Employee Benefit Adviser articles from March 2003

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from March 2003

A magazine to call your own.
March 1, 2003... Long gone are the days when benefit programs were inexpensive, the menu of provider options was limited, and employees were grateful for whatever their employers chose to sponsor. In this transition to the industry as we know it today,...

NAPES seminar coverage LTCI success requires careful product positioning.(long-term care insurance)
March 1, 2003... Growing acceptance and awareness of the need for long-term care insurance among both plan sponsors and individuals could finally unleash the products' sales potential - assuming brokers know how to effectively position it. Unfortunately,...

Plan advisers must surmount HIPAA hype, reality.
March 1, 2003... HIPAA. Just the acronym sends many benefit professionals into a cold sweat. Endless media attention, countless seminars, and a great deal of not-always helpful advice have been given on this mandate that "the privacy of individuals be respected...

Brokers expect commission reductions to continue.
March 1, 2003... Some brokers say that insurance carriers already are following the example of Kaiser Permanente of Northern California and slashing broker commissions in order to save employers money on their premiums. "It's currently happening, and I...

Research finds bright future for employee-paid benefits.
March 1, 2003... After a decade of stagnant sales, worksite insurance products face a rosier outlook as cash-strapped employers look for ways to offer new employee benefits without paying for them, according to a new report. Plagued by double-digit health...

Carriers come a-courting: Vendors show brokers some love as they try to shore up their benefits business.
March 1, 2003... Valentine's Day is well past past, but the romance between benefit product vendors and brokers is heating up. Brokers report increased wooing by carriers looking to navigate the increasingly complicated health care field, grab a piece of...

How many new clients do you need this year?
March 1, 2003... Could you use an idea or two for helping you land that next big account? What if the answers to three "magic" questions could assist you in closing almost every sale? If you're willing to pose just three questions to close your sale, then...

Advisers skeptical of pooled purchasing plans.
March 1, 2003... Association health plans (AHPs) are back on the agenda in Washington, but benefit advisers remain uncertain over how welcome a development the buying groups would be. A bill sponsored by more than 75 members of the House of Representatives...

Opportunities for producers outlined at JHA seminar.
March 1, 2003... Benefit producers have a substantial opportunity to help employers manage the impact of employee absences and adjust their insurance coverage accordingly. That was just one of the many research findings, insights and topics of discussion...

Technology defrosts cold-calling methods.(Eastbridge Consulting Group)
March 1, 2003... As competition heats up, improvements in technology are leaving old-fashioned methods of lead-gathering out in the cold. In the past, notes Bonnie Brazzell, vice president of worksite marketing for Eastbridge Consulting Group, brokers might...

Dealmakers.(Sheppard Riley Coughlin Insurance Agency)(Security General Life Insurance Co.,)(Horton Group)(CFS Insurance Agency)
March 1, 2003... A rundown on recent acquisitions, strategic partnerships and other deals among benefit advisers. Richmond, Va.-based benefits brokerage Hilb, Rogal and Hamilton Co. announced that it has acquired all the assets of Sheppard Riley Coughlin...

BenefitNews.com Adviser.
March 1, 2003... Small firms underestimate disability needs, risk Research says small employers (5 to 100 employees) severely miscalculate the chances an employee age 35 to 65 will become disabled, and thus need to be educated on the importance of...

BenefitNews.com Connect.
March 1, 2003... 401(k) investors stay with equity funds The lagging stock market hasn't turned investors away from equity investments, according to new research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). In a five-year examination of 401(k)...