What It Takes to Win as a TPA in 2026

The self-funded benefits space is more competitive than ever. New technology vendors, point solutions, and market entrants are competing for the same relationships that TPAs have spent years building. Employers and brokers are getting more sophisticated and are expecting more from their partners. So what separates the TPAs that are thriving from the ones that struggle to hold their ground?

We put that question to Trey Hinson, founder and CEO of Goliath Sales Strategies and a 25-year veteran of the health benefits industry. 

Trust is the foundation

Employers are handing their TPA enormous responsibility: accurately and diligently paying claims on behalf of their workforce, and proving fiduciary responsibility every single day. Most TPAs understand this in theory. The ones that pull ahead are the ones that take it seriously and aim to prove trustworthiness. This means consistent and correct execution, in addition to great customer service, which is table-stakes. When trust is genuinely earned, it becomes the most durable competitive advantage a TPA can have. 

Focus beats breadth

It's tempting to respond to a crowded market by adding more. More PBM partners, more vendor relationships, more options. But Trey sees this backfire regularly. Walking into a pitch with an employer and listing 15 PBM partners creates confusion and decision paralysis. Employers and brokers want a TPA that knows what it stands behind. A focused, well-differentiated product set signals conviction and helps TPAs stand out.

Technology only works if implementation does

There is no shortage of new technology in the self-funded space but the TPAs Trey talks to are struggling to get those tools to actually work within their organizations. Implementation and integration remain the biggest friction point. The vendors that earn loyalty are the ones who handhold through onboarding, provide real training, and help with data integration from day one. The best product in the world loses its value if it puts too much strain on the IT team trying to implement it.

Bottom line 

At Amera, we think about all three of these challenges constantly. TPAs are operating complex, high-stakes workflows with infrastructure that wasn't built for the demands of modern plan designs. Our goal is to be the kind of partner Trey describes: one that makes implementation easy, supports a focused and deep product partnerships, and helps TPAs deliver the consistent, accurate execution that trust is built on.

This post is part of an ongoing series where we speak with leaders across self-insurance. We're grateful to Trey for his time and expertise. More conversations to come!

About Amera: Amera automates claims processing workflows for health insurance plan administrators. We convert messy, non-standard claim inputs into structured data and automate downstream workflows, reducing admin cost and enabling cheaper plan designs. TPAs use Amera to run their mailrooms, route claims, intake member submissions, and automate stop-loss reporting.