Advisor strategies

There is no question that the Supreme Court upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in a 5-4 ruling has solidified, for now, the change in the country's health care market that took form when President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law in March 2010.

In a profession on the brink of radical change, advisers need deeper insight, more analysis, and broader perspectives. They need actionable, timely information in the formats in which they can best absorb it. And they need it now.

Are you pessimistic or are you optimistic about the Supreme Court's June decision to basically uphold all of PPACA? What is your plan in this sea of personal and corporate uncertainty?

In the movie armageddon, Earth faces destruction from a giant asteroid on a collision course with our planet before it is saved by the heroic sacrifice of the character played by Bruce Willis. As 2014 hurtles toward us, brokers across the country helplessly search for a savior from the cataclysmic PPACA disaster. "Help us, Supreme Court!" No? Then, "Help us, Republicans!" Maybe. Maybe not.

After the June 28 Supreme Court ruling that found the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be constitutional, many group medical producers felt that their business was over. I want to begin by saying that there has never been more opportunity than there is right now and that there will be for the foreseeable future.

Under health reform, state health care exchanges are slated to operate in 2014 - not much time to figure out the role a broker will play in the system. As we await more definitive information on what exactly constitutes a "navigator," one can look toward California, which is further along in setting up its exchange, as a potential model, says Neil Crosby, director of sales at Westlake Village, Calif.-based Warner Pacific Insurance Services.

With health reform there's a real opportunity for brokers and consultants to truly add value to their client services. It allows them to go above and beyond just the tactical nature of health plans and step up the strategic level of advice and guidance.

With the recent Supreme Court ruling now finalized and the minimum essential health insurance provisions in place, companies have begun to ask us “What’s next?” or “What will the financial impact be for our company in 2014?” My belief is that by taking a proactive approach to the individual mandate and understanding the impact on your company’s financials, you will be able to make that critical decision whether to continue offering a group health care…

The recent Supreme Court ruling came as a surprise to a number of people, maybe even most people. However, even among those who expected all or some part of the law to be overturned, about half of them, according to a survey of 4,000 employers by Mercer, were ants, in that they had already started to make preparations for the requirements of the law.

Talk about hogging the spotlight! Washington DC is driving the uproar around the reaction to the recent Supreme Court decision and all we’ve been seeing in the national media is coverage of the political ramifications. What does this mean to the political landscape? What’s Obama saying? Romney? Sure, the recent decision will define the road to election 2012 in November. It’s a landmark decision. We get it. …

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with the individual mandate being upheld under the Congressional power of taxation.

At 2 p.m. EST tomorrow experts will provide insight on the fate of the mandate for individuals to purchase health coverage, and the finding on the constitutionality of PPACA as a whole. Sign up for the web seminar which will be held hours after the decision is released.

There is a lot riding on the Supreme Court’s health reform decision for all stakeholders. Brokers and consultants need to be prepared to advise their clients, says EBA Advisory Board member Mark Gaunya, who highlights what you should be thinking about while we wait for the decision.

One broker looks at how his company walks the talk with wellness programs and says how that can work for all your clients.

The last week of March was a busy one here at EBA HQ. With the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments on the constitutionality of health care reform's individual mandate in our own backyard, EBA couldn't miss the opportunity to head down to Capitol Hill to check out the scene for ourselves - and bring you the latest news on the proceedings in the process.

Employers continue to look to their adviser to guide them through health care reform uncertainty. In fact, 88% expect their adviser to educate them on health care reform and its implications, according to a recent survey.

The final ruling for the insurance exchange portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is out. The 644-page rule mandates that all 50 states must be ready with an exchange by October 2013. “So far, there are only about 20 states making measurable progress toward the deadline,” says Bob Laszewiski of Health Policy Strategy Associates, LLC. “Most conservative states – 29 states have Republican governors – are sitting on the sidelines waiting to…

With the Supreme Court tackling constitutional challenges to the Affordable Care Act during oral arguments March 26-28, the Kaiser Family Foundation has published a 10-page primer of the issues and arguments before the court.

Advisers should be aware of big changes coming to all Facebook’s brand pages soon. On March 30, ready or not, all pages will be converted automatically to Facebook’s new Timeline format. Until then, firms can experiment with the new design before publishing the page, but the deadline is looming.

The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it will release audio recordings and transcripts of oral arguments in the health care challenge immediately after the March 26-28 sessions, responding to what it called "extraordinary public interest."