How Element Materials Technology put individualized benefits guidance in front of a deskless workforce with Pasito

Element Materials Technology tests everything from aircraft parts to knee implants across 100+ North American labs, with just over 3,000 employees who mostly don't sit at desks. When their carrier brought Pasito into its renewal, the company's benefits director tried it on lab employees before saying yes.

The challenge: An early-stage benefits program, and a workforce with few desks

In 2025, Element Materials Technology brought on its first dedicated benefits leader and saw an opportunity to bring more structure, education and personalized decision support to its benefits strategy. Ben admin support had kept the day-to-day running, and a benefits guide gave employees a starting point. The company is self-funded and offers two high-deductible plans and a PPO. Most of its employees work in labs, with a significant employee population in California, where affordability is a constant concern.

Element saw a chance to help employees get more value from their plan choices. Many chose the most comprehensive plan by default, when another option may have covered what they needed at a lower cost. Element wanted to give people on the production line and in the laboratory guidance they could use anywhere, on any device, without needing to know benefits terms.

What Pasito delivered: Tested on the lab floor before it was chosen

Element Materials Technology set its own bar before signing anything: put the tool in front of lab employees (the people who don't do benefits all day) and see whether they understood it.Pasito launched, and guidance went out to 3,152 employees by email and 968 by text in a single day, reaching a workforce that stands at test rigs, not desks. The guidance asks forward-looking questions, like expecting a baby, planning a surgery, or managing a prescription schedule, so employees answering the same prompts can get different recommendations depending on their life situations. For a company focused on helping employees choose the plan that fits, that personalization made Pasito worth every penny.

The result: Employees made more informed choices

Employees who used Pasito's guidance saw a different answer than the default. Some who had been on the $2,000/$4,000-deductible plan were recommended the $4,000/$8,000 HDHP option instead, and some employees who elected a different plan following Pasito's guidance reported approximately 50% lower payroll premium contributions. That's what Element Materials Technology bought the tool to do: help employees make more informed plan choices based on their individual healthcare needs and financial preferences. The clearest verdict came from inside the organization. The separate Element U.S. Space & Defense division asked what Element Materials Technology was doing for the upcoming benefits year and, on the company's recommendation, adopted Pasito as well. This year, with a full runway and employee education planned before the window opens, the company expects usage to grow next enrollment.

~50%

reduction in premium costs, reported by employees who switched plans after using Pasito

Partnership

"Pasito is simple to use. It's easy, and it's individualized … I could sing from the mountaintop about them."

Ernie Florkowski

Benefits Director, Element Materials Technology