Practice management

Companies are shifting their attention to health coverage for their pre-65 retiree population and exploring the opportunities public exchanges provide this population, now that the Supreme Court has upheld subsides on the federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace.

Millions are covered under employee stock ownership plans, which take a considerable amount of research and planning before implementation.

As employers search for ways to trim health care costs, advisers are increasingly exploring the use of data to steer plan design.

Zenefits has filed a motion to dismiss an anti-defamation lawsuit filed against it by payroll services giant ADP, continuing a heated row between the two companies that Zenefits says comes down to a a fight for “consumer choice.”

In the constantly changing health insurance business, the only way to stay ahead of the competition is to reinvest in your company, your employees and your technology. That’s what Sparks, Md.-based Kelly & Associates Insurance Group has been doing. What can smaller firms learn from Kelly and why is the continual reinvestment so important?

Commentary: The California labor commissioner recently ruled that a San Francisco driver is an employee, not an independent contractor. While the ruling applies to only one driver, it is one of a growing number of decisions that may have far-reaching implications.

To stay abreast of private exchange trends, advisers, employers, insurers and other legal and industry experts will share their insights about private exchanges at this year’s EBA/EBN Private Healthcare Exchanges conference in downtown Chicago, July 23-24.

Advisers who excel in the vision field do the best job of making the connection between vision and medical plans, some experts say. Shannon Enders, a founding partner at Lakeshore Employee Benefits in Norton Shores, Mich., says when he brings the idea of connecting vision and health data to clients’ attention, “they quickly become very interested.”

Commentary: Delivering fee disclosure notices to both plan sponsors and plan participants has helped some plan sponsors to lower their costs, but the various fee disclosures are still difficult for many to understand. With such a national focus on fees, some plan sponsors have taken the opportunity to review and rethink how they handle plan fees.

Commentary: Columnist Nelson Griswold discusses why sophisticated employee benefit advisers are increasingly discussing self-funding of the health plan with mid-size employers.

Commentary: What should brokers and benefit advisers take away from all the merger and acquisition activity among the medical carriers? The message is crystal clear. Now would be the time to move away from a dependency on medical commissions and take a fee.

Selecting the right partners, learning from colleagues and understanding the needs of each client will help agents who are new to this space.

Consolidation in the health insurance industry holds both positives and negatives for employer-sponsored health plans, but employers shouldn’t expect to see any major savings resulting from the Aetna-Humana merger until at least 2017, say industry experts.

Aetna’s purchase of Humana confirms analyst predictions of continued consolidation as carriers vie for market share, a trend industry experts fear will limit choice and force brokers to reinvent their business approach.

Aetna Inc. agrees to buy Humana Inc., in a deal poised to be the biggest ever in the health-insurance industry.

As small employers shift from group to individual coverage, private exchanges can be a useful tool to keep brokers competitive and maximize profits during the transition.

The merger of Willis and Towers Watson is likely just one of many to come in the next few years, as the Affordable Care Act and other factors continue to change the landscape of the business of health care, industry experts agree.

Standing out from the competition, maintaining healthy prospects and offering essential solutions can help attract prospective buyers.

The merger of Willis Group Holdings and Towers Watson announced this morning is indicative of the industry’s focus on offering more comprehensive services to a wider customer base, and experts agree it probably won’t be the last merger announced in the near future.

Commentary: Let’s stop celebrating the financial merger of two faceless giants, and focus instead on the real work that agents, brokers and consultants are doing every day to make a difference, says adviser David C. Smith.