Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

EBA readers share their views on the Affordable Care Act, rising medical and pharmacy costs and younger generations’ perception of buying insurance.

EBA readers react to a variety of topics, including Zenefits posting comparisons to competitors, reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act and a disparity between broker offerings and employer needs.

When a retirement adviser uses a written plan, it helps to increase confidence, satisfaction and trust with affluent clients, however, just half of these consumers have a formal written plan, according to a recent LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute study. Here’s how written plans can benefit advisers and their clients.

With ACA software solutions flooding the market, it can be difficult to decipher which ones do what and which ones to offer with confidence to employer clients. While there are many valuable solutions that work, here are four solutions the corporate law firm Balch & Bingham LLP say deserve consideration.

Meeting the Affordable Care Act’s reporting requirements is no easy task, and there are plenty of misconceptions surrounding those requirements. Here are seven myths of ACA reporting to help advisers and their employer clients comply with the law and avoid penalties, according to benefit administration and exchange provider Maestro Health.

These employee benefit brokerages have the most large-group, in-force commissions for employers in their state. EBA, in partnership with business intelligence data analytics firm miEdge, reveals in alphabetical order the top five brokerages in each state, beginning with Mississippi through Wyoming. The listing is based on Form 5500 Schedule A reporting data on commissions as of July 31, 2015.

These employee benefit brokerages have the most large-group, in-force commissions for employers in their state. EBA, in partnership with business intelligence data analytics firm miEdge, reveals in alphabetical order the top five brokerages in each state, beginning with Alaska through Missouri. The listing is based on Form 5500 Schedule A reporting data on commissions as of July 31, 2015.

Employers are using a variety of solutions, such as telemedicine, narrow network plans and online enrollment to contain rising health care costs — and each tactic has increased in popularity in the past year, according to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s 2015 benefits strategy and benchmarking survey.

One way brokers are keeping their revenue numbers up is by selling ancillary products. A major avenue to selling ancillary is through an exchange, where consumer decision support tools point consumers toward these products. James Drew, president of Ancilyze, shares five ways to increase these sales.

Do private exchanges bend the cost curve? How does Scott Walker’s health care plan compare to the ACA? What impact will the BIC exemption have? EBA readers share their thoughts on this week’s industry news.