How BSI CORE turned a cost-control challenge into a model for sustainable, member-first benefits strategy
The Challenge: Doing More With Less in Education
Education is one of the most resource-constrained sectors in the country. For a public K–12 charter school serving over 1,800 students across 16 districts in a major metro region, every budget decision carries weight, not just financially, but in terms of the teachers, staff, and support professionals whose dedication makes student success possible.
When the school joined BSI CORE in 2021 with 200 employees, leadership had a clear mandate: control rising benefits costs without degrading the employee experience that helps attract and retain great educators. In a competitive talent market, benefits aren’t a line item to slash, they’re a recruitment and retention tool.
BSI took both priorities seriously.
The Strategy: A Partnership Built on Three Pillars
- Competitive Funding Through BSI CORE
The first move was structural. By transitioning the school into the BSI CORE consortium model, the organization gained access to a collective, data-driven funding structure that competes on volume and analytics, advantages typically unavailable to a 200-person employer operating alone.
CORE didn’t just reduce the school’s cost exposure; it positioned them alongside similarly-sized organizations to achieve the kind of leverage that reshapes renewal negotiations and long-term trend management. Since joining in 2021, that structural advantage has been a cornerstone of more than $3.1 million in total savings.
- Open Enrollment Reinvented: Hybrid, High-Touch, Human
Benefits only work when employees understand them. For many organizations, especially in education, where staff are stretched thin and disengaged from HR communications, open enrollment is a missed opportunity. Employees click through, pick what they picked last year, and leave coverage gaps on the table.
BSI redesigned the experience.
A hybrid open enrollment model combined virtual accessibility with onsite, face-to-face support, meeting employees where they were, whether in a classroom, a break room, or at home after hours. The result was a measurably higher level of member participation and comprehension: employees didn’t just enroll, they enrolled with confidence and understanding.
This matters beyond the numbers. When employees feel supported during open enrollment, they trust their benefits program. That trust drives engagement, reduces mid-year confusion, and builds loyalty to the employer who made the effort.
- Better Access to Care — Starting With Telemedicine
One of BSI’s early moves for the school was the launch of a dedicated telemedicine benefit, expanding access to convenient, affordable care for staff across all 16 districts.
The impact was tangible. Utilization climbed as employees discovered a faster, lower-cost path to quality care. Telemedicine reduces reliance on emergency rooms for non-emergent needs, lowers absenteeism, and signals to employees that their health is a genuine organizational priority.
Ongoing Optimization: Pharmacy Savings That Compound
Cost management isn’t a one-time event at BSI, it’s an ongoing practice. Through continuous plan design optimization, the school has achieved sustained pharmacy savings by promoting member consumerism: helping employees make informed decisions about generic vs. brand medications, appropriate utilization, and cost-conscious care pathways.
This kind of ongoing advisory relationship separates a true benefits partner from a transactional vendor. BSI doesn’t wait for renewal season to identify savings — they work year-round to find them.
The Results: What Four Years of Partnership Delivers
| Outcome | Result |
| Total savings since joining BSI CORE | $3.1M+ |
| Open enrollment experience | Hybrid model; meaningfully higher member engagement |
| Care access | Dedicated telemedicine launched; utilization increased |
| Pharmacy spend | Ongoing savings through plan optimization |
| Employee experience | Strengthened through education, access, and support |
Why This Case Matters
For education organizations, the stakes of a poor benefits strategy are high and often invisible, felt in teacher turnover, staff dissatisfaction, and a workforce that doesn’t feel valued.
BSI approached this partnership with a philosophy that should define every benefits relationship: cost efficiency and employee experience are not opposing forces. The right strategy advances both simultaneously.
Over four years, BSI helped this charter school save more than $3.1 million while building a benefits program that employees actually engage with and trust. That’s not a cost-containment story. It’s a people strategy that happens to save money.
About BSI CORE
BSI CORE is a consortium-based funding model designed for mid-size employers who want the analytical advantages and competitive pricing of large-group purchasing — without sacrificing the personalized service and flexibility of a dedicated benefits partner. Member organizations benefit from shared risk pooling, data-driven plan design, and ongoing strategic advisory support.