SureCo

# SureCo: High-Level Overview

SureCo is a healthcare technology company that provides Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) solutions to employers, particularly large groups.[1][4] Founded in 2016, the company operates a platform that allows employers to offer employees access to individual health insurance plans from over 140 carriers, covering more than 5,000 plan options, while maintaining a pre-tax contribution model.[1][4] SureCo serves as an administrator and technology provider, handling enrollment, compliance, reporting, and year-round support for employers transitioning away from traditional fully insured or self-funded group health plans.[4]

The company addresses a critical pain point in American healthcare: rising costs and administrative burden for employers managing group health benefits. By leveraging the ICHRA framework—a regulatory structure that went into effect in 2020 partly due to SureCo's lobbying efforts—the company enables employers to shift claims risk while maintaining familiar contribution structures through seamless integrations with HRIS and payroll systems.[1][4]

# Origin Story

SureCo's roots trace back to 2009, when CEO Matthew Kim, Co-Founder Matt Christopherson, and Founding Board Member Marc Bablot partnered to tackle skyrocketing healthcare costs.[1] For seven years, they helped individuals and small businesses find savings through alternative health coverage solutions. The company officially launched in 2016, and in 2018, made a pivotal acquisition of technology and key officers from Hixme, an established player in the individual health insurance market.[1] Those acquired officers played a crucial role in lobbying for ICHRA regulations, which became law in 2020—a regulatory win that validated the company's long-term bet on the individual market.[1]

# Core Differentiators

• Specialized Focus: SureCo is the only administrator 100% dedicated to ICHRA for large groups, distinguishing it from generalist benefits administrators.[4]

• Advanced Technology Platform: The company offers an easy-to-use enrollment platform with deep HRIS integrations, centralized administration, and compliance reporting designed specifically for large-group complexity.[4]

• Carrier Access & Scale: With access to 5,000+ health plans from 140+ carriers, SureCo provides employers and employees with unprecedented choice in the individual market.[1]

• Consultant-Centric Model: Rather than replacing broker relationships, SureCo strengthens them through PEPM-based compensation and dedicated support, earning trust from eight of the top 10 brokerage firms.[4]

• Predictable Pricing: ICHRA eliminates claims risk for employers, offering cost predictability independent of experience rating—a major advantage over traditional self-funded models facing rising stop-loss costs.[4]

• Award-Winning Service: The company achieved Great Place To Work Certification, with 88% of employees rating it as a great workplace, and provides fully managed Open Enrollment and year-round U.S.-based support.[3][4]

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

SureCo operates at the intersection of healthcare reform and regulatory opportunity. The company is riding a significant trend: employers increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional group health insurance as stop-loss costs rise and administrative burden grows.[4] The 2020 ICHRA regulations created a structural opening that SureCo helped shape, positioning the company as a first-mover in a nascent market segment.

The timing is favorable. Over one-third of large employers reportedly need alternatives to fully insured plans, and the individual health insurance market—long fragmented and difficult to navigate—is being rationalized through technology platforms like SureCo's.[4] By democratizing access to individual plans while maintaining employer control and compliance, SureCo is fundamentally reshaping how large employers think about health benefits administration. This shift reduces friction in the healthcare system and gives employees more choice, aligning with broader trends toward consumer-directed healthcare.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

SureCo is well-positioned to capture significant market share as large employers increasingly adopt ICHRA models. The company's focus on enterprise customers, combined with its consultant-centric approach, creates a defensible moat—brokers and consultants are unlikely to switch once integrated into SureCo's platform. Future growth will likely depend on deepening penetration among Fortune 500 companies, expanding international applications of similar models, and potentially building adjacent products around employee financial wellness and healthcare navigation.

The broader question is whether ICHRA becomes the dominant model for large-group benefits or remains a niche alternative. SureCo's success hinges on continued regulatory support and employer appetite for shifting claims risk—both of which appear favorable given current market dynamics and the company's demonstrated ability to influence policy.