Firms who choose to self-fund their health insurance also assume the risks associated with partial retention and management of their claims. The Employer Stop Loss offering from Swiss Re provides coverage for catastrophic claims that allows companies to enjoy the benefits of self-funding while limiting their total claim exposure.

"The healthcare landscape is changing and more employers are looking to limit their excess risk, either for specific catastrophic claims from individuals or by the aggregate claim amount," said Matt Leming, Vice President and Sales Manager for Swiss Re's Employer Stop Loss business.

Combining actuarial expertise with its extensive claims database enables Swiss Re to provide quotes for Employer Stop Loss coverage without requiring historical health information from the employers' groups current insurance carrier.

"We just finished our first year on a self-funded health plan with Swiss Re providing our stop loss insurance. We saved more than USD 600,000 this year by self-funding, supported by Swiss Re's Stop Loss Coverage and with our third party administrator's help," adds Tad Roan, Chief Financial Officer, Crescent Directional Drilling. "We have especially enjoyed the flexibility and freedom the product has given us."

Companies considering self-funding may contact a Swiss Re appointed producer to review the Swiss Re self-funding financial tool to determine their potential cost savings. The tool was developed by Swiss Re actuaries and is available, along with other information on the Employer Stop Loss offering, at http://www.swissre.com/commercialinsurance. PR Newswire