Vol.9, March 2026

March Benefits Rundown: Pharmacy transparency, pension exits + overhauling admin of a frozen DB plan

March Madness has always been a special time of year for me. Between raising three very sports-focused boys and marrying someone who ran an office bracket pool (which I happened to win the year we met), this month brings back a lot of memories.

What’s always stood out to me about sports isn’t just the competition—it’s everything behind it. The practice, the planning, the strategy, and the preparation for different opponents and different scenarios. And even with all of that, there are always surprises.

Benefits work isn’t all that different. You put in the time to build strong processes, plan for different needs and life stages, and work across multiple vendors—but inevitably, something unexpected comes along. In those moments, it’s the groundwork you’ve already put in place that allows you to adjust and keep things moving.

‘Til next time,

Mindy Zatto, FSA, EA, FCA, MAAA, MSPA
Founding Principal, SBA

This Month at SBA

A quick look at what’s new, noteworthy, or just plain useful from our team.

A close-up of a person holding several small white pills in their open palm, with an orange pill bottle and a green apple nearby.

How HR leaders can turn pharmacy transparency into real leverage

Pharmacy transparency doesn’t create value on its own—how employers act on it does. In part two of his HR Executive series, Andy Clonts outlines where plan sponsors have more leverage than they realize, from contract structure to claims visibility, and how to apply that leverage deliberately to improve outcomes for both the plan and its participants.

Old metal sign with the inscription Closed

Positioning your pension plan for a clean exite

This past piece by Robin Powell, originally published in Employee Benefit News, continues to attract strong interest—and for good reason. Terminating a defined benefit plan is one of the most resource-intensive projects a plan sponsor can undertake, and the groundwork that determines success often needs to be laid long before a termination date is set. This article outlines what sponsors should be doing now to reduce liability exposure, address data and administrative gaps, and position the plan for a controlled, timely wind-down.

Power plant and industrial facility representing a Strategic Benefits Advisors client in a defined benefit plan administration case study.

Case study: Overhauling administration of a frozen DB plan

By popular demand, we’re revisiting one of our most-read case studies. When a Fortune 500 employer faced persistent calculation errors and service issues in a frozen DB plan, SBA replaced a high-volume call center model with experienced, high-touch administration—improving the participant experience while reducing costs by more than 50%.

Ask the Principals

Our leadership team tackles tough questions from plan sponsors like you.

Close-up of hands holding an open, lined spiral notebook and a pen at a wooden desk.

What are the advantages of working with a women-owned small business?

A: Working with a certified women-owned small business can support an organization’s broader procurement, small business participation, and federal contracting objectives. For companies that track or report on supplier participation, partnering with a firm certified under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program provides recognized documentation that can count toward those requirements.

Beyond certification, small businesses often offer practical advantages that can improve the day-to-day client experience. Teams tend to be more nimble, with faster decision-making, more direct access to senior leadership, and a higher degree of customization in how services are delivered. Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, solutions are typically tailored to the specific needs of the organization.

SBA has operated as a woman-owned business since 2018, and our WOSB certification formally affirms that status. Clients benefit from deep actuarial, consulting, and outsourcing expertise combined with a responsive, hands-on approach—and the added advantage of aligning their benefits partnership with small business and women-owned participation goals.

Tag: partnership

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