For years, employers watched healthcare and pharmacy benefit costs climb while the financial details remained hidden behind vendor contracts, broker arrangements, and the fine print. Plan sponsors were often expected to trust everything was working without seeing where the money was actually going.
As healthcare costs rise, “trust us” simply isn’t enough anymore. Employers are increasingly asking the same question made famous by a Wendy’s TV commercial: “Where’s the beef?” We especially enjoy the reference since both Wendy’s and ALTTRAX are headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) is helping employers finally get an answer. No more guessing. No more shrugging. No more accepting “that’s just how health insurance works.”
Plan sponsors are now expected to understand who is getting paid, how much they’re being paid, where pharmacy dollars are flowing, and whether plan expenses are reasonable.
The good news?
The CAA provides a roadmap for uncovering those answers. And with the ALTTRAX platform, employers can turn compliance requirements into a practical process for transparency, accountability, and better decision-making. We can even potentially help you find hidden savings. This is how we do it.
Three Places ALTTRAX Looks First
If you’re trying to find the “beef,” these are the first places to start.
- Broker and Consultant Compensation
Any advisor receiving compensation, directly or indirectly, should provide clear written disclosures. Pay close attention to vague language such as: “May receive additional compensation.”
- Pharmacy Benefit Arrangements
PBM contracts can include rebates, administrative fees, spread pricing, and other arrangements that are difficult to identify without careful review. When employers begin looking more closely, they often discover that finding the true cost of pharmacy benefits isn’t as straightforward as it should be.
Plan sponsors should understand where prescription drug dollars are going and whether those arrangements are delivering value to the plan and its participants.
- Data Access and Gag Clauses
Employers cannot effectively oversee what they cannot see. Contracts should not prevent access to cost, quality, claims, or pharmacy data. Fiduciaries need the ability to evaluate plan performance using meaningful information, not just summaries provided by vendors.
Just as important, annual gag clause attestations should be completed and documented appropriately.
Because if the data is locked away, finding the beef becomes nearly impossible.
The Simple ALTTRAX Roadmap
A strong CAA compliance process doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs to be organized, repeatable, and documented.
- Define who is responsible for oversight and establish a consistent review process.
- Gather compensation disclosures, PBM information, vendor agreements, and other required documentation.
- Follow up on unclear fees, rebate arrangements, revenue sources, or limitations on data access.
- Compare costs, services, and vendor arrangements against market standards to determine whether plan expenses are reasonable.
- Maintain a clear record of reviews, discussions, decisions, and next steps. Good documentation is a critical part of demonstrating fiduciary diligence.
Where ALTTRAX Fits In
We help employers transform CAA requirements into a structured, working process. Instead of chasing disclosures, deciphering contract language, and wondering whether enough documentation exists, fiduciary committees gain a practical framework for oversight and accountability.
The result is fewer blind spots, stronger vendor conversations, and a more complete fiduciary file. Most importantly, employers gain a clearer understanding of what they’re paying for and whether they’re receiving appropriate value in return.
Let’s Get Started
Using the ALTTRAX review platform, we need only a few key plan documents and a small amount of your team’s time to provide a comprehensive, understandable, and actionable review.
Our process helps employers identify hidden costs, evaluate vendor arrangements, strengthen fiduciary oversight, and uncover opportunities for savings and improvement.
Schedule a CAA Fiduciary Review with ALTTRAX and start finding the beef.
