What Surest does

Surest is an employer-sponsored health plan provider headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). The company offers an ACA-compliant health benefit built around a no-deductible, no-coinsurance model in which members see exact copay amounts before receiving care, eliminating the delayed-cost uncertainty characteristic of traditional plans. Variable copays are assigned based on a proprietary value-based methodology that prices higher-rated providers lower, incentivizing members to choose higher-quality, more cost-efficient care.

The platform is delivered through a digital-first experience comprising the Surest Mobile App, the benefits.surest.com member portal, and a dedicated Clinical Advocacy team that supports care-navigation decisions. Surest leverages the national UnitedHealthcare provider network and Optum Behavioral Health network for in-network coverage and integrates with the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal for eligibility, benefits, and claims workflows, plus Smart Data Solutions as a clearinghouse for electronic claims submission. Surest Care Ratings underpin the variable-copay engine using historical effectiveness and cost-efficiency data, and a "Test-drive" feature plus a "Nudge Your Employer" tool drive product-led demand from employees to HR decision-makers.

Surest monetizes through employer-paid premiums on self-funded, fully insured, and level-funded bases, available to employers with as few as 2 employees (51+ in some states). Distribution is hybrid: enterprise field sales to HR and benefits leaders, a broker and consultant channel positioning Surest as a portfolio lead, and product-led growth through digital self-service. The customer base spans Fortune 500 enterprises (UnitedHealth Group, Lumen, a 40,000+ employee medical technology company) down to small employers across education, healthcare provider, retail, technology, hospitality, and manufacturing industries, with availability in 49 U.S. states. Reported outcomes include approximately 7% employer savings, 44% lower member out-of-pocket costs versus traditional plans, 25% higher PCP utilization, and 13% lower hospital admissions. The company was founded circa 2015 as Bind Benefits, Inc., rebranded to Surest, and is led by CEO Alison Richards with co-founder Shawn Wagoner serving as Chief Revenue Officer.

Name

Surest

Legal name

Bind Benefits, Inc.

Website

https://surest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Surest is an employer-sponsored health plan provider and UnitedHealth Group subsidiary that delivers no-deductible, upfront-copay coverage to U.S. employers (2+ employees) across 49 states, leveraging a digital-first platform built on variable copays and provider value ratings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

NAICS

Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers (524114), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411), Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Level-Funded Employer Plans (HLAEAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fully Insured Group Health Plans (Employer-Sponsored) (FSAIAFAA), Level-Funded Group Health Plans (FSAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Employer health insurance
• Upfront copay plans
• Self-funded health plans
• Digital health benefits
• Price transparency healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Employer Health Plan Premiums: Surest generates revenue through employer-sponsored health plan premiums. Employers pay premiums (on self-funded, fully insured, or level-funded basis) to provide health coverage for their employees. The plan is available to employers with 2+ employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Surest sells an ACA-compliant, employer-sponsored health plan that replaces deductibles and coinsurance with variable upfront copays visible to members before receiving care. The plan is offered on self-funded, fully insured, and level-funded bases to employers with 2+ employees, with members accessing services through a digital-first app and web portal backed by the UnitedHealthcare national provider network and a Clinical Advocacy support team.

Product overview

Surest is a digital-first health plan provider offering a consumer-centered copay health plan designed to bring transparency to healthcare costs. The core offering is the Surest Health Plan, an ACA-compliant employer-sponsored health benefit available on self-funded, fully insured, and level-funded bases. The platform consists of the Surest Health Plan as the core product, supported by the Surest Mobile App and Surest Member Portal for member engagement, with integrated Clinical Advocacy Services for personalized guidance. The Surest Care Ratings feature uses value-based methodology to assign provider pricing. Provider-facing tools include claims submission via Smart Data Solutions clearinghouse and access through the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal. A Broker Platform supports distribution through brokers and consultants. The plan eliminates deductibles and coinsurance, replacing them with upfront copays that vary based on provider performance evaluations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Members save 44% lower out-of-pocket costs compared to traditional employer-sponsored health plans
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UnitedHealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnitedHealthcare is the parent company's network provider. Surest members access the broad, national UnitedHealthcare network of doctors, hospitals, clinics, virtual providers, and more. This is the primary provider network for Surest health plans.
• Optum Behavioral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptum Behavioral Health provides the behavioral health network for Surest members. If providers are contracted with Optum Behavioral Health networks, Surest members are in-network for those services.
• HealthwiseminorOthersHealthwise provides a health information library with relevant health information and tools from conditions to life stages. Available to Surest members through the member portal.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Oscar Health: Oscar Health is a tech-forward health insurer offering individual and small group plans with digital member experiences and virtual care. It overlaps with Surest's product-led growth model and digital-first UX, though it is concentrated in ACA marketplace and small group rather than large employer self-funded accounts.
• Health Design Plus: Health Design Plus is a third-party administrator and benefits technology firm focused on level-funded and self-funded employer plans. It competes with Surest in the SMB and mid-market TPA space, particularly for employers seeking cost predictability.

Broad incumbents

• Kaiser Permanente: Kaiser Permanente is an integrated payer-provider system that offers employer-sponsored plans with tightly controlled networks and care delivery. It is a broad incumbent competitor in the large employer group market, differentiated by vertical integration rather than transparency.
• Cigna Group (Evernorth): Cigna is a major carrier of employer-sponsored medical and pharmacy benefits with a national footprint and the Evernorth services arm. It competes with Surest for large employer RFPs and is increasingly competing on value-based care and transparency messaging.
• Humana: Humana is a top US health insurer with large employer-group, Medicare, and specialty businesses. Its commercial group segment competes with Surest for mid-market and large employer accounts.
• CVS Health (Aetna): Aetna, part of CVS Health, is a leading national carrier of fully insured and self-funded employer health plans, integrated with retail pharmacy, PBM, and primary care assets. It is a direct competitor for large employer group business alongside Surest.
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Elevance Health is one of the largest US commercial health insurers, offering fully insured and self-funded group plans to employers of all sizes. It competes with Surest for broker mindshare in the large employer space, though its portfolio is far broader and less differentiated on transparent pricing.

Direct peers

• Centivo: Centivo is a value-based health plan for self-funded employers that uses a primary-care-anchored network and copay-only design. Like Surest, it targets employers seeking to eliminate deductibles and lower PMPM costs via steerage to higher-value providers.
• Gravie: Gravie is a Minneapolis-based health benefits platform that helps employers offer modern, consumer-friendly plans and partners with carriers (including level-funded arrangements). It is a direct competitor in the SMB and mid-market broker channel that Surest targets.

Others

• Embold Health: Embold Health is a provider quality analytics firm that rates physicians and helps health plans steer members to higher-performing providers. It is comparable to Surest's Care Ratings capability and represents a potential partner, competitor, or alternative for value-based steerage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/suresthealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surest