Melissa A. Winn

ADP has agreed to drop its defamation lawsuit against Zenefits after a months-long dispute fought in the public eye. What does the Zenefits win mean for established industry stakeholders and the benefit startups that threaten their way of business?

The ACA’s 2018 Cadillac tax looms large in the minds of employers and benefit experts have already begun to see trends in the plan design options and benefit offering changes employers have made to avoid the hefty excise tax.

Brokers and agents are meeting with senators in an effort to garner support for the Equalizing the Playing Field for Agents and Brokers Act, which aims to offer advisers the same access to marketplace enrollment information as is available to navigators and certified assisters.

Education is often hailed as the key to employee benefit satisfaction, but new research shows it also increases enrollment and employee engagement. Experts say advisers are well-positioned to expand employer education and communication strategies.

The use of technology is not just novel in the benefits industry anymore, it’s imperative. Benefit adviser Steve Williams predicted its usefulness over a decade ago and he and his team have used technology solutions to help transform Heffernan Insurance into one of the largest independent brokerage firms.

Advisers hoping to remain relevant in a changing health care and benefits landscape must shift product offerings to meet industry trends. Rick Lindquist, president of Zane Benefits, discusses 6 key industry trends to watch.

Employers more than ever are seeking innovative solutions for health care cost containment from their benefit advisers, and one industry expert says emerging strategies to help brokers thrive in the coming decade should include voluntary benefit sales and plan integration.

High-profile merger and acquisition activity in the health insurance market has some employers squeamish about decreased competition and carrier responsiveness, but some industry experts say employers have methods for recourse.

Increased regulatory requirements and rising health care costs have spurred more employers to consider defined contribution health care plans, a trend industry experts at EBA’s Workplace Benefits Summit say is a result of a more transformative approach to health care benefit strategy.

Adviser help is sorely needed to lessen employer/employee disconnect during open enrollment. Recent research from Aflac shows tools and resources that employees find useful are not always made available by their employers, further complicating an already confusing process.