Gillian Roberts

Voluntary benefits are creeping more and more into the everyday dialogue of benefit managers and advisers, but for those just getting involved, partnering with voluntary carriers and other vendors can sometimes be a difficult field to navigate.

In another blow to the health law’s federal subsidies this week, the GAO says fake application information successfully yielded subsidy payouts in an undercover investigation. One broker says if consumers are able to obtain subsidies in circumstances where they shouldn’t, they’re not going to trust brokers who tell them the truth.

As some brokers continue to wait for their payments, it seems no one carrier is better or worse at this issue across the U.S. What is clear is that advisers who previously worked in group need to learn a new system to track and monitor commissions.

In another blow to President Barack Obama’s signature legislation, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the plaintiff, declaring the law’s premium subsidies are invalid in more than two dozen states due to the law’s specific language.

While there’s a great deal of industry hype about the rise in voluntary sales, some experts say that benefit brokers and advisers are still hesitant to sell it. Here’s a way in that one expert views as “a way to free up money” for voluntary.

Founded by his father on the principle of specialty servicing in 1956, Mike Lewer’s business model is set to distinguish his brokerage team with post-ACA success for years to come.

The bill that would establish a federal clearinghouse for state-by-state broker and agent licensing has successfully passed the U.S. Senate as an amendment to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, known as TRIA. It was previously left off another insurance industry bill at this point in the process.

A proposal up for vote in the most populous state would give the insurance commissioner veto power over health insurance rates, among other things, and has brokers fearful of the trend spreading to other states.

With voluntary benefit sales on the rise, experts in the field discuss the broker mindset on a range of products and the carriers that offer them.

The status of payments to brokers for their work signing up consumers across the nation varies from state to state and broker to broker, with some missing nearly 50% of commissions and others reporting no problems whatsoever.

As reports of more DOL audits continue to spook benefit advisers into talking compliance with their clients, employers are confirming that they, too, are fearful of federal agencies’ monitoring.

If it “smells like a benefit plan,” you likely have to follow ERISA, said one speaker at the National Association of Health Underwriters annual convention in Scottsdale, Ariz. Here are some general tips benefit advisers need to know about complying with this law, for your clients and their employees alike.

One speaker at the National Association for Health Underwriters annual conference Monday provided suggestions for brokers to protect their businesses, as well as increase referrals, when enrolling individuals and small businesses on the public marketplaces.

Kicking off the National Association for Health Underwriters annual meeting Monday, the group’s lead lobbyist outlined the current status of benefit brokers in the eyes of Washington, while a Republican politician discussed potential outcomes of the 2014 election.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Thursday announcement that consumers already enrolled in marketplace plans in 2014 can auto-enroll for 2015 is largely positive for brokers, though the decision is symbolically unsettling to some.

Either way, benefit firms are consolidating and it’s important for brokers and advisers to evaluate their options and find the right fit for their agency.

How a father and daughter benefit broker team worked together to launch a private insurance marketplace that serves small and mid-size businesses as well as other local advisers.

Several benefit brokers share their experiences with using TV ads during open enrollment 2014.

With some state-run exchanges struggling, brokers and agents contemplate whether a national Healthcare.gov is possible and whether that would be a good or a bad thing for the insurance community.

Benefit brokers should be turning their sights to the capabilities of health care data to improve employer clients’ employees’ health. There are doctors asking for even more potential from computer algorithms to interpret such data and could provide a glimpse into the future.