How many customers do you have? Warning: Trick question. What I’m really asking for is the total number of employees in your groups. Why? Because there is a huge paradigm shift underway in the delivery of employee benefits. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the benefits industry is moving away from the old employer-centric model to a consumer-centric model. With many companies, your customer – the benefits decision maker – soon will be the employee, not the employer. That’s a real paradigm shift.
Evidence? Exhibit one is the public health insurance exchanges, which will turn millions of Americans into benefits decision makers for the first time. For additional proof, consider that industry leaders Mercer, Gallagher and Aon Hewitt and carriers such as Wellpoint/Anthem all are offering private exchanges. Remember that a private exchange is merely a means to present and sell benefits directly to employees. These major players are betting heavily on the employee being the new benefits decision maker.
