Practice and client management

A new analysis estimates even more employers will move active employees to private exchanges in part because brokers are taking on a bigger role in pushing them as a solution to rising health care costs.

Commentary: A good management consultant offers you objective advice and a path to greater prosperity, says Craig Davidson.

Commentary: Follow this step-by-step process and columnist Mel Schlesinger says you’ll be swimming in sales calls.

Commentary: Performance management doesn’t have to be painful, but it is necessary, says Wendy Keneipp of Q4intelligence.

Heather Vertrees tunes up benefits at Fender Musical Instruments Corp. Her active role in a specialized wellness program for the company’s factory workers has earned her the Benefits Professional of the Year honor.

The National Restaurant Association’s Dawn Cacciotti is the recipient of EBN’s 2014 Judges’ Choice Benny Award.

Commentary: Follow this step-by-step process and columnist Mel Schlesinger says you’ll be swimming in sales calls.

Commentary: Open enrollment time means employer clients will be reviewing fee disclosures. Columnist John Ludwig discusses several steps plan sponsors should take when reviewing the disclosures for accuracy and to determine if fees are fair and reasonable.

Commentary: It all starts with a mindset, says EBA Advisory Board member Mark Gaunya. Do you begin each day with a mentality of scarcity or abundance? One is a recipe for failure.

Commentary: Most benefit administration tools have proven to be unsuccessful for the effective deployment of voluntary benefits, says EBA Advisory Board member Tinker Kelly. To overcome a system that is “inconsistent at best,” Kelly suggests a new approach.

The IRS has posted draft instructions for the various Affordable Care Act reporting that will be done for calendar year 2015 and while the instructions provide much needed guidance for employers and insurers, they also confirm the daunting complexity of the reporting task.

Employers continue to express interest in private exchanges, but most are hesitant to be the first to make the jump. What they will do once others switch, however, may surprise you.

Commentary: The marketing efforts of independent brokers are “woefully behind,” says consultant Wendy Keneipp, who shares tips on how to keep up with your employer clients’ changing business practices.

Employers from Starbucks to ConAgra have begun partnering directly with academic institutions to create specialized programs for their employees. It’s a new spin on an older system, as benefit managers are trying to evaluate the long-term benefits of helping to pay for their workers’ education.

Company executives are increasingly becoming involved with health care benefit decisions. Benefit advisers hoping to win, and keep, their business must tailor their tactics to the C-suite.

Large employers say they don’t have plans to eliminate health care coverage for active employees in 2015, although 35% say they are considering moving their active employees to a private exchange in 2016 or beyond, a recent survey finds.

Commentary: If you want to be successful at voluntary sales, columnist Nelson Griswold says you should concentrate on selling a solution, not a product — much like the Girl Scouts aim to solve your cookie craving.

Commentary: Columnist Jack Kwicien shares how to transform your business by differentiating your processes and services to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Although open enrollment for ACA plans is not set to begin until November 15, a new report estimates that nearly 7 million adults may be able to enroll through special enrollment periods.

Commentary: Benefit advisers hoping to maintain satisfied clients after the first open enrollment period should avoid these common bad behaviors that could cost accounts in the long run.