Practice management

Based on a review of 35 major health plan websites, most issuers are still struggling to provide the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, even while the SBC provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act took effect last week, according to Tyrula LLC.

When you change your client value offering and your sales model, you have to change the way the company supports these new efforts. Taking the time to evaluate your current structure and making changes to support the new model is critical to successfully executing on and delivering on your new value proposition. …

“Business opportunities come from getting to know new people and their interests, and this takes time.” This was a common response from 82 insurance executives participating in a new Inter-Company Marketing Group survey.

For our clients with a January 1 benefit plan renewal date, we have begun the work required to determine the appropriate program strategy, negotiate renewals, create communication pieces and organize logistics for the open enrollment meetings and subsequent employee enrollments. My company provides advisory services to both clients whom offer medical coverage through fully insured providers as well as those large enough to self-insure their medical plan with the services of a third party administrator.…

When meeting with the C-Suite and human resources department, refrain from presenting solutions and values you think they are looking for - you may be missing out on important information from them, said Trisha Zulic at the 7th Annual Employee Benefit Adviser Summit in Phoenix.

EBA editor Elizabeth Galentine reflects on EBA Summit and what teaches you about business.

A day in the life of Ari Fischman, Insurance Southfield, Mich.

Retirement readiness is just not a buzz word for EBA’s Retirement Adviser of the Year.

Mel Schlesinger on how brokers can sell more in a how-to guide.

How to develop a business plan for success by Jack Kwicien.

Push employers fear buttons to sell and renew business says Craig Davidson.

Nelson Griswold on how brokers can survive the PPACA health reform tsunami.

How the downside of technology affects brokers, insurance

As I coach producers, I see one common theme that really seems to hold them back: a lack of planning and accountability. It's a shame, and completely unnecessary. For whatever reason, producers within agencies seem to be off-limits when it comes to setting expectations and monitoring (the right) results. I always hear, "As a producer, I have the ultimate accountability because I am paid on commissions."

Adviser representatives were encouraged by recognition of their role in employee benefits delivery as exclusion of commissions from medical loss ratio calculations moved forward last week. The Bill’s passage further shows that Congress what brokers do for a living, says the CEO of NAHU.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday passed a bill that would exclude compensation paid for licensed independent insurance producers from the premium portion of the medical loss ratio calculation.

U.S. budget experts raised their forecast on Wednesday of how many Americans will probably have to pay a penalty in 2016 for not buying health insurance to 6 million from 4 million.

Consumer-driven health plans have bypassed health maintenance organizations to become the second most common plan design offered by U.S. employers, according to an Aon Hewitt survey.

Thirty-nine percent of U.S. adults do not have life insurance, according to survey results released by InsuranceQuotes.com. And many of the 2,000 Americans surveyed who do have life insurance appear to be underinsured and not as knowledgeable as they should be about their policies.

I had the great opportunity to attend, and speak at, the recent Employee Benefit Adviser Summit in Phoenix. For those of you who may not be familiar with this event, you really are missing out on a great opportunity. Not only do they bring together the agency/brokerage/consulting side of the industry, there is also a conference track for HR professionals.