Practice management

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.

Road to Workplace Benefits Mania: Ahead of the July conference, keynote speaker Ben Geyerhahn previews his strategy for brokers to mitigate health costs — Medicaid migration.

The ACA has increased incentives for employees to quit smoking, but employers are wondering where e-cigarettes fit into the equation.

Find out how to nominate your colleagues, or yourself, for our three annual awards in overall health, retirement and voluntary categories. The submission deadline is July 11.

Commentary: Improve external communications, including your sales system and your marketing efforts, to enhance benefit brokerages overall.

The UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive whose Optum division helped states and the federal government fix Obamacare health exchanges will become second-in- command at the agency that runs the U.S. program.

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.

Early health plan rate filings for 2015 signal premium rate hikes that could force individuals to consider switching plans. Confused consumers will be looking for help from benefit brokers and agents well-versed in plan options.

How the ACA has drawn attention to vision care coverage and prompted employers to ask advisers about this voluntary benefit.

Advisers can help employers boost employee benefit enrollment with better employee education and communication.

Commentary: Blogger Cyndy Nayer discusses a new and important opportunity for advisers to bring value to consumers — the potential for subsidy issues around reported income to the public exchanges.

Starbucks is helping its full- and part-time employees earn college degrees through a partnership with Arizona State University's online program beginning this fall.

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

Insurance carriers are proposing a series of solutions to make the ACA exchanges more consumer-friendly, but not all brokers and agents agree with the ideas.

Commentary: Columnist Craig Davidson explores the future of employee benefits in the kick-off to a new series about what’s to come and how to prepare for change.

Estimated enrollment is three times the number consultancy predicted last year.

Commentary: A technique that blogger Andy Torelli uses to establish new hires’ natural skills in the workplace could be put to use in optimizing the best service teams for new clients. Hear his theory out.

Benefit brokers should be prepared to communicate ACA updates and answer questions both in-person and via new technology to reach employees.

People managers should not underestimate the impact of coaching their people to success around individual and shared goals. It’s one of the rare benefits that accrues to the organization as much as its employees.

Commentary: Columnist Jack Kwicien tells you to take a step back and evaluate each client from a sales management consultant approach.