Thatch vs Remodel Health (2026): ICHRA Platform Comparison

Quick Comparison Table

What Is Remodel Health?

Remodel Health is an ICHRA administration platform headquartered in Indianapolis, founded in 2015 by Austin Lehman, Justin Clements, and Scott Lingle. The company positions itself as "the ICHRA administration partner brokers trust" and built its business through the broker channel.

In December 2024, Remodel Health raised $100M+ in growth equity from Oak HC/FT, with plans to double its workforce and acquire one business per year. They've already started: in early 2024, Remodel acquired PeopleKeep, the SMB-focused HRA platform originally founded in 2006 as Zane Benefits.

Their primary products:

• ICHRA+ — mid-market employers (100-10,000 employees)

• ICHRA+ Enterprise — hospitals and large employers

Their differentiator is the service model: direct-to-carrier payments (employees don't pay out of pocket), benefits experts who guide plan selection, compliance reporting including 1094-C and 1095-C, and claimed 200+ payroll/HRIS integrations — though actual scope and depth are not well documented.

Early customer base was heavily concentrated in churches, Christian schools, and nonprofits. They've since expanded to broader verticals including hospital systems.

Key concerns:

• Pricing — $85 PEPM + $125/mo platform fee. Most expensive in the ICHRA competitive set. Described as "no wiggle room," especially for smaller groups.

• AOR requirement — requires Agent of Record status, meaning brokers cede carrier relationship control to Remodel Health

• Post-sale support — "white glove" pitch, but 14-day email response documented. G2 reviewer: "no customer support after initial sale." Auto-renewal billing for departed employees reported.

• Review scores — Remodel Trustpilot: 3.6/5 (only 4 reviews). PeopleKeep Trustpilot: 2.4/5 (33 reviews) — lowest in the competitive set.

What Is Thatch?

Thatch is a benefits platform built around ICHRA (employee health budget) administration, designed for employers who want to set up and manage their benefits directly. Configure employee classes, set budgets, define rules in the Thatch dashboard. Up and running in days, not weeks.

Three main products:

• Thatch Market — built-in marketplace where employees browse plans from every major carrier in their state, compare coverage, and enroll directly

• Thatch Wallet — reimbursement for eligible health expenses under ICHRA and QSEHRA

• Thatch Card — benefits stipend card for wellness, dental, vision, and other eligible health expenses

Thatch sells direct to employers — no broker intermediary required. Financial stack, enrollment infrastructure, and carrier connections built entirely in-house.

Allowance flexibility:

• Flat allowances — one dollar amount, every employee. Recommended for localized and small teams. Total clarity, total predictability.

• Smart allowances — auto-scale by location, age, and dependents. Built for distributed and large teams across multiple states.

Billing: Per enrolled employee only — not per roster, not per eligible, and not $85 PEPM plus a platform fee. Two clean monthly debits, automated payroll deduction reports, Section 125 pre-tax treatment.

See Thatch vs PeopleKeep and Thatch vs Take Command. PeopleKeep is a Remodel Health subsidiary.

Key Differences

Distribution Model: Broker-First vs Direct-to-Employer

Remodel Health built its business through insurance brokers. The employer works with the broker, who works with Remodel. Importantly, Remodel requires Agent of Record (AOR) status — meaning the broker cedes carrier relationship control. For brokers, this is significant: you're not just recommending a platform, you're handing over your carrier relationships.

Thatch sells directly to employers. No broker required, no AOR handover. If you work with a broker, they can use Thatch too — but the employer always has direct access and control.

Employee Plan Shopping: Built-In Marketplace vs Expert Guidance

Thatch has Thatch Market — a built-in marketplace where employees browse plans, filter by network, compare costs, and enroll. Self-directed, visual, immediate.

Remodel Health uses benefits experts who guide employees through plan selection. No marketplace to browse independently. The upside is personal attention. The downsides: slower, less scalable, and dependent on team availability. One Trustpilot reviewer documented a 14-day wait for an email response, with Remodel's excuse being "it is our busy season."

Service Model: Self-Serve vs White-Glove

Remodel Health's pitch is white-glove service — W2 employees, dedicated account managers, launch coordinators. However, multiple data points suggest service quality drops significantly after the sale. Reviews note slow response times, lack of responsiveness, and refusal to issue refunds. A G2 reviewer reported "no customer support after initial sale" and auto-renewal billing for departed employees.

Thatch is self-serve by design. Configure your ICHRA in the dashboard, make changes yourself, see results in real time. Support is available — highest CSAT scores and shortest response times in the industry — but the platform minimizes the need for support in the first place. Compliance, payroll, and COBRA are automated out of the box.

Pricing: The Biggest Difference

This may be the single most important difference for most buyers.

Remodel Health: $85 per employee per month plus $125/month platform fee — the most expensive ICHRA pricing in the competitive set by a significant margin. For context:

• Take Command: $20 PEPM

• Zorro: $18-46 PEPM

• Zizzl: $25-40 PEPM

• Remodel Health: $85 PEPM + $125/mo

Pricing described as inflexible with "no wiggle room," particularly for smaller groups. One broker: "Remodel is so expensive. They're saying it's common for PEPM to be $100."

Thatch: Per enrolled employee only — transparent, visible on the website, significantly lower. The pricing gap is large enough that savings from switching can be redirected into higher employee health budgets.

Market Focus: Enterprise vs SMB and Growth-Stage

Remodel Health targets large employers — hospitals, health systems, enterprise organizations. ICHRA+ Enterprise handles complex multi-location structures. With $100M+ in growth equity and plans to acquire a business per year, they're positioning for enterprise scale.

Thatch's sweet spot is startups, growth-stage companies, and SMBs — teams of 10 to 500. Fast, self-serve, lightweight. If you're a 2,000-person hospital system, Remodel may be a better fit. If you're a 75-person tech company, Thatch probably is.

Who Should Choose Thatch?

• Direct control over your ICHRA — configure classes, set budgets, manage enrollment yourself

• Built-in marketplace for employee plan shopping — Thatch Market vs phone calls with benefits experts

• More than ICHRA — stipends via Thatch Card, QSEHRA support, eligible health expense reimbursement

• No broker relationship — direct-to-employer, no AOR handover required

• Competitive pricing — if you're currently quoted $85+ PEPM from Remodel, Thatch is significantly less

• Flexible allowance design — flat for localized teams, smart allowances for distributed ones

See how companies like yours use Thatch

Who Should Choose Remodel Health?

• Large employers and hospital systems — enterprise ICHRA with multiple locations, complex employee classes, and dedicated benefits teams

• Brokers evaluating ICHRA platforms — built around the broker relationship (though AOR means ceding carrier control)

• Direct-to-carrier payments — eliminating the out-of-pocket-then-reimburse cycle is a genuine Remodel advantage

• Fully managed implementation — comfortable with $85 PEPM + $125/mo pricing

Frequently asked questions

What is Remodel Health?

An ICHRA platform headquartered in Indianapolis, backed by $100M+ from Oak HC/FT. Core products: ICHRA+ (mid-market) and ICHRA+ Enterprise (hospitals/large employers). Owns PeopleKeep (acquired early 2024). White-glove implementation, direct-to-carrier payments, broker-first. Pricing: $85 PEPM + $125/mo — highest in competitive set.

Does Remodel Health own PeopleKeep?

Yes. Acquired early 2024. PeopleKeep serves small employers (under 50 EEs) as a subsidiary, while Remodel's ICHRA+ targets 100-10,000 EEs. PeopleKeep's website cross-sells Remodel ICHRA+ at peoplekeep.com/ichra-plus. See: Thatch vs PeopleKeep.

Is Thatch or Remodel Health better for small businesses?

For under 50 employees, Thatch is typically the better fit. Self-serve setup, direct-to-employer, transparent pricing, QSEHRA support — designed for companies where the founder or Head of People manages benefits without a broker. Remodel's pricing and service model are built for larger employers. Small businesses evaluating Remodel will likely be directed to PeopleKeep.

How does Remodel Health's direct-to-carrier payment work?

The employer's ICHRA contribution is paid directly to the insurance carrier on the employee's behalf. Employees don't pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement. This is a genuine advantage. Thatch uses a reimbursement model through Thatch Wallet. Both are ICHRA-compliant.

How much does Remodel Health cost?

$85 per employee per month plus $125/month platform fee — highest in the competitive set. Described as inflexible with "no wiggle room." Thatch charges per enrolled employee only at a significantly lower rate. See Thatch pricing.

What's the difference between Thatch and Remodel Health for ICHRA?

Five key differences: Distribution (Thatch direct, Remodel broker-first with AOR). Employee shopping (built-in marketplace vs benefits experts). Service model (self-serve vs white-glove, though post-sale quality inconsistent per reviews). Pricing (per-enrolled at competitive rate vs $85 PEPM + $125/mo). Benefits breadth (ICHRA + QSEHRA + stipends vs ICHRA only, QSEHRA via PeopleKeep). Choose based on company size, budget, broker situation, and self-serve vs managed preference.

Compare Thatch to other ICHRA platforms

• Thatch vs PeopleKeep — Remodel Health subsidiary

• Thatch vs Take Command

• Thatch vs Zorro