Founder and Managing PrincipalCarl Schuessler, Jr.
DHP, DIA, GBDS

With more than 30 years of experience in benefits consulting and financial services, Carl pioneered the fiduciary approach to benefits advisory services. His passion for fixing the problem of runaway health-care costs in this country and his desire to treat the employer’s money as his own led him through years of research culminating in the development of his proprietary FairCo$t Health Plan. This innovative plan design seamlessly integrates 20+ cost containment solutions with a high-performance health-care solutions platform. This combination provides first-class benefits at substantially lower costs to employers all while realizing better clinical outcomes for plan members.

A founding Health Rosetta Charter Certified Advisor and The 2022 Executive Leader Healthcare Leader of the Year, Carl and Mitigate Partners have been nationally recognized for their work in creating localized, employer-built, health-care plans in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Innovation & Tech Today, Physician Outlook Magazine, Free Market Medical Association, and Bold TV. By removing misaligned incentives, directing care based on quality and cost, and, ultimately, helping courageous employers fix their plans, employers are saving 15-to-30 percent in their healthcare spend. An accomplished speaker, Carl often rallies audiences with stories of how Mitigate Partners are challenging Wall Street (insurer-built) health plans by creating Main Street (employer-built) health plans and bending the healthcare cost curve.

In 2017, Carl was selected as one of the first group of 30 forward-leaning Benefits Advisors in the U.S. to participate as a Charter Member in the Certification Program for Benefits Advisors. The Health Rosetta is a blueprint of best practices for intelligently purchasing health benefits that’s been sourced from the most forward leaning benefits purchasers of all types around the country. The Health Rosetta Accredited Advisor Program is an exclusive ecosystem of healthcare advisors who have illustrated exceptional transparency, innovation, and execution in the areas of risk management, employee benefits, and high-performance plan design. The Health Rosetta’s creator, Dave Chase, recently published a book that I think you’ll find valuable that also mentions us, The CEO’s Guide to Restoring the American Dream: How to Deliver World Class Health Care to Your Employees at Half the Cost.

By serving as a Fiduciary and Steward of our client’s health plan dollars, and focusing on how to reduce the cost of healthcare (rather than the cost of insurance), we operate more as Population Health Managers rather than as “Brokers”, allowing our team to specialize in Cost Containment and Risk Mitigation strategies that result in dramatic reductions in the overall health plan spending of our clients. Our more than 150 years of combined experience in benefit planning, allows us to offer our clients improved cash flow, “employer friendly health plans” and lower cost trends over time.

Carl has successfully networked with other trusted partners/vendors such as insurance companies, PBM’s, TPA’s, health care destinations, employee benefit communication companies, and onsite clinics. To the delight of his clients, he has a proven track record of bringing comprehensive HighPerformance Healthcare Solutions to businesses regarding healthcare costs, benefit design, improved medical outcomes, and improved employee communications. Carl is an employer advocate and provides easily understood solutions and encouragement to employers.

Carl is a native of Macon, Georgia, moved to Atlanta in 1989, and resides there with his wife, Missy and their three children, Mary May (24), Carl III (22) and Hattie (19). He enjoys children’s activities (coached 43 of his children’s teams), fly fishing, golfing, hiking, and hunting.