Free benchmark ยท All 50 states plus DC ยท Plan year 2026
Where does your plan cost sit against the market?
Not whether you're overpaying. Where you land in the distribution of what comparable groups actually filed.
How to use this
Four inputs, one percentile
- Pick your state. Small group rates are filed by state, so this sets the distribution you're measured against.
- Enter total monthly plan cost. Employer share plus employee share, medical and Rx only.
- Enter enrolled employees. The count on the bill, not headcount.
- Enter covered members. Employees plus every dependent on the plan.
The bar shows where you sit against filed 2026 small group premiums, in your state and nationally.
A high percentile isn't proof you're overpaying. An older census, heavy dependent enrollment or an active high-cost claimant can all price correctly and still land high. It tells you whether to ask, not what the answer is. Nothing you enter is transmitted.
Total plan cost means employer share plus employee share, medical and Rx only. Leave out dental, vision, life and EAP. If you're level funded, use the maximum funding rate.
What a percentile can and can't tell you
Most rate tools give you a verdict. This one gives you a position, and that's a deliberate choice.
| Where you land | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Below the 25th | A young census, a lean plan design, or a carrier buying market share | Check the plan design. A low rate on a plan nobody can afford to use isn't a win |
| 25th to 75th | Ordinary. Your rate reflects your market and your census | The savings here come from structure, not from shopping the same plan harder |
| 75th to 90th | Often an older census, high dependent enrollment, or a rich plan design | Worth asking which of those is driving it, and whether all three are |
| Above the 90th | Usually a claims event, a small pool, or a renewal that compounded for several years | This is where a funding structure change tends to move the most |
The mistake that breaks every comparison
Per member and per employee are not the same number, and people mix them constantly. A group with heavy family enrollment has a low cost per member and a high cost per employee. The same group looks cheap or expensive depending on which one you quote.
This tool benchmarks on cost per member per month, because that's the basis filed rates use. It shows your per-employee figure alongside it, because that's your budget line. One benchmark, two displays. Never two benchmarks.
Frequently asked
Where does this benchmark data come from?
What counts as total plan cost?
Why benchmark per member instead of per employee?
If I'm in the 85th percentile, am I overpaying?
Does this work if I'm self-funded or level funded?
Why is my state so different from the national median?
A percentile tells you whether to ask. These tell you what to ask.
What would the individual market cost my people?
Lowest-cost Silver by county and age, plus household totals for spouse and children. All 3,137 counties.
What actually moves the number?
Six funding structures by group size and industry, and the cost levers each one makes possible.
Would a fixed budget beat a renewal?
CHOICE Arrangement, formerly ICHRA. How it works, when it wins, when it loses, and what can be bundled on top.
You have the position. Now the levers.
If you could change one thing about your health plan without changing your budget, what would you change?
A percentile tells you whether to ask the question. What moves the number is structure, and most employers have never been shown what theirs makes possible.
Methodology and important disclosures
What this tool is. A comparison of your reported plan cost against published market data. It is not a quote, an offer of coverage, a rate review, tax or legal advice, or a finding that any rate is incorrect. It does not evaluate your census, claims history, plan design or carrier. No carrier or plan is named, priced or recommended anywhere on this page.
Benchmark source. CMS Unified Rate Review Public Use File, plan year 2026, posted 2026-03-27. Small group market filings across all 50 states plus DC. The metric is projected total premium per member per month as filed. Distributions are weighted by projected member months. Percentiles are interpolated between the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th points of each state's distribution.
Limits. Filed premiums describe the fully insured small group market and are not adjusted for plan design, actuarial value, census age, dependent enrollment or claims experience. States with fewer filings produce thinner distributions, which is why the national percentile is shown alongside the state percentile. A percentile is a position in a distribution, not an assessment of whether a rate is appropriate for a specific group.
Your inputs. Figures you enter are processed in your browser. Nothing is transmitted, stored or retained by this page.
Insurance placement. Any insured products referenced elsewhere on this site are marketed and offered through licensed agents in states where licensed. Save with Benefits provides education and program design. Last reviewed September 2026.
