New award recognizes the benefits consultants helping employers fight back against rising healthcare costs, the biggest pressure both now face

TULSA, Okla., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Medefy, a cost containment system that aligns benefits consultants, HR teams and members around the decisions that put a stop to runaway healthcare costs, today announced The Curve Bender Award, honoring the benefits consultants in its network who do the most to contain costs for their clients. Kat Knapp, Senior Area Vice President at Gallagher (AJG), is the inaugural recipient.

Healthcare costs are now the biggest pressure employers face, ahead of attracting and keeping talent. That pressure lands on benefits consultants, and those who can show a real, ongoing cost containment strategy are the ones winning and keeping business. The award recognizes them, based on measurable results and three behaviors that produce them: innovation, partnership and tenacity.

Across the four employer clients Knapp has brought to Medefy, savings have averaged $772 per employee per month, with one client reaching $2,746. (Source: Medefy internal data.) She stays engaged well past renewal, pushing for the plan changes behind those results year after year.

“Effective benefits consulting is about helping clients find the right balance between managing costs and providing benefits that support their people,” said Knapp. “That requires looking beyond the annual renewal and working with clients year-round to identify opportunities, challenge assumptions and build sustainable solutions. Helping my clients achieve an average of $772 in savings reflects what that long-term partnership can accomplish.”

“Cost containment is why Medefy exists, and because we work alongside benefits consultants, HR teams and members every day, we can see who actually moves the number,” said Matt Scovil, founder and CEO of Medefy. “Every employer in this country is feeling the same pressure Kat’s clients feel. The benefits consultants who can bend that curve for them, rather than talk about it, are the ones who will keep their business. Kat is exactly that, and it’s why we built this award.”

Medefy also recognized six finalists: Renae Desantis (USI), Annaliese Allen, Adam Ulicny and Alesia Coulter (Gallagher, AJG), Courtney Sutton (OneDigital, GA) and Reid Baggett (Lockton). Read more about the award at https://go.medefy.com/curve-bender-award-2026.

About Medefy

Medefy is a cost containment system that aligns benefits consultants, HR teams and members around the decisions that put a stop to runaway healthcare costs. It is trusted nationally by more than 1,300 employers, serves 1.6 million lives and helps manage $16.3 billion in annual health spend. (Source: Medefy internal data.)

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SOURCE Medefy