Employers pick benefits before their plan year starts. If you pitch after the decision, the answer is next year. Ask each employer when its plan year starts and work backward.
The plan year drives everything
A plan year may not start January 1. Ask each employer when its plan renews. The plan year sets when the employer reviews benefits, when it holds open enrollment and when changes take effect.
Work backward from the start date
- Before the review: ask the employer or broker when it starts reviewing costs. This is the best time for a first meeting.
- Before the decision: ask when decisions are made. A proposal needs to be in hand by now.
- Open enrollment: Too late to add DPC to this year's plan, but a good time to set up a meeting for next year.
Ask each employer or broker for their own dates.
DPC doesn't always have to wait
Ask whether the employer could add DPC as a separate benefit outside the health plan, and whether it could start mid-year. Whether that works depends on the employer's plan and its advisors. How DPC fits alongside an employer's plan.
Keep a simple pitch calendar
For each employer lead, record the plan year start, the broker's name and the date to reach out. In a made-up example, a 30-person company renews July 1. You note a first call for early February and a proposal by mid-April.
What I'd do this week
- Ask every current lead when its plan year starts.
- Put the outreach date for each one on your calendar.
- Read how to work with benefits brokers, since a broker may know the employer's calendar.
Common questions
What if I meet an employer right after its renewal?
Build the relationship anyway, offer a pilot if it fits, and book a meeting for the next review.
Does a mid-year start cause billing problems?
Only if the contract is unclear. Set the start date, proration rule and first invoice date in writing.
Who decides at small companies?
It may be the owner, with a broker's advice. Ask who else needs to be in the room.
Want your employer pipeline next to your cash forecast?
We reconcile every account every month and send your P&L and Balance Sheet by the 15th, so decisions like this start from real numbers. If that's what you need, apply to work with us.