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Employee Benefits Advisory — Oklahoma City & Nationwide

Your Employees Deserve Better Coverage.
Your Business Deserves Lower Costs.

The health insurance system is built to obscure pricing at every level. Diatom Advisory is built to do the opposite — replacing financially destructive practices with transparency and real cost containment.

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20–40%

Average savings vs. fully-insured premiums

100%

Fee transparency — disclosed upfront, always

10+

Employees minimum to qualify for self-funded plans

3 States

Oklahoma, Texas, and nationwide service

The Problem We Solve

Most employers renew the same plan every year — because no one shows them another way.

The traditional health insurance system is built to obscure pricing at every level. Carriers, hospitals, and brokers all benefit from that opacity. Your business doesn't.

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Pricing is hidden by design

What hospitals charge carriers, and what carriers charge you, are deliberately kept opaque to maximize margins — not your care.

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Renewals increase without explanation

Year after year, premiums climb with little rationale — and most brokers accept this as inevitable. It isn't.

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Incentives aren't aligned with yours

A broker paid by carrier commission has a financial reason to keep you in expensive plans. We don't work that way.

$0
Hidden fees. We disclose everything before you commit.
What We Offer

Benefits Built Around Your Business

Whether you have 10 employees or 500, there's a plan structure built for your group. We'll find it — and explain exactly why it fits.

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Group Health Insurance

Self-funded and level-funded plans with full claims transparency, stop-loss protection, and free-market provider access.

Explore health plans →
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Group Dental Insurance

Self-funded dental coverage designed to reduce costs while giving employees meaningful access to quality dental care.

Learn more →
👁️

Group Vision Insurance

Flexible, employer-sponsored vision plans that fit your workforce without the markup of traditional carriers.

Learn more →
🛡️

Group Disability Insurance

Short and long-term disability coverage that protects your employees' income — and keeps your team intact during hardship.

Learn more →
❤️

Group Life Insurance

Simple, affordable employer-sponsored life insurance that demonstrates genuine care for your team's financial security.

Learn more →
💬

Not Sure Where to Start?

We'll walk you through your options in plain terms — no jargon, no pressure. Just a clear picture of what's possible.

Talk to us →
How It Works

No jargon. No hidden fees. No pressure.

We start by understanding your business — your workforce, your claims history, your budget, and your goals. Then we design a plan that actually fits.

01

We listen first

A straightforward call to understand your current plan, your workforce, and what you're hoping to improve. No pitch — just questions.

02

We build a real comparison

We put together a side-by-side look at your current costs versus what a self-funded alternative could look like for your specific group.

03

We explain every piece of it

Level-funded plans, stop-loss insurance, reference-based pricing — we translate all of it into plain terms so you can make a confident decision.

04

We stay in your corner

Renewal, claims questions, plan changes — we're available throughout your plan year, not just when you're signing.

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How Healthy Is Your Company?

There's no obligation and no pressure. Just an honest conversation about what your current plan costs — and what's possible.

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Diatom Advisory / About Us

Small forces.
Outsized impact.

An independent employee benefits firm built on the belief that transparency, aligned incentives, and free-market principles create healthier businesses.

Why Diatom?

Named for the organism that quietly sustains entire ecosystems.

Diatoms are microscopic single-celled algae. Invisible to the naked eye, yet they produce roughly 20% of the world's oxygen and form the foundation of aquatic food chains. Unseen — but essential.

We chose that name deliberately. Better employee benefits work the same way: they operate in the background, unnoticed on a good day, but profoundly affecting the health, productivity, and financial stability of everyone they touch.

"When your workforce isn't burdened by healthcare costs, your entire organization runs better."
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Who We Are

Independent. Transparent. Aligned with you.

Diatom Advisory is an independent employee benefits firm based in Oklahoma City. We are fee-based and fully transparent about how we're compensated — including fees and any applicable commissions — before we ask you to sign anything.

That transparency isn't just a policy. It's the foundation of how we work. When our incentives are aligned with yours, we give you honest advice — not advice that benefits a carrier relationship.

NAHU Member
FMMA Member
Our Commitments

What you can always expect from us.

✓

All fees and applicable commissions disclosed upfront — before you commit.

✓

We recommend plans because they fit you, not because they benefit us.

✓

Transparent, up-front pricing agreements facilitated between you and your providers.

✓

Available throughout your plan year — not just at renewal time.

✓

Plain English explanations at every step. No jargon left unexplained.

Tom Tacheny, Owner of Diatom Advisory
Meet the Owner

Tom Tacheny

Tom is the owner of Diatom Advisory and works directly with every client. He helps Oklahoma employers build health plans around their own claims data, with plain-English advice and no carrier agenda.

He was named Oklahoma State Health Underwriter of the Year in 2019 and Oklahoma City Health Insurance Person of the Year in 2015, holds the NABIP Self-Funding Certification, and has served as president of both the Oklahoma City and Oklahoma State NABIP chapters. In 2026 he spoke at the U.S. Congressional Staff Healthcare Briefing hosted by Small Business Majority.

Ready to see what's possible?

No pressure, no obligation. Just a straightforward conversation about your current plan and whether there's a better fit.

Group Benefits / Group Health Insurance

Group Health Insurance That Works — For You and Your Team.

Most group health insurance is sold, not designed. We take a different approach — starting with your workforce and building a plan that actually fits.

What We Specialize In

Transparent plans. Aligned incentives. Real savings.

Instead of fitting you into a pre-packaged product, we design a plan structure around your workforce, your claims history, and your budget — with full visibility at every step.

Self-Funded Plans

Maximum control & transparency

→ Pay actual claims instead of fixed carrier premiums
→ Keep the difference when claims come in under budget
→ Full access to your claims data — it belongs to you
→ Stop-loss insurance protects against catastrophic claims
→ Best for groups with 25+ employees

Level-Funded Plans

Predictable costs + savings potential

→ Fixed monthly payment — costs stay predictable
→ Year-end refund if claims come in under budget
→ Same transparency as self-funded, easier to budget
→ Stop-loss protection included
→ Accessible for groups with 10+ employees

Reference-Based Pricing

Replace network opacity with fair benchmarks

→ Pricing tied to a transparent Medicare-based benchmark
→ No more secret carrier-hospital pricing agreements
→ Employees know what care costs before the bill arrives
→ Access to free-market providers who embrace fair pricing
→ Often combined with self-funded or level-funded plans

Is a self-funded plan right for your business?

These plans work best for employers who meet most of these criteria:

Have 10 or more employees on the health plan
Want full visibility into claims data — not just a renewal number
Are ready to take control of benefits spend vs. accepting annual increases
Value a broker relationship built on transparency, not carrier commissions
Want to reward healthy behavior through plan design

What about stop-loss insurance?

Self-funded plans carry the risk of large, unexpected claims. Stop-loss insurance acts as a safety net — capping your exposure at a defined threshold so one high-cost claim doesn't blow your budget.

We model the right stop-loss structure for your group and explain every number in plain terms before you decide.

Not sure which plan structure fits?

We'll put together a side-by-side comparison using your group's profile — real numbers, plain terms, no obligation.

Group Benefits / Full Benefits Packages

A Complete Line of Employee Benefits

Health is just the start. A well-designed benefits package addresses the full picture of employee wellbeing — and signals that your company genuinely cares.

What We Offer

Every benefit, built the Diatom way.

Transparent pricing. Aligned incentives. Plans designed around your workforce — not pre-packaged products pushed by carrier relationships.

🏥

Group Health Insurance

Our core specialty. Self-funded and level-funded plans that replace carrier opacity with real claims visibility and cost control.

  • Self-funded & level-funded options
  • Reference-based pricing
  • Free-market provider networks
  • Stop-loss protection
🦷

Group Dental Insurance

Self-funded dental coverage that reduces costs and gives employees meaningful access to quality dental care — without the carrier markup.

  • Preventive, basic & major coverage
  • Orthodontia options available
  • Transparent claim pricing
  • Self-funded structures for qualifying groups
👁️

Group Vision Insurance

Flexible, employer-sponsored vision plans that fit your workforce without the overhead of traditional carrier structures.

  • Exam, lenses & frames coverage
  • Contact lens allowances
  • Large provider networks
  • Voluntary or employer-paid options
🛡️

Group Disability Insurance

Short and long-term disability coverage that protects your employees' income when they need it most — and keeps your team intact during hardship.

  • Short-term disability coverage
  • Long-term disability coverage
  • Own-occupation definitions available
  • Employer & voluntary paid options
❤️

Group Life Insurance

Simple, affordable employer-sponsored life insurance that demonstrates genuine care for your team's families and financial security.

  • Basic term life coverage
  • Supplemental life options
  • AD&D coverage available
  • Dependent coverage options
🤝

Full Package Design

Not sure how to structure a complete benefits package? We'll design a comprehensive, cohesive plan that fits your workforce, your culture, and your budget.

  • Benefits strategy & design
  • Enrollment support
  • Ongoing plan management
  • Annual renewal review
Our Approach

Benefits that work as hard as your team does.

Every benefit we offer is evaluated the same way: does it provide real value to employees, can it be priced transparently, and does it align with your business goals?

We don't sell benefits. We design them — then explain every piece of it in plain terms so you can make a confident, informed decision.

✓

Full fee transparency

All compensation disclosed before you commit — no surprise broker fees buried in your renewal.

✓

Incentives aligned with yours

We're fee-based. We don't earn more when you buy a more expensive plan.

✓

Available year-round

Claims questions, employee issues, mid-year changes — we're here, not just at renewal time.

Ready to build a better benefits package?

Tell us about your workforce and we'll put together a plan that actually fits — with real numbers and no obligation.

Diatom Advisory / Contact

Let's Look at
Your Options.

No obligation. No pressure. Just a straightforward conversation about what your current plan costs — and what's possible.

Get a Free Comparison

Fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch within one business day.

We respond within one business day. Prefer to call? Reach us at (405) 962-9966, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm.

What happens after you reach out?

1

We review your message and any details you've shared about your current plan and workforce.

2

A member of our team reaches out within one business day — no automated sequences, no sales funnel.

3

We schedule a no-pressure call to understand your situation and what you're hoping to improve.

4

If there's a better option for your business, we show you exactly what it looks like — in plain terms, with real numbers.

If a self-funded plan isn't the right fit, we'll tell you that too.

Contact Information

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Phone

(405) 962-9966

📍

Address

P.O. Box 20594
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73156

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Office Hours

Monday–Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday–Sunday: Closed

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Serving

Oklahoma, Texas, and employers nationwide

Diatom Advisory / Blog

Insights on
Employee Benefits

Plain-English thinking on health insurance, cost containment, and building a healthier business — published on Substack.

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Published by Tom Tacheny · Diatom Advisory