Denise Evans: The Case for Unbundling

In our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Denise Evans, Director of Claims at Staffmark Group.

Guest Bio:

Denise Evans | Director of Claims, Staffmark Group

• 37 years in the workers' compensation industry
• National temp staffing program leadership—managing claims across multiple industries and states
• Strategic program architect and industry connector; active in the National Council of Self-Insureds

Our Conversation

In this episode, we tackle unbundling—a strategic choice most self-insured companies face, but few really understand. It affects your costs, outcomes, control, and flexibility.

The Choice: Bundled vs. Unbundled

Bundled: You contract with a carrier or TPA. They handle provider networks, vendor relationships, and medical management. You get discounts from their preferred partners and operational convenience in exchange for limited control. It's predictable. It's hands-off.

Unbundled: You build and manage your own program, or parts of your program. You choose providers, set vendor relationships, own day-to-day decisions. You lose some negotiated discounts but gain control and flexibility.

For most companies, bundling is the default. The real question is whether it actually works for your business.

You Don't Have to Unbundle Everything at Once: Here's what most people miss: unbundling doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can be selective and phased. Build the option into your contract, then unbundle component by component as your capacity grows. Denise unbundles specific areas where control matters most to Staffmark—nurse case management, pharmaceutical, DME, bill review, transportation, translation. 

The point is to move at your own pace rather than changing the entire program all at once. That's what distinguishes companies that successfully unbundle from those that get overwhelmed and abandon it.

Why This Matters

The case for unbundling: When you need control over outcomes that matter to your business—return-to-work rates, duration management, cost containment. You have a specific workforce (or multiple workforces) requiring tailored medical management. You have the internal capacity to manage vendors.

Denise's example: Staffmark handles employee leasing and staffing. Workers move between client sites, industries, and states. A one-size-fits-all bundled network doesn't work. They unbundled to have more agility—the ability to build relationships with providers who understand Staffmark's unique recovery demands.

The case for bundling: You want predictability. You lack bandwidth for vendor management. You'll accept good-enough outcomes for operational simplicity.

The hard truth: Unbundling isn't cost-cutting. It's an investment. You're paying for vendor management infrastructure, relationship-building, and reporting sophistication to defend your program to carriers. Without that capacity, you'll end up worse off than you started.

The Core Question

Is your current program structure actually supporting your business outcomes?

If your business depends on a specific workforce profile, recovery timeline, or outcome metric—and your bundled program doesn't optimize for that—you're paying for convenience while leaving money on the table.

If you unbundle without infrastructure to manage it, you're paying more for worse results.

Let the decision be driven by what you're optimizing for. Not cost. Not convenience. What outcome matters most? Then ask: which structure gets you there?

Your Carrier Relationship Changes

Unbundling shifts accountability. When you bundle, the carrier owns program quality and accountability. When you unbundle, you do.

Carriers will want data, evidence of sound decisions, transparency into what's working. If your unbundled program underperforms, that becomes a negotiation point at renewal—and it can be expensive.

This is why infrastructure matters. You need reporting, metrics, proof points to show carriers your program is solid. If you can defend your approach with data, you have leverage. If you can't, you're vulnerable.

Workforce Complexity Drives the Decision

Staffmark operates across temp staffing—workers move between client sites, industries, and geographies. Claims span manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics in the same population.

A bundled one-size-fits-all network becomes a liability. You need providers who understand different recovery demands across industries and can move fast. Unbundling becomes a business necessity, not a luxury.

Single-industry, stable-geography workforce? Bundling's convenience might be your sweet spot. Complex, multi-industry workforce? You may not have a choice.

The Fragmentation Factor

Managing a national program across 50+ state regulations, different medical networks, and different carrier relationships is expensive and fragmented.

The companies doing this well aren't isolated. They're connected to others solving the same problems. They attend conferences not for networking, but because that's how they hear about approaches that actually work, meet vendors who get it, and stay current on what's changing. That's operational necessity, not optional.

Key Takeaways

1. Let strategy drive structure. What outcome matters most to your business? Answer that first. Too many companies let vendor relationships or carrier preferences dictate strategy.
2. Unbundling requires investment. You need vendor management capacity, reporting sophistication, and the ability to defend your program to carriers. Without it, you'll end up worse off.
3. You own the quality when you unbundle. Expect more carrier scrutiny, more data requirements, more accountability at renewal. But you also get leverage if your program performs.
4. Your business model determines complexity. Multi-industry, multi-state workforce? Your program needs flexibility. Single industry, single state? Bundling might be your answer.

Making This Decision

Don't let bundling be your default just because it's convenient. Talk with your team, your carrier, and peers who've navigated this.

The real question: does your current structure support your business outcomes? That's worth figuring out.

Denise mentioned her work with the National Council of Self-Insurers. Next year, the conference will be at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. It's a great conference to attend if you want to connect with people actually doing this kind of work.

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp