Case study: Small business adopts a level funded health plan for reduced health care costs
How a UnitedHealthcare Level Funded health plan helped Rubber and Accessories manage costs without cutting benefits for its employees.
Based on a case study completed in 2023. Updated in October 2025.
Building healthier businesses together with Rubber & Accessories
Dedication to employees fueled the need for change
Founded more than 50 years ago by Buzz Hooper and Harry Robb Jr., industrial rubber products distributor Rubber and Accessories was built on the belief that its employees were a major factor in the success of the company. Loyalty and a dedication to values of ethics, service and reliability have helped Rubber and Accessories maintain a stellar, industrywide reputation.
Although the landscape has evolved throughout the years, Founder and President Buzz Hooper says that “the way we operate, the way we relate to customers, employees and suppliers hasn’t changed.” In fact, he adds, “as soon as we started hiring, we started offering health benefits.”
A strategic approach to cost management
In 2020, facing the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, Rubber and Accessories was looking at a 14% increase in premiums with its previous health insurer. Benefits are already a major expense for small businesses like theirs, typically coming in second on the budget after salaries and wages.1
“We try to keep our employees’ costs as low as possible, as long as our costs are stabilized,” Hooper says.
To help control rising health care expenses without passing costs to employees, Rubber and Accessories moved from a fully insured plan to a UnitedHealthcare Level Funded plan.
In addition to the level funded plan’s lower monthly fixed payments, the company was intrigued by the potential year-end surplus refund if its medical and pharmacy claims ended up lower than expected.2
The plan also includes monthly reports that employers can use to track claims trends, network use and wellness program participation. These reports gave Rubber and Accessories visibility into whether its employees were utilizing health services and how likely they were to receive a surplus refund.
“We know the status of the surplus each month when we get the report,” Hooper says. “It gives us a reason to take a look and see where we’re standing, but I try not to make rash decisions based on the data.”
To Hooper’s surprise, the company has received a 16% average surplus refund based on annual premiums paid with a UnitedHealthcare Level Funded plan.
“Receiving a surplus refund has made it easier to justify not increasing my employees’ health care contributions and covering 70% of their costs,” Hooper adds.
Hooper attributes the stabilization of his company’s costs to the level funded plan and the collaborative and trusted relationship he has with his broker and UnitedHealthcare.
Delivering value to employees
On top of the potential cost savings level funded plans offer, Rubber and Accessories was drawn to the reputation UnitedHealthcare carried and its large provider network, including 1.8M+ physicians and health care professionals and 5K+ hospitals.3
“Cost is a big part, but the reputation of UnitedHealthcare in this market area is very good,” Hooper says. “A lot of providers in this area recognize and accept UnitedHealthcare, so it was a no-brainer.”
Networks that give employees access to a wide range of providers deliver both better health outcomes and lower costs. Among UnitedHealthcare members, engagement with a primary care provider has also been linked to improved decision-making, better treatment adherence and lower claims trends compared to non-engaged members.4
“The transition from a fully insured to a level funded plan was pretty seamless for our employees, and the sentiment as a result has been a lot more positive over the last 2 years than with our previous health plan,” says Hooper.
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