients in trouble.
Avoid the conversation unless renewal rates force your hand.
The only value is cost savings.
Modern mindset:
Personalization = retention: Matching plans to employee needs reduces opt-outs and boosts satisfaction.
Risk management = stability: Defined contributions and ACA subsidies provide predictability.
Consumerism = better use of employee dollars: HRAC data shows employees with choice spend up to 20% more efficiently.
“ICHRA used to be the nuclear option. Now it's your most flexible one. If you're not talking about it, someone else is.”
Brokers who add ICHRA to their offerings and reposition it around personalization, predictability, and choice — not just cost — are placing more cases. This mindset shift pays off:
Clients gain access to 20+ plans across 5+ carriers, even in groups with less than 50 employees.
Satisfaction scores for one customer increased by 22%.
Employers appreciate the flexibility, and brokers retain more accounts.
ICHRA used to be the last resort. Now, it’s your best opportunity to lead client conversations, offer a better experience, and grow your book.
The secret sauce to placing your next 10 ICHRA cases
Top ICHRA brokers think like consultants, not salespeople. They know that sustainable success comes from matching the right solution to the right situation, then executing with precision. This means saying no to poor-fit prospects and investing deeply in the implementations they take on. It's slower upfront but builds the reputation and results that matter.
“Ninety percent of calls we take are from brokers who haven’t placed a single ICHRA case yet.”
Step 1: Start with strategy
Assess the group’s size, geography, current pain points, and flexibility needs.
Look for signs of poor group plan fit: low participation, renewal volatility, or admin overload.
Success signal: You’ve identified a real opportunity for defined contribution, choice, and cost control.
Step 2: Show the math
Run detailed affordability and disruption analyses.
Tailor scenarios by ZIP code, income band, and household type.
Provide a clear cost comparison to the client’s current plan.
Success signal: The model shows stable or improved costs with better employee access.
Step 3: Prep the rollout
Create a clear rollout plan with pre-launch comms, FAQs, webinars, and 1:1 enrollment support.
Compare old and new benefits so employees understand what’s changing and why.
Success signal: HR is equipped to lead internal conversations, and employees understand how to choose plans.
Step 4: Stay close post-launch
Placement doesn’t end on day one.
Monitor engagement and feedback
Adjust for any confusion or drop-off
Use data to validate the experience
Success signal: A strong first year that builds trust, retention, and a case study for your next pitch.
Step 5: Use early wins to grow
Scale what works by using post-launch performance to guide future placements.
Track quotes-to-placements, average enrollment rates, and employer satisfaction.
Success signal: You’re converting interest into real cases and growing your book.
The P.L.A.C.E. framework: Five KPIs for placement readiness
Before you track enrollment rates or long-term ROI, you’ll need to assess whether you’ve placed the case successfully. Thatch’s P.L.A.C.E. framework helps brokers stay focused on the indicators that signal true readiness:
Proactive engagement: Are you actively introducing ICHRA to clients?
Local market alignment: Are you tailoring recommendations by region and size?
Analysis and assessment: Are you evaluating the strength of each quote using data-driven insights, not just volume?
Conversion tracking: Are you measuring how often your quotes result in signed cases?
Early performance: Are your initial placements showing promising signs across enrollment, satisfaction, and retention?
Pro tip:
Client engagement is the top of your funnel. If you’re not talking about ICHRA, you’re not placing it
Beyond launch: Validating ICHRA's sustained value
Once an ICHRA is in place, success metrics shift to its ongoing effectiveness. Healthy utilization shows that employees understand the program and are making it work for them.
Critical KPIs for client success
“We look for drop-offs, spikes, outliers—signals that something needs fixing, not just a pat on the back.”
True client success comes from ongoing visibility into how the plan is performing, both from a cost and employee experience standpoint. Below are the KPIs insurance brokers should monitor:
Enrollment rates
Track the percentage of eligible employees who opt in to the ICHRA. High enrollment suggests strong communication and plan alignment. For groups that previously struggled with low participation in group plans, ICHRAs can offer a more appealing, flexible alternative.
And since ICHRAs have no minimum participation requirements, they’re especially useful for employers with dispersed teams, part-time staff, or low baseline engagement in traditional group coverage.
Cost management
Employer savings: One of the most immediate ROI signals. Thatch clients often report meaningful savings in year one, especially when moving from high-cost, fully insured group plans.
Containing future costs: Defined contributions help employers avoid the sticker shock of large renewal increases. Instead of absorbing carrier-driven rate hikes, budgets are locked in and predictable.
Employee experience metrics
Satisfaction scores: ICHRA satisfaction rates that exceed 70% — via NPS-style post-enrollment surveys — often correlate with clear communications, ample plan selection, and strong enrollment support.
Opt-out reasons: Encourage clients to document why employees decline coverage. This qualitative feedback can flag plan mismatches, geographic limitations, or communication breakdowns.
The unsung hero: Why change management makes or breaks ICHRA
Implementing an ICHRA rewires how employees think about benefits, and that shift can make or break your placement. For many employers, it means moving from a centralized group plan to decentralized individual policies, often for the first time. This reimagining of benefits is as much cultural as it is operational, and it requires much more than a policy document and a launch email.
It requires a plan.
And the brokers who see the highest engagement — and highest renewal rates — treat change management as a critical KPI, not an afterthought.
Successful transitions happen when employees feel informed, supported, and confident when choosing a plan. That's only possible with clear communication and an intentional rollout strategy.
Here’s what top brokers build into every ICHRA transition:
Pre-launch education: Microsites, webinars, email sequences, and explainers help set expectations early.
Benefits comparisons: Side-by-side visuals of “before vs. after” help employees understand what’s changing.
Human support: Office hours, 1:1 enrollment meetings, and live chat reduce confusion and build trust.
HR enablement: Internal champions need talking points, readiness checklists, and space for feedback.
These are not just “nice-to-haves.” They directly affect performance.
Change management is the invisible force behind successful case placements. When it’s missing, enrollment drops, employee satisfaction tanks, and brokers lose credibility with clients. When done well, the shift to ICHRA feels seamless and repeatable.
Checklist: Steps to achieve effective change management
The most successful ICHRA implementations follow a predictable pattern, and it has nothing to do with plan design. This battle-tested framework transforms what could be a high-risk transition into a repeatable, measurable process.
1. Communication planning
A strong communication strategy is more than a single email or slide deck. It’s a coordinated rollout that meets employees where they are. That includes:
Email sequences with plain-language explanations
FAQs that anticipate common employee concerns
A live or recorded info session before open enrollment
Follow-ups at key decision points (like when plan selection opens)
Think of it as an internal campaign. You're not just informing — you're helping employees feel confident and cared for.
2. Ensure understanding
Employees won’t trust what they don’t understand. A major part of change management is helping them connect the dots between what they had and what they’re getting now. That means breaking down the differences between the old group plan and the new ICHRA model by:
Framing the change in terms of employee gain: more choice, more control, fewer surprises
Showing how contributions translate into real plan options
A clear “before vs. after” employee benefits summary to demystify the transition
3. Build a support system
Even with great messaging, employees need help navigating new options. Brokers can drive results by ensuring every question has a place to go. This can be achieved by:
Offering 1:1 enrollment support sessions
Maintaining a self-service help center with videos and walk-throughs
Providing a digital onboarding experience that guides employees step-by-step
These touchpoints don’t just improve the employee experience — they also reduce the HR team's burden.
4. Empower HR
HR teams are on the front lines of any health benefits shift. When they feel caught off guard or ill-equipped, the rollout falters. Brokers should take a proactive role in preparing HR stakeholders by:
Running a readiness assessment to uncover knowledge gaps
Hosting pre-rollout listening sessions to surface concerns and hesitations
Offering co-branded tool kits, rollout playbooks, and employee communication templates
These steps help HR teams “sell the change” internally and avoid common rollout pitfalls. And they reinforce the broker’s role as a strategic partner, not just a vendor.
How top brokers are winning with ICHRA today
Brokers using Thatch aren’t just placing ICHRA cases — they’re winning mid-market clients, defending accounts from larger competitors, and giving high-churn clients long-term stability.
“The brokers placing the most ICHRA cases aren’t necessarily the biggest shops — they’re the most disciplined about how they track and act on metrics.”
Proven results:
Significant growth: Over 800 ICHRA placements in the first year, with continued expansion projected to exceed 1,000.
Doubled enrollment: In one instance, a broker nearly doubled enrollment for a group compared to their traditional plan, achieving this with a flat cost increase of just +1.36%.
Strategy wins:
Mid-market traction: A civil engineering firm in California faced steep renewal increases. By switching to ICHRA, they offered 29 plans across 10 carriers. Employees got better-fit coverage, and had an average of $926/month in unused reimbursement allowance.Stronger retention: A national family building services company nearly doubled enrollment with no major cost increases. Satisfaction rose 22%, and 70% of employees rated their new benefits better than those from past employers.
Simplified complexity: For a national surrogacy agency, tech-enabled support and broker education nearly doubled enrollment, with only a 1.36% cost increase. HR teams saw reduced admin burden and broader plan flexibility.
Local relevance at scale: ICHRA helped a distributed team find regional plans and in-network doctors that their prior group plan couldn’t reach, without sacrificing national consistency.
The future-ready broker: How data + partnership drive ICHRA success
Brokers who win with ICHRA don’t just quote plans. They guide clients through every phase of strategy and execution. That starts with tracking the right data and choosing a partner who can help you act on it.
Top performers use dashboards to monitor placement activity, enrollment rates, satisfaction scores, and cost per employee. They benchmark performance across groups and use those insights to shape renewals, retention strategies, and future pipeline conversations.
At Thatch, we help brokers build a scalable ICHRA business with:
A curated health and wellness marketplace
Automated compliance, quoting, and billing
A Broker Portal to manage comp, submit quotes, and track performance
Dedicated partner support and training
Industry-leading compensation at $30 PEPM with flexibility to adjust
Data alone won’t drive growth — discipline, strategy, and support will. Brokers who bring structure to ICHRA placements and pair it with a strong partner can quickly differentiate themselves from the competition, retain more clients, and unlock entirely new market segments.
Ready to win your next 10 ICHRA cases? Let’s build your custom KPI dashboard together.
