WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National League of Cities (NLC), in partnership with Bearing Advisors, announced the relaunch of Prevent+Protect, an employee benefits program that helps local governments manage rising health care costs, support their workforces and identify potential payroll tax savings.
Prevent+Protect, offered through Bearing Advisors and its partners, combines physical, mental and financial health benefits in a single program developed for local government employers. This enhanced program is designed to complement — not replace — a participating government’s existing health plan.
“Local leaders are looking for practical ways to support their employees while managing growing pressure on municipal budgets,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities. “Cities are being asked to do more with less while health care costs continue to rise. Prevent+Protect offers a potential path. One that focuses on prevention, employee resilience and financial protection while helping cities evaluate opportunities to use existing resources more strategically and invest in their most valuable asset — their employees.”
Employer-sponsored health benefit costs were projected to rise by 6.5 percent per employee in 2026, marking the fourth consecutive year of elevated growth. Catastrophic claims, specialty drugs and chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes continue to drive costs. At the same time, local governments are competing to recruit and retain employees in a challenging labor market. Chronic physical and mental health conditions contribute significantly to health care spending, absenteeism and disability costs — challenges that can be particularly consequential for public safety and other high-stress occupations.
Prevent+Protect is designed to address these interconnected fiscal and workforce challenges. Under the program’s funding structure, participating employees elect to reduce a portion of their pre-tax salary through an Internal Revenue Code Section 125 Cafeteria Plan. According to Bearing Advisors, the program is structured so that participating governments do not need to make a new appropriation or increase their existing benefits budgets.
The program includes the following features for participating local govenrments:
- No new appropriation: Governments can offer the program without expanding the benefits budget or reducing employee take-home pay.
- Immediate potential savings: Net FICA savings of $49.73 per enrolled employee per month can flow directly to the general fund.
- Stronger existing coverage: Prevent+Protect works alongside the government’s current health plan rather than replacing it.
- Independent review: The program’s underlying tax structure has undergone outside tax counsel review and independent CPA due diligence.
- Employee-focused benefits: Physical, mental and financial health resources are brought together to address the issues affecting today’s public-sector workforce.
“The question for local governments is no longer simply how much more they can spend on employee benefits,” said Phil Riley, Bearing Advisors, President and CEO. “It is how they can use the resources they already have more strategically. Prevent+Protect is built around that.”
Learn more about Prevent+Protect.
About Prevent+Protect
Prevent+Protect is a local-government employee benefits program designed to help local governments address rising health care costs while strengthening employee health, financial security and workforce resilience. The program combines physical health, mental health and financial protection benefits and uses a tax-advantaged funding structure intended to generate savings for participating employers without increasing their benefits budgets or reducing employee take-home pay.
Prevent+Protect is supported by Bearing Advisors and its program partners, including Attentive, Alli Connect and Colonial Life.
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The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people across the country. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
