Employee Benefit Adviser articles from September 2007

Employee Benefit Adviser archives from September 2007

Making compensation clear to clients.
September 1, 2007... We have been a part of insurance industry history, sparking a change so revolutionary it changed the way the world's largest carriers and brokers do business. Some would argue it was a change long overdue. In late 2003, then New York State...

Data dump, not deprivation may be the problem for both advisers and employers.
September 1, 2007... Advisers regularly lament the fact that carriers are stingy with employer claims data. And while anecdotal teeth gnashing is wide spread, a sampling of industry data experts shows that the true issue may by the availability of information. Data...

The straight dope on data.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The original premise of this story was to follow up on an aggressive and successful broker's position that carriers don't make employee medical data available or don't make it user friendly, insulating themselves from competing carriers looking...

Midwestern brokers - worrying less - wonder when other carriers will catch up: Humana's step-by-step program to transition small employers to CDH.
September 1, 2007... Borrowing from a familiar Bobby McFerrin tune, Humana continues to encourage brokers and their small business clients to worry less and be happy more. The carrier's No Worry tiered product to introduce employers with between 51 to 100 employees...

To TPA or not to TPA, that is the question: Good plan service means advisers must review the calculus for working with or spurning their friendly neighborhood TPA.
September 1, 2007... Last month we reviewed the different service models available in the 401(k) market, this month we review the benefits and challenges of working with an independent, local third party administrator. Though there is no right or wrong decision,...

Fee debate reignites, critics charge too much info could antagonize participants: With Congress, courts and DOL all weighing in, the discussion is crowded and confusing. Are participant interests being served?
September 1, 2007... All eyes are on retirement plan fees as the Department of Labor readies for action on the subject. The addition of the DOL to the already crowded scrum of lawyers, empoyers and lawmakers wrangling over proper fee disclosure has some experts...

Generational segmentation continues to drive need for varied voluntary offerings:.
September 1, 2007... Employers are offering a broader range of voluntary products as a way to entice diverse job candidates and retain good workers. Financial counseling, legal services, pet insurance, cancer insurance, long-term care insurance and concierge...

Involuntarily tripping ERISA.
September 1, 2007... Despite the rapid growth of voluntary benefits, too few employers understand the compliance issues surrounding them. Are voluntary benefit plans governed by state or federal law? Does ERISA apply? In many cases, employers do not intend to...

Success comes naturally.
September 1, 2007... What makes a person one of the brightest lights in his industry? Many times it's the success of that person's business. Other times it's a person's integrity, their professionalism interacting with peers and clients. Often it's the innovative...

HRH continues summer buying spree, other nationals ink deals: Hilb, Hub, Gallagher, Alliant and MetLife all announce summertime deals; private equity continues push into insurance brokerage as well.
September 1, 2007... Hilb Rogal and Hobbs' summertime buying binge continues as the mega-broker readied to acquire Overland Park, Kan.-based The Resource Group in August. This deal follows on the heels of HRH's pair of July pick-ups, where the eighth largest...

Ideas are cheap, hard work isn't.(Column)
September 1, 2007... There is a column in the magazine of our local Sunday paper about average folks starting small businesses. The tales of people quitting their day jobs to chase dreams are familiar. A recent entry detailed how some worldly professionals started...

Getting the message across: You may not be a wellness expert, but you can help deliver expert communications.
September 1, 2007... Wellness programs are continuing to grow in popularity - as a method of curbing rising health care costs and as a feature to compliment newly adopted consumer-driven health plans. Now, advisers, the people known for analyzing hard numbers and...

A recipe for wellness communications that work...(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Workscape's "7 Steps to a Healthier Wellness Program" white paper (available at workscape.com) provides tips for advisers who are taking a hands-on approach to wellness implementation or for advisers trying to compare communication techniques...

Bulls best Bears: HSA naysayers are easy to find, but a review of the latest research on the market shows they might be speaking out of turn.
September 1, 2007... Hunting for HSA bears is easy. Troll any expo hall and you'll find them. They're not hiding. Their cries are numerous and familiar: The law of small numbers says if account numbers and participants are not exploding in these early years...

Stick therapy: Experts question tough health and wellness tactics.
September 1, 2007... Most would say the choice of sweet versus sour is a personal preference. But when the analogy extends to the saying, "you get more flies with honey than with vinegar," almost all would agree. Indianapolis-based health care Clarian Health...

Put Jack on your friends' list: Financial literacy firm brings 401(k) education to YouTube, MySpace.
September 1, 2007... Meet Jack. He's a single, 23-year-old, Aires with an athletic build. Jack is interested in networking with others, but not having kids, according to his MySpace profile. Jack is also starting to plan for retirement. Oh, and Jack is a...

Final review of merger tactics might make your next deal your best deal.
September 1, 2007... As summer fades away benefit advisers are gearing up for the most hectic part of the year. While most of you are looking ahead to this busy season, we also think it's a good time to look back. Over the last several months this multi-part...

West coast newbie says its equity offer will woo producing talent: New private-equity backed agency focused on California says its offer of significant and immediate equity ownership will help it build powerful producer ranks.
September 1, 2007... Another trio of industry vets teaming to launch a brokerage may not make industry watchers blink, but the newly minted Edgewood Partners Insurance Center's decision to juice the familiar producer compensation equation could. Dan Francis...

Brokers don't make good CDH scapegoats.
September 1, 2007... Readers responded to a variety of coverage recently. First up, an adviser shares his personal struggles with communicating the benefits of CDH products. (Letters are edited for content and clarity.) I just got done sending a screed to a...