Title
DIRECT CARE ALLIANCE · PREPARED BY HAZELPIPER CREATIVE
The fourth quarter plan.
How Direct Care Alliance becomes the name people use for this kind of care, and grows the audience that hears it.
October to December 2026
THE CATEGORY, THE AUDIENCE, THE ASK
What's in here
WHAT'S IN HERE
Seven sections. Read in any order.
The goal
Own the category, and grow the audience that hears it.
The market
The 2027 cost outlook, cancer as the cost employers name first, and why the ask stays small.
Where you stand
August's figures of record, and why reach is the problem rather than engagement.
October
The category month. Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Dawn, one line said the same way every time, and every date.
The voices
David's clips, Dawn on camera, and who posts what from where.
The standard
How claims are cleared, the words we use and don't, and every source.
The decisions
Six answers we need, with a name on each.
OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 2026
01 The goal
THE GOAL
Be the name people reach for.
On the September 9th call, the team set Direct Care Alliance's main marketing goal: become the recognizable category king for direct care and direct contracting. Everything in this plan is measured against that.
Name the problem
Planned surgery and cancer care cost too much, the bill arrives after the care, and patients stop treatment over deductibles. We say it plainly, every week.
Own the words
Tim's from and to line, said the same way on every post, every clip and every call, until other people repeat it for us.
Be in the conversation
Show up where brokers, employers and legislators are already talking, from David's and Dawn's own accounts, not only the page.
Grow who hears it
The page reaches about the people who already follow it. The audience grows through people, reposts and replies.
SET ON THE SEPTEMBER 9TH CALL
02 The window
THE MARKET
Every buyer you want decides in the next ten weeks.
Most self funded plan years close on December 31st. That makes the fourth quarter the decision window, and it closes in a fixed order.
October
Broker and advisor recommendations firm up. A new option can still get into a recommendation.
November
Employers commit to what they're changing for 2027.
Mid December
The plan is set. Nothing moves again until next fall.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Anything that needs a long evaluation has already missed this window. Something that can start with one procedure still fits.
WHY Q4 IS NOT A QUIET QUARTER
03 The numbers
THE MARKET
Every major 2027 survey says 8 percent or more.
MERCER
8.2%
After planned changes, 11 percent without. The largest increase since 2003. 1,800+ employers.
BUSINESS GROUP ON HEALTH
9.2%
Median before plan changes, 8 percent after. 127 large employers, released August 25th, 2026.
AON
9.5%
Projected 2027 rise, to more than $19,000 per employee. August 20th, 2026.
WTW
11.1%
Without plan changes, 9.7 percent with them. 471 employers, reported August 26th, 2026.
WHY IT MATTERS
Every client an advisor has is about to be asked what they changed this year. The gap between the two numbers is what they're trying to find, and one procedure is a change they can actually point to.
MARKET CONTEXT, NOT DIRECT CARE ALLIANCE FIGURES
04 Cancer is the cost
THE MARKET
Employers name cancer as their top cost driver.
NAMED CANCER NUMBER ONE
70%
of large employers in 2026, up from 58 percent in 2025. 92 percent put it in their top three.
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
84%
of employers plan to offer at least one in 2027. 71 percent are using RFPs to get better pricing.
NEW BREAST CANCER CASES
321,910
invasive cases estimated in women in 2026, about 1 in 8 women over a lifetime.
WHY OCTOBER LEADS WITH IT
Planned surgery and cancer care are exactly where Direct Care Alliance works, and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The market's top worry and the month's biggest conversation are the same subject.
BUSINESS GROUP ON HEALTH, AUGUST 25TH 2026. AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, JUNE 24TH 2026
05 The ask
THE MARKET
One procedure.
Not a program.
The hardest thing to do in the fourth quarter is add anything. So the ask is one planned surgery or one course of cancer treatment, priced with the facility before it happens. No plan change, no network change, no decision about 2027.
WHY IT FITS RIGHT NOW
Employers are auditing vendors instead of buying promises. Direct Care Alliance doesn't hand over a savings percentage. It offers to price one real procedure on the employer's own claims, which is what the market says it wants.
THE SAME ASK ALL QUARTER
06 Where you stand
WHERE YOU STAND
August, closed on the 3rd and permanent.
A month closes on the 3rd of the following month. That pull is the figure of record and it never gets restated. These are August's. September closes on October 3rd.
LINKEDIN
2,466
impressions across 19 posts. 1,549 reach, 109 reactions, 24 shares, 23 comments.
X
1,690
impressions across 16 posts, a 1.83 percent engagement rate, zero clicks.
FORMAT MIX
33 of 35
posts were a single image with a paragraph under it. One carousel, no video.
THE ONE CAROUSEL
It drew 7 comments on 117 impressions, the best comment rate of the month. That's why the carousel shape keeps coming back.
PULLED SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2026, FIGURES OF RECORD
07 Reach, not engagement
WHERE YOU STAND
Engagement isn't the problem. Reach is.
Three of August's nineteen LinkedIn posts were announcements. They carried 1,427 impressions and every one of the month's 23 comments. The other sixteen carried 1,039 between them.
ON A PIECE OF NEWS
476
average impressions
ON A ROUTINE POST
65
average impressions
THE GAP
7.3 to 1
between them
WHAT FIXES IT
Better copy doesn't fix reach. People do. David and Dawn posting from their own accounts with the page resharing, real news, and replies in other people's conversations.
AUGUST 2026, DCA'S OWN CHANNELS
08 The Oliverson repost
WHERE YOU STAND
The best reach so far didn't come from the page.
Representative Tom Oliverson posted about direct primary care and employer purchased care. David replied from his own account, and Oliverson reposted him.
Direct primary care is a fantastic solution for eighty percent of someone's health care needs. For the twenty percent that drives eighty percent of the spend, Direct Care Alliance is the solution to look for.
David Balat, on X, shared with the team September 14th, 2026
WHY IT'S THE MODEL FOR OCTOBER
That reply reached a legislator's audience inside a policy conversation already underway, at no cost. It's the category king move in one post, and October is built to do it on purpose every week.
THE NAMED ACCOUNT, WORKING
09 How the audience grows
THE AUDIENCE
Five ways the audience grows in October.
David and Dawn post, the page reshares
Clips and cards go out from their own accounts first. That's the only way past the page's own follower count.
Replies every day
We find the posts where brokers, employers and legislators are already talking and draft a reply for your OK. Nothing posts without approval.
The same words every time
The from and to line on the next page, repeated word for word, so people start saying it back.
Breast Cancer Awareness with Dawn
Proposed: three short clips from Dawn, the named voice in Tim's Category King brief.
A paid visibility test, if you want one
One month of X Premium and LinkedIn Premium Company Page on DCA's own accounts, priced on the day you decide, with a yes or no at the end.
NOTHING PAID STARTS WITHOUT YOUR YES
10 The from and to line
THE CATEGORY
One line, said the same way every time.
From a world where surgery and cancer bills arrive as a surprise, get fought over for months, and end in denials, audits, or collections. To a world where the price is agreed before the first appointment, one navigator manages the entire episode, and the hospital is paid quickly with nothing to fight over afterward.
The name
Dawn and Tim's call, per Tim's September 9th brief. Until they pick one, this line carries the category on its own.
Words we use
Case rate. All in case price. One procedure. Navigator.
Words we don't
Bundled care. Single case agreement. Network. Discount. Captive. Direct primary care.
FROM TIM'S CATEGORY KING BRIEF, SEPTEMBER 9TH
11 The three months
THE QUARTER
Each month has one job.
October, the category month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Dawn, David's clips, the from and to line repeated, and the one procedure ask.
November, the decision month
Where employers commit, so where the ask runs hardest. Dawn's podcast starts, recorded before November 20th.
December, the short month
A lighter cadence. Close on what Direct Care Alliance learned this year and set January up while there's still a working calendar.
THREE POSTS A WEEK, LINKEDIN AND X
12 October date by date
OCTOBER
October, date by date.
Mon, Wed, Fri at 9am Central
2FRI
Our client is the employer
David clip
5MON
She's in remission
Clip. Waiting on consent
7WED
All of them, not just the hospital
David clip
9FRI
From and to
New card
12MON
Why cancer care should be priced first
Dawn quote card
14WED
Why we start with cancer
Dawn on camera
16FRI
Why a million dollars
David clip
19MON
Tracy Creger, Connect Benefit
Partner quote, built
21WED
What the navigator does
Dawn on camera
23FRI
What changes and what doesn't
New carousel
26MON
A deep belief
David clip
28WED
One procedure, the ask
New carousel
30FRI
Paying before, not after
Dawn on camera
Navy is a David clip. Pink is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. White is a card or carousel, with new artwork being made now. Three a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as the engagement letter sets. Any slot can swap for real news, like KFF's employer survey late in October.
EVERY POST WAITS ON ITS APPROVER BEFORE IT SCHEDULES
13 Breast Cancer Awareness Month
OCTOBER
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, led by Dawn.
Dawn records
Proposed: three short clips on her own phone, thirty to sixty seconds each, for the 14th, 21st and 30th. The questions go to her three days ahead, and the editing and captions are done for her.
How it looks
Pink on the logo and borders, grayscale photos with one or two pink elements, the way Dawn described it on the September 21st call.
Patient stories
Only with signed consent. The remission story on October 5th runs once Dawn confirms the authorization covers it.
Numbers
Only with the source on the card, like the American Cancer Society's 2026 estimate. No outcome claims beyond what's already cleared.
Who approves
Dawn signs off the images and anything with a patient in it. David signs off the captions and his clips.
DAWN LEADING OCTOBER AND THE PINK LOOK WERE SET SEPTEMBER 21ST
14 What October avoids
OCTOBER
What October deliberately doesn't do.
No savings percentage
Not yours and not anyone's. Direct Care Alliance hasn't documented one to a standard that holds up, so no post implies one.
No outcome claim
No patient result or volume figure that would need a sign off it doesn't already have.
Nothing about anyone else
We write what Direct Care Alliance does, never what other organizations do or don't do.
No unsourced number
Every figure names its publisher and its year on the card itself.
No mechanism walkthrough
The technical piece David held on September 8th stays held. Nothing explains contract structure or payment order.
APPROVED KNOWLEDGE ONLY
15 The clips
THE VOICES
Thirteen were cut. David approved nine.
Eleven clips came from David's opening statement on September 1st and two from the questions. He answered each one on September 4th and cut four. Here's where the nine stand.
Live
A price, not an estimate, published September 9th and 15th.
Waiting on David's yes
Zero out of pocket on September 24th, and October 2nd, 7th, 16th and 26th. His September 21st edits are all in.
Waiting on Dawn
She's in remission, moved to October 5th, once the patient consent is confirmed.
For David's own account
Four clips where David speaks as himself. They need his LinkedIn connected to the scheduler, a few minutes of setup.
EVERY CAPTION QUOTES WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID
16 How captions are written
THE VOICES
Captions lead with the fact and stop.
On September 21st David asked for posts that sound more human. So every caption now has the same shape, and nothing wraps around it.
The quote
What David actually said, read off the video rather than the script.
What happens
The plain facts, in the order they happen.
Who said it
David Balat, his title, the committee and the date.
Nothing else
If a line only comments on the line before it, it comes out.
DAVID'S NOTE, SEPTEMBER 21ST 2026
17 November and December
THE QUARTER
November and December, in outline.
Both are shaped rather than written, because both depend on answers that haven't landed yet.
November
The one procedure ask gets its clearest run, because this is when employers commit. Dawn's podcast starts, recorded before November 20th, and becomes clips for both of their accounts. If the category name is picked, it starts repeating everywhere in the same words.
December
A deliberately shorter cadence. The month closes on what Direct Care Alliance learned this year, and January gets set up while there's still a working calendar.
Worth building toward
Spencer's podcast in January or February, which Tim is following up. The fourth quarter should end with a library of clips ready for it.
SHAPED, NOT YET WRITTEN
18 Measurement
THE STANDARD
How October gets measured.
Reach and followers
The category king goal is judged on how many new people hear it: impressions, followers gained, and reposts from other accounts.
The named accounts
What David's and Dawn's posts reach, counted separately from the page, so the growth is visible.
Video lowers the rate
Engagement rate counts reactions, comments and shares against impressions, not views. A month with more video can read lower while the audience grows.
Where inquiries came from
Whoever takes first contact writes down how the person heard about Direct Care Alliance, in their words. That's the only way to connect a post to a conversation.
SEPTEMBER CLOSES OCTOBER 3RD, OCTOBER CLOSES NOVEMBER 3RD
19 The proof standard
THE STANDARD
Every claim is checked before it's written.
Confirmed
Verifiable from Direct Care Alliance's own record or a source cleared by name and date. Runs as stated.
Market context
True of the market, not of Direct Care Alliance. Runs only with the publisher and year attached, never as your figure.
Blocked
Bundled language, captive insurance framing, primary care framing, and any patient outcome or savings claim without sign off.
THE LANGUAGE RULE
It's a case rate or an all in case price, never bundled care. Direct Care Alliance isn't direct primary care, captive insurance or an insurance network. A case rate covers the full episode, every provider included.
APPLIED TO EVERY POST
20 Sources
THE STANDARD
Where every number came from.
Mercer
2027 health benefit cost survey, 1,800+ employers. 8.2 percent after changes, 11 percent without, largest since 2003.
Business Group on Health
2027 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey, released August 25th, 2026. 9.2 percent before changes, 8 after, cancer as top cost driver, centers of excellence.
Aon
Press release, August 20th, 2026. 9.5 percent in 2027, more than $19,000 per employee.
WTW
Reported by PLANADVISER, August 26th, 2026. 11.1 percent without changes, 9.7 percent with.
American Cancer Society
How common is breast cancer, revised June 24th, 2026. About 321,910 new invasive cases in women.
Your own channels
August 2026 figures of record, pulled September 3rd. The hearing record, September 1st, 2026.
ALL CHECKED SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2026
21 Six decisions
THE DECISIONS
Six answers. None of them needs a meeting.
01
Caption approval for the clips
DAVID
His September 21st edits are in. One yes releases the clips on September 24th and October 2nd, 7th, 16th and 26th.
02
Patient consent
DAWN
Which case the signed authorization covers, and whether the remission story can run on October 5th.
03
Dawn's October clips
DAWN
Three short phone recordings for the 14th, 21st and 30th. Questions come three days ahead.
04
The category name
DAWN AND TIM
No name is picked yet. Until one is, the from and to line carries the category.
05
The paid visibility test
TIM
Yes or no to one month of X Premium and LinkedIn Premium Company Page, on DCA's accounts.
06
David's LinkedIn connected
DAVID
A few minutes of setup, and four clips get a way out from his own account.
ONE NAME ON EACH
22 What happens next
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
October is planned. Here's what moves it.
This week
David's yes on the captions, Dawn's answer on consent, and the new October artwork finished for review.
Tuesday, September 29th
The first Tuesday call. We approve the first week of October on the call and Dawn picks her recording times.
October 5th
Breast Cancer Awareness Month opens on the page. Replies get drafted every day from October 1st, and each one waits for approval.
November 3rd
October closes. We read reach and followers against August and decide what November doubles down on.
HAZELPIPER CREATIVE · GWEN DIEDE