An Open Letter to the SIMERP Industry.

To the providers, administrators, brokers, agents, affiliates, CPAs, attorneys, employers, and everyone helping shape the SIMERP industry:

An employer can sit through an impressive presentation, see a compelling payroll tax savings illustration, and walk away without fully understanding what happens when one of their employees actually needs medical care.

Think about that for a minute.

We can explain projected savings down to the dollar. But can we explain the actual benefits, how reimbursements work, who delivers the services, and what happens when something goes wrong?

Those questions deserve just as much attention as the numbers. And I believe how we answer them will help determine the future of this industry.

I Believe in This Opportunity. That’s Why I’m Speaking Up.

I’m a businessman. I believe in building companies, creating opportunities, developing relationships, and helping people make money by delivering something valuable.

There’s nothing wrong with sales. There’s nothing wrong with growth. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with professionals being compensated for the work they do.

But getting the business is one thing. Building something that lasts is another.

Employers are looking for ways to manage costs while caring for their people. Employees want benefits they understand and can use. And professionals across this industry are working hard to bring new ideas to market.

That creates an opportunity worth taking seriously. But we can’t build the future of an industry on financial illustrations alone. We have to understand the programs, the people, the responsibilities, and the outcomes.

The Presentation Is Not the Program.

Let’s ask a different set of questions.

What does the employee actually receive? What happens when they need care? Is an eligible medical expense incurred and properly supported? Who administers the claim? Who owns payroll corrections, employee questions, and follow-through?

These aren’t gotcha questions. They’re the questions a responsible employer should be able to ask—and a prepared professional should be ready to help answer.

Different arrangements marketed under the SIMERP umbrella may have different benefit designs, administrators, legal requirements, and financial outcomes. They cannot all be evaluated using the same sales script.

A Section 125 cafeteria-plan election is not, by itself, proof that a later payment qualifies as a tax-free medical reimbursement under Section 105(b). A recurring wellness activity or scheduled payment does not, by itself, establish an eligible medical expense. Actual qualifying expenses, plan terms, and appropriate substantiation matter. See IRS guidance on substantiation.

An employee does not necessarily have to pay a provider out of pocket first; depending on the arrangement, a qualifying payment may be made directly to the medical provider. But care and reimbursement must be understood for what they actually are—not what a marketing slide calls them. See 26 CFR §1.105-2.

None of us has to be the attorney, the CPA, the administrator, and the payroll specialist. We do have to recognize the limits of our roles and know when to bring those professionals into the conversation.

Different arrangements cannot all be evaluated using the same sales script.

The Real Test Happens After the Employer Signs.

I want us to measure success by more than how many employers enroll or how much business gets written.

Are employees able to access the care they were told about? Do they understand their deductions and benefits? Are claims supported, reviewed, and handled appropriately? Is payroll working as represented? When something breaks, who picks up the phone?

A signed agreement is a milestone. It isn’t the finish line.

That experience—months after the presentation—is what determines whether an employer trusts the people who introduced the program.

Good follow-through isn’t customer service on the side. It’s part of the value we’re supposed to deliver.

Marketing Gets Attention. Trust Builds the Business.

I love marketing. I understand how important it is to get in front of the right people, tell a compelling story, and create interest.

But at some point an employer will bring in a CFO, CPA, attorney, payroll team, or existing benefits adviser. The questions become more detailed, the expectations become higher, and the presentation has to be supported by something more than promises.

We should welcome that. A well-informed employer isn’t an obstacle to the sale. They’re the kind of client we should want.

If you’re explaining potential tax savings, show the assumptions. If you’re describing benefits, show what employees can actually use. If you’re talking about compliance, make sure the specific arrangement has been evaluated by the appropriate qualified people.

And when you don’t know an answer, say so. Then go get the answer.

I would rather see a professional slow down to ask the right question than move a deal forward on a promise nobody can support.

A well-informed employer isn’t an obstacle to the sale. They’re the kind of client we should want.

Why We’re Building SIMERPU.

I didn’t create SIMERPU because the marketplace needed another company promoting a program. I created it because I believe the industry needs something different.

A place where education comes before the sales presentation.

A place where agents and brokers can learn what they represent, employers can ask questions without sales pressure, and providers, administrators, CPAs, and compliance professionals can share what they know.

Our free Professional Roadmap is already available. We’re developing additional employer education, field training, and practical resources that follow the full journey—from the first conversation through evaluation, implementation, and ongoing support.

We’re also planning the SIMERPU Industry Report—a recurring look at market direction, regulatory developments, marketing and distribution, employer economics, administration, and the employee experience. The goal is to help professionals understand what is changing and what questions to ask next.

Not just the good stories. Not just the difficult stories. The full picture, with credible sources, clear distinctions between fact and opinion, and room for constructive disagreement.

SIMERPU won’t have every answer. We intend to earn credibility by asking better questions, grounding our work in evidence, linking the original sources, and correcting our work when necessary. Our Insights & Reports library is one place where that work lives.

Education First. Evidence Before Claims. Accountability After the Sale.

That is the standard we want SIMERPU to help advance—with other professionals, not above them.

An Open Invitation to the Industry.

To the providers doing innovative work: I want to understand it.

To the administrators solving difficult operational challenges: share what you’re learning.

To the agents and brokers hearing the same employer objections every week: bring those questions forward.

To the CPAs, attorneys, compliance professionals, and employer advisers: challenge the assumptions that deserve to be challenged.

And to the employers and employees living with these decisions: your experience matters as much as anyone’s sales pitch.

We don’t need a room full of people who agree with each other. We need productive conversations, better questions, and standards we’re willing to live by.

None of us benefits from an industry that loses the confidence of the people it serves.

The Next Chapter Is Ours to Earn.

I believe there is a future for well-designed, properly administered benefit and medical reimbursement strategies that deliver meaningful value.

But that future isn’t guaranteed.

It will be shaped by the standards we set, the claims we make, the responsibilities we accept, and the experiences employers and employees have long after the initial presentation.

I want to see an industry employers understand, professional advisers respect, and agents and brokers are proud to represent.

That is what I want SIMERPU to help build. Not by pretending we’re the authority on everything. Not by attacking people with a different perspective. But by helping create a more educated, transparent, and professional marketplace.

I’m willing to be part of that work. I hope you are, too.

Know what you represent. Understand what the client needs. Own the follow-through.

Know what you represent. Understand what the client needs. Own the follow-through.

One Question for the Industry.

If we could improve just one thing about the SIMERP industry over the next 12 months, what should it be?

SIMERPU
Editorial Team, SIMERPU
simerpu.com

Editorial commentary for educational purposes. Not legal, tax, medical, or benefits advice; not a finding about any individual program or provider. Evaluate the facts, the actual documents, and applicable federal and state law with qualified professionals before acting.