Health Insurance

The public sector's secret weapon for competing on talent

Read Time

6 Minutes

Written by

Team Curative

Featured Insights by

Curative Sales and Account Management Leadership

Published

Feb 19, 2026

The key to attracting and keeping talent.

Everyone’s competing for talent: in 2025, 76% of employers worldwide struggled with hiring.

You need to stand out — and that’s tough for public sector employers, who can’t always offer the sort of salary that the private sector can. But here's the good news: revolutionizing your benefits strategy is a cost-free way to even the playing field with the private sector. And you don't have to do it alone. With the right partnerships in place — between you, your broker, and your insurance provider — zero-barrier health care plans can essentially create $3,000-4,000 salary increases.

Curative's Regional VP of Sales John Bock and Director of Enterprise Accounts Chris Gravitt, who have a combined 30+ years of insurance industry expertise, have seen this in action.

They've seen how traditional health insurance carriers have left government employees behind. They know about the challenges public sector HR faces: from road crews to judges, from maintenance workers to first responders.

Together, they've helped a number of public sector employers trim health care costs and boost hiring — including a 16-district West Texas school cooperative and multiple municipalities that achieved 95% retention with $0 in employee health care costs.

And now, they're sharing their strategic framework for attracting talent by reimagining health care benefits as workforce development tools — and they'll show you why getting all your key stakeholders on board is essential to making it work.

Key Takeaways

Zero-barrier health care actually provides additional (cost-free) compensation to employees.
Benefits should be reframed as workforce development tools rather than just costs.
A partnership between brokers, HR leaders, and insurers makes implementation possible.

Rethinking public sector employee benefits

Usually, organizations focus on premium costs and place less weight on how deductibles affect their employees. But health insurance doesn't have to be a commodity — it can be a compensation tool that helps you compete for talent.

"The current state of health care is sick care, and Curative's trying to bring health care back to the benefits and prevention," Bock says.

Removing deductibles can not only take some pressure off workers' shoulders, but can also help them access care more quickly.

Deductibles act as a serious barrier, and if they're not addressed, you'll keep losing talent to private-sector competitors, see productivity dip as employees put off care, and face higher costs stemming from untreated conditions.

The $0 deductible, $0 copay health plan isn't only about money: It's about creating an engaged, healthier workforce. With Curative, an annual check-in transforms into a comprehensive health consultation, called a Baseline Visit, and groups see 98% participation.

The Baseline Visit is the key entry point for $0 care, provides a health roadmap for your employees, and offers critical onboarding so members get the most of their benefits.

Financial barriers keep 40% of Americans from seeking needed care, but with a $0 deductible, $0 copay plan, you get predictable costs to slot into your budget. And your employees don't need to wait for important care.

When they feel taken care of — physically and financially — they won't just stay longer. They'll become your biggest spokespeople.

Why collaboration drives success

"We're not addicted to the cost-share like the big carriers are," Bock says. Curative sees how $0 deductible health plans can boost workplace retention and improve hiring — it's an advantage we want to share.

That's why Bock and Gravitt build relationships with specialized public sector consultants before they send out health insurance RFPs, and leverage inter-agency communication networks — like city manager associations and school board associations — to get the word out about the value behind Curative's health insurance approach.

You can't set up a $0 health care plan all by yourself. You need support and alignment from every stakeholder: your brokers, your HR leaders, and your insurance partners, all working toward a common goal.

"It's not always a one-size-fits-all in terms of how we communicate," Gravitt says, because different public sector organizations have different challenges: geographic barriers, knowledge gaps, or attrition issues. You can only understand and address these issues through an involved partnership.

When Curative is helping public sector employers implement $0 health care, there are a number of people involved in the process.

What it usually looks like:

Brokers champion solutions to their clients: Your broker needs to understand your specific challenges and present solutions that address your recruitment and retention issues. They're your advocate in finding the right fit.

HR leaders run a deep needs analysis to see how the plan affects their workforce: Your HR team needs time to understand the details, model the financial impact for different employee groups, and develop communication strategies that will resonate. Their buy-in is critical.

The insurer integrates into your organization's broader benefits strategy: Your insurance partner should work to understand your specific challenges — whether that's geographic barriers, knowledge gaps among employees, or high attrition in certain departments. They need to be a partner, not just a vendor.

Collaboration is extremely important during implementation. Your HR teams have as long as a year to evaluate a new plan — but your employees only get two or three weeks of open enrollment to suss it out.

All partners need to work together to clearly explain insurance concepts to your employees, demonstrating that well-being is the ultimate goal.

The coming transformation of public sector benefits

When your budget goes up, it's almost moot: health care costs are also rising, and threaten to consume all that new money. At the same time, talent competition keeps getting tougher.

We’re at an inflection point for public sector employers, where you can adjust your benefits to both become more competitive and better serve your existing employees — but you need the right partners to make it happen.

Here’s how you can transform your health care and hiring:

1. Think of benefits as compensation, not cost

Every dollar you take away from employees’ health care costs is basically tax-free compensation for them. That could net out to $3,000-$4,000 salary increases. Plus, Bock says, “When you can offer a $0 deductible plan, you can keep them from going across the street and working for a different city.”

2. Foster trust with transparency

The public sector thrives on transparency, and those values should be reflected in your insurance model. Your employees will feel empowered by the openness, and, in turn, you're practicing what you preach.

3. Get the community involved

When one organization successfully implements a new health care plan, that can have a domino effect on other organizations. “Public sector organizations talk to one another,” Gravitt says.

Connect with peer organizations through professional associations. Learn from their experiences. Share your own results. This can help validate your decision and accelerate adoption across the sector.

4. Build strategic partnerships

Every stakeholder needs to work together to successfully implement a zero-barrier plan. Work with brokers who get you; engage your HR leaders in meaningful needs analysis; choose insurance partners who understand your workforce's challenges and are committed to addressing them.

These partnerships need to be ongoing, not transactional. Regular communication, aligned incentives, and shared commitment to employee well-being create the foundation for long-term success.

Change your perspective about what health insurance plans look like.

FAQs

How can a $0 deductible health plan compete with higher private sector salaries?

When you get rid of deductibles and copays, you effectively create $3,000-4,000 in tax-free compensation for employees. You’re also removing financial barriers to care without requiring budget increases for salaries.

Won't removing deductibles and copays increase our overall health care costs?

$0 copay, $0 deductible plans encourage preventive care and early treatment, which helps avoid the higher costs associated with untreated conditions. Organizations also gain more predictable budgeting since employees aren't delaying necessary care.

What if our broker or HR team is hesitant about switching to a zero-barrier plan?

Start by having your broker and HR team look at the data — the retention rates, the participation in preventive care, and the real compensation value it creates for employees. Many brokers and HR leaders become champions of $0 health care plans once they see how it addresses recruitment and retention challenges.