From complexity to clarity

Mary Eccles knew the stakes were high. As Director of Human Resources for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, she was responsible for supporting a diverse, dispersed workforce—from social workers and educators to law enforcement and clinical staff. All of them relied on her team to help ensure their care and coverage were dependable.

"We've always wanted to provide the best care for our employees and their families," Mary said. "But our cost for health insurance was increasing year over year, with no end in sight."

The Band had long provided generous benefits. But with costs continuing to climb, the Band wanted a smarter, more sustainable path forward. That’s when Nava stepped in—not just as a broker, but as a partner who understood the tribal landscape and was ready to help Pokagon take on the complex but rewarding journey to self-funding.

A partner that understands tribal sovereignty

Mary first connected with Nava at a NNAHRA (National Native American Human Resources Association) conference. "It was Nava's understanding of the tribal space. It was clear they had done their homework on how tribes can leverage their sovereign healthcare advantages," she said.

After a competitive RFP process, the Pokagon Band selected Nava as the Band’s benefits partner. What stood out was their commitment to understanding tribal priorities and providing year-round support. "What set them apart was their willingness to be present and engaged, not just at launch but throughout the year."

Nava’s ability to tailor its model to tribal employers made Mary feel confident that this was the right team to help Pokagon transition to a more sustainable model. "They didn’t treat us like a generic client. They understood who we are, and how important it is for our benefits strategy to reflect our values."

Guided through a complex transition

Moving to self-funding can be overwhelming, especially for a large workforce that’s never navigated it before. But with Nava’s modeling tools, strategic guidance, and hands-on support, Mary and her team were prepared.

"We used a lot of the modeling tools from Nava to help us identify what our maximum liability could be to get a good idea of what our worst-case scenario was," she explained.

Even in a challenging first year, where the Band reached its stop-loss limit, Pokagon still came out ahead. "Because we were educated and prepared by the Nava team, it wasn't catastrophic. We had planned conservatively and were able to handle it."

With Nava’s help, Pokagon saved $1.2 million in its first year of self-funding. They also recouped over $128,000 in pharmacy rebates, which were reinvested to improve care for employees and their families. For a sovereign employer investing in its people, those savings meant more flexibility, more control, and a stronger foundation.

Educated employees, empowered HR

The transition to self-funding required education across the organization. "For some of our team, this was the first time they were even hearing the words 'third-party administrator,'" Mary said.

To support employees, Nava:

• Provided tailored enrollment support
• Offered a dedicated email and app for benefits help
• Created easy-to-understand flyers on how coverage works

Employees also began using HQ for Employees, Nava’s all-in-one benefits app, to find answers fast. "What we started to see was that employees became more comfortable reaching out to Nava directly, they didn't feel like they had to tell HR their whole health story anymore," said Mary. "That's really important in a close-knit community."

Smarter strategy, stronger tools

Mary and her team also began using HQ as a strategic tool. "It's going to be a game-changer for our HR team members. They might not be benefits experts, but HQ gives them a place to get quick, accurate answers to employee questions."

And with Blue Raven, Nava's actuarial partner that provides analytics and modeling services, Pokagon now has visibility into its healthcare spend, claims trends, and funding needs. "I love data. And when you're self-funded, it is all about understanding the data so you can tell the right story, get the right funding, and make the best decisions."

Mary and the Nava team are already planning for the future, using Blue Raven insights to shape long-term strategies and build on year-one results.

Supporting sovereignty, strengthening care

"There are so many advantages we get as a tribal employer that other organizations just don't have. If you're not leveraging those, you're leaving value on the table," Mary said. "Nava gets that. They don't just execute. They educate. They push. They help us think long-term."

The shift to self-funding wasn’t small. But with Nava’s guidance, data, and technology, Pokagon came out stronger. "When I started, we did not have access to any plan data. There were a lot of unknowns. Now, I have a team, I have partners, and I have tools. Nava has helped us get to a place where we can finally move forward."