A-G Specialty Insurance is proud to partner with OccuNet, a leading comprehensive healthcare cost containment solutions provider. This collaboration enhances A-G Specialty’s commitment to delivering innovative, value-driven insurance products by leveraging OccuNet’s extensive network and expertise in negotiated medical reimbursements. In this video and blog, OccuNet Vice President of Claims Rachel Hoffpauir answers questions about how OccuNet lowers healthcare costs for athlete insurance and school sports programs.
5 Ways OccuNet Helps Lower Healthcare Costs for Sports Programs
Hoffpauir recently sat down with A-G to share her insights into OccuNet’s critical risk management role to improve claims efficiency and gain significant cost savings while maintaining high standards of care and service.
1. OccuNet is widely regarded as the leader in the niche space of sports medical contracting. What is it about OccuNet that makes you unique in the medical contracting space?
“OccuNet made its name in the collegiate and sports world originally, so we understand the unique needs of athletes,” Hoffpauir shares. “We work hand-in-hand with our clients and schools to deliver tailored solutions that serve these athletes best.”
Additionally, OccuNet understands that what works for one school or program doesn’t always work for another. They truly look at every program individually to determine the best approach for their situation.
Another differentiator that OccuNet feels makes them unique in the medical contracting space is the strength of their team. As Hoffpauir explains, “Our contracting team trains and practices peer negotiations. They shadow tenured contractors for four to six months before they ever pick up the phone, just to make sure that they’re ready to take on negotiations and build relationships.” She believes this creates a team that’s relentlessly focused on simplifying complex medical contracting, all while building long-standing provider relationships and ensuring access to care at the best rates that are fair for providers and payers.
2. With healthcare costs continuing to rise, how does OccuNet help sports institutions manage medical expenses while maintaining strong relationships between providers?
As healthcare costs are projected to increase 8 to 10 percent in 2025, with no end in sight, this is a critical concern for sports institutions.
OccuNet is helping sports institutions control these ever-rising healthcare costs by negotiating directly with providers to build high-performance, transparent networks that are tailored to each organization’s needs.
“We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions,” Hoffpauir says. “Instead, we focus on aligning the goals of the providers and sports institutions to ensure fair, sustainable pricing without sacrificing access or quality.” She believes this proactive approach preserves strong relationships with both local and regional medical providers while giving athletic programs the predictability and savings they need to reinvest in their athletes. She also stresses, “It isn’t just about cutting costs, but it’s about doing it in the right way.”
3. How has OccuNet’s provider strategy evolved over the past 15 years, and what approach do you take today to build partnerships that go beyond volume-based discounts and focus on data-driven, sustainable value?
Since the beginning, OccuNet’s provider strategy has always focused on relationships rather than a volume-based discount model. But over the last 15years, “OccuNet has been able to bring in our own technology and develop in-house analytic models that allow us to enter these negotiations with data-informed backing that ensures fair compensation for providers and meaningful savings for our clients,” Hoffpauir explains. This is important because it goes beyond negotiating better rates. Now it’s aligning with providers around better outcomes for them and better patient experiences. “Our goal is to create sustainable ecosystems where everyone wins, not just in terms of price but in trust, transparency, and long-term performance.”
4. Why is it that you’ve had success where maybe some of your competitors haven’t?
“Our success comes down to focus, flexibility, and follow-through,” Hoffpauir shares. “For example, we’re the only cost containment organization that successfully negotiates coordination of benefits claims because we understand how this impacts our athletic programs, and so we’ve been able to educate providers on how this affects them as well as the programs and their funding.”
OccuNet uses this expertise and experience to develop more consultative solutions beyond just fee negotiation. Now, OccuNet can relieve clients of the administrative burdens of having to hunt down EOBs and other medical documentation needed to process their claims, and also help with injury management. “We listen first, we customize second, and then we execute relentlessly,” Hoffpauir says. “We always stay nimble and flexible so that if something doesn’t work, we’re able to listen to our clients and pivot. That, combined with our data transparency, white glove service, and the ability to adapt quickly to shifting market demands, really makes us stand out.”
5. What do you want the world to know about OccuNet?
“OccuNet’s not just another healthcare company,” Hoffpauir says. “We’re a trusted partner in solving some of the most complex problems for sports and employer healthcare. We’re driven by purpose, powered by data, and built on relationships. We wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for our clients and their willingness to work alongside us and figure this out together.”
But what Hoffpauir feels is the most important thing for the world to know about OccuNet is this: “We’re here to change the game—not just with savings but with integrity, innovation, and service that really sets us apart.”
Learn more about OccuNet Sports Insurance Risk Management
Watch the complete video above for expanded answers to these questions. Also, download this whitepaper for full details about OccuNet’s cost savings and efficiency benefits for clients and partnering with A-G for risk management. In the meantime, we’re here to help if you have any questions. Just complete the form, and we’ll get in touch with you.
