If you have a television, Internet access—or just a set of eyesand ears—you know we're in the middle of a contentious electionseason.

The presidential race has been an unusually wild roller-coasterride, and election stress is a common condition.

But for business owners and their employees, there's a specificconcern beyond rising blood pressure when the debates get heated:the uncertainty around the future of health care coverage.

While some experts suggest that much of the Affordable Care Act is likely to live onregardless of who wins the White House in November—the cost ofhealth coverage and the evolving legislative landscape remainstop-of-mind for many small and midsized businesses as they try togain an edge in an increasingly competitive environment.

In fact, a recent ADP study found that only a quarter ofmidsized businesses are confident they understand all of the newACA regulations and 34 percent of respondents rank the cost ofhealth care coverage as their top concern.

For businesses of all sizes, it has become increasinglydifficult to stay on top of health care-related businesschallenges—and that's where health benefits brokers come in.Courtney Simpkiss, ADP's vice president of broker strategy,explains, “Brokers face a growing demand from their clients toprovide recommendations on not just health insurance, but also theright technologies and expert insights to help manage compliancewith complex government regulations. We help our broker partnersstand out from competitors and deepen their client relationships byarming them with examples of ADP's integrated technology tools andexpert services so if the clients choose ADP, both the broker andADP are helping clients focus on recruiting the best talent anddriving growth.”

When it comes to providing strategic counsel to their clients,health benefits brokers need a trusted partner that can empowerthem to analyze and address their clients' most challengingquestions.

For example, when a client asks “Should we migrate towardconsumer-directed health plan strategies in advance of the 2020Excise Tax?” a savvy health benefits broker will explain that whileit can be done overnight, it's not recommended. It typically takesfour years to convert an employee population comfortably toconsumer-directed health.

Further, when their clients ask “What can I do to reduceadditional health plan participant charges?” a well-informed brokerwill likely recommend avoiding networks that are too narrow andplans that underpay for health care services.

For clients looking to negotiate the best insurance rates whilekeeping administrative costs stable, a good health benefits brokerwill align those clients with high-quality, plan-agnosticadministrative services.

While brokers can't alleviate their clients' election-relatedstress, they can help them more easily manage compliancechallenges.

By providing integrated human capital management (HCM)technology platforms and expert insights, ADP helps health benefitsbrokers to deliver more value—and more peace of mind—to theirmutual client as they navigate an evolving business and regulatoryenvironment.

For more information on how ADP partners with health benefitsbrokers to help them stand out and stay ahead of the competition,visit www.adp.com/brokers.