Employee Benefit Adviser articles from February 2007

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from February 2007

Saving a trillion dollars on health care should not be this hard.
February 1, 2007... As my hero Robert F. Kennedy once said, "Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it." Growing up in Central Massachusetts, I learned the everyday values of what was right and what was wrong. That being said, it's a shame...

Big brokers partner to unlock small-client value.
February 1, 2007... Servicing small group health clients is hard and getting harder. The contingent commission squeeze and greater employer scrutiny of the stripe, color and cost of the thousands of available health offerings are just a few of the reasons why many...

Protecting your good name: Clients offering more robust ID protection services.
February 1, 2007... Identity theft is one of the most troubling crimes in the United States, and a growing number of clients are arming themselves with theft protection benefits to help ease employee anxiety, including access to theft advocates to serve as power...

Kaplan announces Six Sigma online certification.
February 1, 2007... Kaplan University's decision to launch a Six Sigma certification for HR and benefits professionals offers advisers a tool to not only boost their firm's performance, but also the general operating performance of their clients. Six Sigma,...

Wealth: Advisers survey foundations for building their 401(k) business.
February 1, 2007... The retirement planning industry has some cracks in the foundation: The nation's savings rate has turned negative for the first time since the Great Depression, almost half of the 152.7 million persons employed in 2004 worked for an employer...

A big bite out of dental: Dental benefits feel sting of medical inflation.
February 1, 2007... Although long insulated from employers' cost-cutting efforts because of their low cost, the rising cost of health coverage is taking a bite out of dental plans, industry experts say. Troubled with high rates of inflation in their medical plans,...

Dealmakers.(Company overview)
February 1, 2007... * Aon picks up another claims management firm. The brokerage and consulting giant recently entered into an agreement to purchase Valley Oak Systems of San Ramon, Calif. Valley provides claims management software, services and support for the...

"The times they are a-changing".(Wachovia Insurance Services and Digital Insurance Inc.)
February 1, 2007... Change is everywhere. Let's start on our end. There has been a change within our ranks here at EBA HQ. David Albertson, editorial director for the industry's leading employee benefit titles (EBA, Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit News...

Evaluating professional designations: CEBS program evolves in a global economy.
February 1, 2007... Employee benefits may not be the career path that CEBS graduates envisaged as they were growing up, but those who have earned the designation - and their employers - agree they made the right decision. "Millions of employees around the...

Career paths: Consultant shines in HRO space.(human resource outsourcing, Kathryn Kelly)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... Long-time Towers Perrin consultant Kathryn Kelly has had a hard time kicking the entrepreneurial bug. After starting her career with the federal government she launched a health risk appraisal firm. Later she turned her focus to HR consulting....

Ask the coach: Do I really need a Web site?
February 1, 2007... Mel, I have a small agency in Texas. How important is a Web site to my business? - Ted A site is a must-have for every agent. That said, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself: What is the goal of your site? If you are...

Podcast participants aren't the only ones striking a pessimistic tone for CDH in 2007.
February 1, 2007... Several brokers participating in last month's podcast (available at www.bmofe.com) on the state of the consumer driven health market admitted that attrition might be the big story for the industry this year. It seems that many in the advising...

Still time for advisers to catch the Web wave.
February 1, 2007... Believe it or not every business is not on the Web. Many, many benefit advisers, consultants, brokers and others still have no Web presence. And while Mel (opposite page) says a net presence is needed, conversion takes longer for some than...