Voluntary

Advisers who excel in the vision field do the best job of making the connection between vision and medical plans, some experts say. Shannon Enders, a founding partner at Lakeshore Employee Benefits in Norton Shores, Mich., says when he brings the idea of connecting vision and health data to clients’ attention, “they quickly become very interested.”

Commentary: Columnist Nelson Griswold discusses why sophisticated employee benefit advisers are increasingly discussing self-funding of the health plan with mid-size employers.

Selecting the right partners, learning from colleagues and understanding the needs of each client will help agents who are new to this space.

Consolidation in the health insurance industry holds both positives and negatives for employer-sponsored health plans, but employers shouldn’t expect to see any major savings resulting from the Aetna-Humana merger until at least 2017, say industry experts.

No longer hiding on an intranet or mentioned in a one-off meeting, voluntary benefits are making a big impact on private exchanges, especially as high deductible plans increase and employees self-select into lower coverage.

The Workplace Benefits Association recently announced it’s honoring Bonnie Brazzell, vice president of Eastbridge Consulting Group, who is being inducted into the Worksite Marketing Hall of Fame.

Commentary: The question about self-service benefits enrollment needs to shift from “Should we do it?” to “What do we need to do to ensure the experience is engaging, satisfying and effective?”

Among the latest inductees to the Worksite Marketing Hall of Fame is Chris Martin, president of Combined Worksite Solutions. The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals for their contributions to the voluntary employee benefits industry.

The Workplace Benefits Association has inducted Rob J. Thurston, president of HR Consulting Group (HRCG), into the Worksite Marketing Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals for their contributions to the voluntary employee benefits industry.

Vision and dental benefits can be harnessed to play a larger role in employee health than the sum of their parts.