Broker Innovation Lab

Who are benefits for, anyway?

Kimberly Landry | July 12, 2018

With many Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, U.S. employees have a significant need for financial protection products to secure their income…

3 tips for helping clients with short-term plans

Alex Tolbert | July 12, 2018

Even if you don’t plan to make short-term plans a core component of your strategy, you can prepare now to give good advice to key clients with whom you have an important relationship.

Perfect match: accident insurance and health coverage

David Polen | July 09, 2018

Help your clients marry up this important voluntary protection with their employee medical plan.

3 things your clients should be telling employees about HSAs

Chad Schneider | July 02, 2018

HSAs give employees a way to pay for current and future medical expenses, and every dollar they save in their HSA saves your clients money on payroll taxes.

7 key takeaways from NAHU's 2018 National Convention

Neil Kennish | June 29, 2018

In this article, I’m sharing our team’s top seven takeaways from this year’s NAHU convention.

What’s the good news, ladies?  Summer lovin’ edition

Susan L. Combs | June 22, 2018

Hoping to inspire you all by rounding out the first half of the year with some incredible stories from some of my new and “old” friends.

How better technology improves employees’ health care experience

James Blachek | June 21, 2018

Implementing telehealth services into plan benefits can not only give employees a more convenient health care option, but also provide a boost for your client’s business.

Innovative telehealth services bridge gaps in care

James B. Levasseur | June 18, 2018

The physician shortage has prompted a growing number of brokers, employers and HR professionals to take a serious look at telehealth, the remote delivery of health care services and clinical information using the internet, wireless, satellite and telephone media.

3 broker tips for communicating with a multi-generational workforce

Rob Carnaroli | June 13, 2018

Below are a few of my favorite strategies to bridge the age gap and maintain strong relationships, no matter the client’s generation.

Voices

Dental and vision trends focus on preventive health

Mike Estep | June 11, 2018

Given the positive impact that preventive care can have on oral and eye health, brokers and consultants should encourage employers to consider the following steps.

Practice Management

Education, communication and collaboration

Kevin Trokey | June 08, 2018

We are on the cusp of addressing one of the most challenging issues facing our country and economy today.

Voices

3 ways health insurers can win over millennial business owners

Sally Poblete | June 08, 2018

The millennial generation — which generally refers to individuals born between 1980-1996 — continues to fascinate businesses. Millennials are now the…

Voices

Recruiting college grads? Focus on the 401(k)

Alex Tolbert | June 01, 2018

Why a 401(k) option is a valuable part of a competitive recruitment strategy for your clients, especially for groups trying to attract younger workers.

Voices

How do millennials make benefits enrollment decisions?

Jennifer Beck | May 31, 2018

What exactly do millennials want from their benefits? And how do they go about deciding which benefits to choose? The results of a new study may surprise you.

Profiles

Lessons from auto insurance for health insurance

Sally Poblete | May 25, 2018

Three lessons health insurance incumbents can learn from the auto insurance industry to better meet customer expectations, boost sales, and ensure long-term competitiveness.

Voices

3 steps to cross-sell voluntary benefits

Nash Skiles | May 25, 2018

Why aren’t brokers cross-selling these benefits? It comes down to a lack of understanding and a fear of voluntary.

| Commentary

Beauty in the pain

Latrica Schooley | May 16, 2018

Plan design is the answer; it is an upward climb, it is not an easy path, it requires an expert with experience, it is not going to be an instant fix, and the climb to the top may require training and muscle memory, but it is beautiful.

Profiles

5 questions to ask when considering an accountable care strategy

Eric Parmenter | May 16, 2018

An employer checklist to understand, navigate and build a plan for value-based care.

Profiles

What’s the good news, ladies? Birthday edition

Susan L. Combs | May 10, 2018

Who’s enjoying spring?  I know it took many of us a long time to get there. Here in NYC, it seemed like we went straight to summer last week!  I’m…

Voices

Reference-based pricing: where do carriers go from here?

Alex Tolbert | May 10, 2018

  Back in 2015, the big topic in health care was insurance company consolidation. This was the year Anthem announced plans to acquire Cigna,…

Voices

AI: the new guy on the health care team

Doug Dvorak | May 07, 2018

How will this new player change the game? Keep reading to find out how AI will hit some big home runs for the health care industry.

Profiles

Three reasons to integrate HR into benefits tech

Rebekah Michel | May 07, 2018

Some brokers may be wondering, what’s the benefit of integrating HR into benefits software?

Utilization or price: Which is the bigger healthcare problem?

Alex Tolbert | April 30, 2018

Health care spending has skyrocketed in the U.S. over the last three decades, and continues to take up a larger and larger share of the nation’s GDP,…

Voices

Lessons learned during my week at BenefitsPRO Broker Expo

Bret Brummitt | April 30, 2018

I was recently given the fantastic opportunity to participate in two outstanding panels and share center stage with some of our most decorated peers in…

Benefits Sales Strategies

Developing strategic benefits will help your clients win

Anita Potter | April 23, 2018

With a strategic benefits plan, brokers can help employers better attract emerging generations of the workforce.

Benefits Sales Strategies

How busy brokers can leverage social media

Daniel Williams | April 23, 2018

Social media marketing has evolved. It’s no longer about web traffic and direct sales. The real value today is with engagement.

Benefits Sales Strategies

The power of 'coopetition'

Curtis Colbert | April 11, 2018

I recently attended the Ascend Conference in Nashville and Q4Live in Tampa and was pleasantly surprised to find an enormous amount of collaboration and discussion among industry leaders who were freely giving away their special sauce.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Overcoming 3 common employer objections to reference-based pricing

Alex Tolbert | April 11, 2018

Reference-based pricing plans can result in significant savings, but there are a few common concerns employers have when they first hear about self-insuring and reference-based pricing.

Benefits Sales Strategies

What’s the good news, ladies? April edition

Susan L. Combs | April 09, 2018

This month, I’m very excited to introduce you to my new friends, Megan, Deborah and Lucila!

Benefits Sales Strategies

Why I’m leaving a hospital-owned PCP

Rachel Miner | April 06, 2018

It’s exciting for me. I get to practice what I preach. Better care; better outcomes.

Voices

3 approaches to reference-based pricing

Alex Tolbert | March 30, 2018

There are multiple strategies for employers to implement cost containment concepts in their self-funded plans. Here are a few of the approaches we’ve seen self-funding vendors use.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Tackling the health care ‘tapeworm’

Alex Tolbert | March 26, 2018

Prices keep rising, but value in the traditional fully-funded health plan seems to be shrinking, and the Affordable Care Act is one reason why.

Voluntary Benefits

CI insurance doesn’t have to be critical

Christin Kuretich | March 26, 2018

Critical illness insurance was born due to the soaring medical bills people found themselves shackled with after surviving a critical health event, such…

Consumer Driven Health Care

Lowering health care costs: There's a better way

Suzy K. Johnson | March 16, 2018

Ongoing shifts have motivated many expert advisors, thought leaders, and health care entrepreneurs to seek better ways to deliver health care to employees, with the goal of reducing costs for the employer and the employee while improving care delivery and outcomes.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Direct primary care 101

Alex Lickerman, M.D. | March 16, 2018

Direct primary care physicians are able to achieve better access to medical care, better quality of care, and lower overall health care costs because they can offer their patients both immediate access and more time.

Voices

5 tips on promoting a culture of health

Brian Latkowski | March 12, 2018

OK, I’ll admit that promoting a culture of health within the workforce is not exactly like pressing the “easy button.” But there are solutions which…

Profiles

What’s the good news, ladies? March Madness edition

Susan L. Combs | March 12, 2018

These women are doing fantastic things in the industry and I’m very happy to have them be part of the WTGNL Crew!

Voices

5 technology trends every broker needs to know about

Sally Poblete | March 02, 2018

Here are the top trends and innovations we believe will shape insurance brokerage business in 2018.

Profiles

Two opportunities created by association health plans

Alex Tolbert | March 01, 2018

The new regulations around association health plans create two distinct opportunities in the benefits industry.

Core and Group Health

Welcome to the newly redesigned BenefitsPRO website

Paul Wilson | February 28, 2018

Take a look at our newly redesigned BenefitsPRO.com website. We're excited about it and hope you will be too.

Benefits Sales Strategies

Innovation overload?

Bob Cummings | February 22, 2018

Has there been too much hype in the insurance industry surrounding emerging technologies?

Consumer Driven Health Care

The evolution of cancer insurance

Stephanie Shields | February 21, 2018

Cancer insurance is evolving to help meet the needs of modern-day patients and their families.

Benefits Sales Strategies

ACA is here to stay — and that’s good news for brokers

Alex Tolbert | February 16, 2018

Despite its challenges, the ACA has created some big opportunities for this industry, especially for brokers working with small and mid-sized employers.

Benefits Sales Strategies

8 things to know about telehealth this year

Dan Trencher | February 15, 2018

Read on, for eight predictions for virtual care delivery in 2018.

Core and Group Health

Up-and-coming brokers and carriers: Where's the connection?

Ron Neyer | February 12, 2018

Most carriers in the workplace benefits space are looking to establish relationships with new brokers. While they have compelling reasons for leaning on their tenured advisors (especially those generating significant production), they need to find future revenue sources in order to ensure long-term success.

Core and Group Health

What’s the good news, ladies? Feel the love

Susan L. Combs | February 08, 2018

These women were all introduced to me by a fan of this series, Eric Silverman! Eric is a great advocate for our industry and for women in our industry, so I love the extra support he has been providing to this column by making great recommendations for some incredible...

Benefits Sales Strategies

The bright future of non-traditional benefits

Amy Christofis | February 05, 2018

Employees are working longer hours than ever before, which has led to an increase in mental burnout, pushing employees to switch jobs more frequently -- that's where non-traditional benefits can play a key role.

Voluntary Benefits

5 predictions for consumer-driven health care in 2018

Steve Auerbach | February 05, 2018

We have identified five trends for consumer-driven healthcare (CDH) that are sure to be at the forefront of the conversation in 2018.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Keep an eye on these 5 benefits trends in 2018

Gerry Leonard | January 29, 2018

Which trends will dominate and continue to define the benefits landscape in 2018? Here are few hot topics to watch in the new year.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Technology puts health care in patient’s hands, creates community

David Saltzman | January 29, 2018

Aging baby boomers who insist on remaining at home even while they manage chronic conditions, combined with a shortage of 90,000 physicians is combining to drive technology to fill the gaps. Learn about the latest and greatest on this episode.