Know the narrow network landmines

Brokers are well aware of the benefits and pitfalls of narrow networks. Recent polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that consumers only seem to care about the upside to these limited plans — decreased premium prices. KFF found that only 35% of uninsured individuals and those purchasing private coverage on their own want broader networks on the public exchanges. Moreover, once the price differences of narrow plans are conveyed to those same consumers, the interest in broad networks decreases to only 22%.

Craig Hasday, chief operating officer of Frenkel Benefits LLC in New York City, says this tendency could erupt in the coming months. “They see they’re buying Blue Cross and they don’t realize they can’t go see their doctor on that plan,” he says. “And I’ve seen clients land on Medicaid products and they’ve never done it before and then — big surprise — there’s no doctors there.”