Practice management

Commentary: Three costs to your business that go beyond monetary loss and have a direct long-term impact on client relations.

Commentary: Changes will attack the costs of health care and trickle down to benefit brokers. These outsiders may or may not see the broker as a valuable resource in their future world, says Joe Markland.

Commentary: Gone are the days of century-old insurance carriers’ dominance at conferences and expos. In are new products, new technology, new vendors and new partnerships. As a result, unique ideas and models are thriving, says Zenefits’ Tim Cerimele.

A new hotline for agents and brokers will not be able to answer specific questions from agents about their clients, disappointing broker organizations, which expected a hotline similar to what navigators have.

To date, adoption of private benefit exchanges by employers has been modest, but Holley Maher, partner at St. Louis-area brokerage MRCT, sees them as a highly relevant solution. And, despite issues Healthcare.gov has caused for brokers and consumers alike, the site is changing the health care landscape, says Maher, whose company operates its Smart Benefits Marketplace using bswift technology.

As private exchanges continue to evolve, industry insiders say the integration of accountable care organizations could be the ‘next big thing' in the exchange world; one that could be a big win for employers.

Commentary: There are a few major culprits behind the challenges women face, and advisers must be mindful of the best ways to address them.

Commentary: With so much uncertainty, your clients need your expert advice and counsel now more than ever before. They need a trusted adviser, and you can fulfill that role, says columnist Jack Kwicien.

Commentary: Whether we call ourselves consultants, relationship managers, advisers, producers or anything else that tends to disguise our objective, we’re salespeople.

In today’s increasingly technology-focused benefits industry, brokers need to compete on a new level in a new playing field. How can brokers reposition themselves as trusted advisers and use technology to their advantage?