Right now, I'm hearing the same thing from HR teams and brokers alike: renewal numbers for 2027 are in, and people are deflated. This is one of the times we hear from these exact folks most, because they know a spousal HRA is one of the few solutions that can still move their 2027 budget, and they're worried it's too late to implement in time for a 1/1/2027 plan date. The good news is there's still time. This is when our team shines: it's our busiest onboarding season of the year, for exactly this reason.
So what does the timeline look like? Once we have the green light, we can have the platform ready in under a day, and our team carries most of that work. The HR team attends a kickoff call and hands over the data we need to get started. From there, customers can track exactly where things stand inside the platform itself (shared timelines), so nobody's chasing updates over email. Meanwhile, we're running BenAdmin setup, employee education, reimbursement funding, and platform configuration all at once. We've done full implementations with less than 2 days' notice in support of our customers.
Most groups go live in about one week. The bulk of that time goes to employee education, so people understand the benefit before open enrollment begins.
Same timeline, different stakes
That timeline holds no matter how a plan is funded. The savings work differently for fully insured and self-funded groups.
For a fully insured group, the carrier sets a premium for each enrolled household, and that rate holds for the year. Every family that moves to a spouse's plan before January 1 is one less household the company pays that premium for in 2027. That household's claims also stay out of the group's history at the next renewal. That matters most for larger groups, whose rates are based on their own claims.
A national distributor moved $446,000 in premium liability off its plan in its first year and netted $383,000 after reimbursements. An enterprise ecommerce company moved $245,000 of premium off its plan for $164,000 in net savings. In both cases, the families moved during open enrollment, before the plan year started.
A self-funded group doesn't have a carrier setting a premium number in the first place. It pays claims directly, and stop-loss coverage is what it costs to carry that risk. A national medical equipment provider used this approach to cap $174 million in combined health plan liability, current spousal HRA enrollees plus employees who'd already waived coverage, at $4.5 million.
A spousal HRA can be live in a matter of days. Before signing off on next year's renewal, it's worth checking whether one could work for your group.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to implement a spousal HRA with Healia?
We can have the platform ready in under a day. Most groups go live about one week after kickoff, and most of that time goes to employee education. Healia drafts the plan document and SPD, works with your HRIS vendor to configure enrollment, sets up eligibility, and runs employee education, with no implementation fee. A file feed helps but isn't required.
Does a spousal HRA save money for self-funded employers?
Yes. Self-funded groups pay claims directly, so when a high-cost household moves to a spouse's plan, its claims come off your plan. A potential $100,000+ stop-loss exposure becomes a capped, predictable HRA reimbursement, for example $10,000. The HRA isn't pre-funded. You pay only when claims are submitted, and unused dollars stay with you.
How much can a company save?
It depends on your plan costs and how many households move. About 30% of employees usually have a spouse with access to other coverage. We aim to move about 20% of that group, or roughly 6% of your total population. Per household, a fully insured employer turns a guaranteed $15,000+ spend into an average of $5,000 to $10,000. A self-funded employer caps a $100,000+ exposure at the HRA limit.
Does implementation differ for fully insured and self-funded employers?
No. The steps and timeline are the same: plan document and SPD, HRIS setup, eligibility, and employee education. Funding works the same way too. Healia pays employees for approved claims and invoices the customer weekly, with no pre-funding, reserve accounts, or bank access required. The difference is where the savings show up. Self-funded employers remove claims from their plan, and fully insured employers pay premium for fewer households.
Curious what this could look like for your group?