Employee Benefit Adviser articles from January 2007

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from January 2007

What you don't know can hurt you, and your clients.(knowledge for client management)
January 1, 2007... From our Department of Things About Which You Are Already Painfully Aware: If you had a nickel for every bit of "free" advice you ever gave a client, you would be rich beyond your wildest dreams. That's partly because knowing what a client...

Venture firm hopes retro approach will cut hospital costs by as much as 20%.
January 1, 2007... They don't want to be there. And you don't want them there. But right now when little Jimmy isn't feeling well, and the PCP is booked or closed, and mom and dad aren't sure if it's serious or not, the hospital is where your client's employees...

Online auctions: Benefit buying in cyberspace.(HighRoads uses software for online bidding of employee benefit plan )
January 1, 2007... It might be a quick comparison that comes to mind, but don't tell Brent Bannerman, the founder of the benefits technology firm HighRoads, that an online auction to buy benefits is just like eBay. "eBay only gives a specification of what a...

New year gives health brokers an opportunity to clean up their books.
January 1, 2007... Health and welfare advisers may be victims of a bull market. It's always in a growth mode, is how some describe the health benefits business. But that type of attitude has also caused many in the industry to become soft. Instead of ploughing...

Broker Roundtable: Direction lacking in consumer-driven health market.(Discussion)
January 1, 2007... The loudest buzz in benefits over the past six years has not necessarily translated into solid business growth for broker/consultants. More and more employers have implemented consumer-driven health plans, and some report real costs savings....

Critical Illness: Brokers and carriers agree its time for CI to come alive.
January 1, 2007... It is time for critical illness to awake from its coma. At least that's what everyone says. Yet despite the collective hope of the industry, the product has yet to fulfill expectations. Still, even the pessimists agree that the broader changes...

Critical Illness Source List.(health insurance industry profiles)(Company overview)(List)
January 1, 2007... AIG Domestic Accident & Health Division Platform: Group Policy max: $250,000 Policy pays: Per event, up to actual policy max Avg. policy size: $10,000 Avg. annual premium: $300-$400 voluntary plans; $200 for employer-paid...

DOL clarifies recurring HSA questions.
January 1, 2007... Recent guidance released from the Department of Labor addresses "recurring questions" about health savings account applications; Unfortunately, some of the conduct prohibited in the guidance is not uncommon market practice. DOL hopes Field...

Topics addressed in FAB 2006-02.
January 1, 2007... New Department of Labor guidance is divided into the following questions regarding HSAs, credit and ERISA issues. The questions the agency addresses are listed below. Full, detailed responses are available on the DOL's Web site, www.dol.gov....

America's trillion-dollar health system may be greenest of them all.
January 1, 2007... Presumptive presidential hopeful and democratic stalwart Hillary Rodham Clinton has promised to bring health care back. She might make it a platform issue for the 2008 race. Republicans seem prepared to do likewise. Massachusett's Governor Mitt...

Ones to watch: pharmaceutical benefits in 2007.(benefits for workers)
January 1, 2007... With the new year upon us several key trends in pharmaceutical benefits require attention. Below are snapshots of some of the important trends and innovations in the industry that will continue to evolve over the next few years, improving...

Jeff Johnson knows not to burn his bridges.(Jeff Johnson)(Johnson & Strachan)
January 1, 2007... Everyone is familiar with the adage: don't burn your bridges. For advisers that normally means when a piece of business walks out the door, try to make them smile one last time. It's a form of insurance, just in case the client decides they...

Dealmakers.
January 1, 2007... * Meritain acquires CBSA Performax. The combined health plan management services company will have 1,350 employees, 1,400 clients and more than one million members nationally. Meritain is a subsidiary of Prodigy Health Group. CBSA will operate...

Just Rewards.
January 1, 2007... * The Hartford teams with Coaches vs. Cancer. The Hartford gave the group $175,000 to support cancer research, education and advocacy. Coaches vs. Cancer is a charitable collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and...

Better questions help advisers unseat incumbents.
January 1, 2007... This month EBA's resident sales guru, Mel Schlesinger, talks about how advisers need to be careful they don't tip their hand with prospective clients by asking the wrong questions. Mel, I am stumped by this and hope that you can help....

Selling 401(k)s: How to capitalize on greed and fear.
January 1, 2007... There are two, and only two, reasons that a business owner will change a company's 401(k) provider: greed and fear. In concept, convincing a prospective client to switch 401(k) advisors is an unenviable task. There are nearly 500,000 401(k)...