Broker Innovation Lab

The Broker Innovation Lab celebrates brokers and other benefits stakeholders who have embraced the changing marketplace to position themselves and their business for future success.

Profiles
Voices
Partners

How to set up your clients for enrollment success

Steven Johnson | September 17, 2018

The key is to make the benefits enrollment process simple, modern and personal for your clients and their employees. Here’s how.

How brokers can help employers in the face of high employment rates

Alex Tolbert | September 17, 2018

Helping employer clients expand benefits in the context of recruiting and retaining talent in the middle of a red-hot economic environment can present a valuable strategy for brokers looking to create agency growth.

2018 open enrollment trends: Staying ahead of the curve

Dr. Raffi Terzian, M.D. | September 10, 2018

With this year’s open enrollment just around the corner for most organizations, now is the time to think ahead.

3 reasons self-funding is a great option for smaller companies

Darick Bradford | September 10, 2018

Why are more small businesses offering self-funded health benefit plans? I see three big reasons.

How brokers can help employers understand auto-adjudication

Alex Tolbert | August 31, 2018

Making sure clients and prospects understand how auto-adjudication affects their costs can lead to more groups willing to pursue alternative strategies that provide more transparency.

Modified IDI policy offers: what is a broker to do?

Sue Schweitzer | August 31, 2018

An individual disability income application resulting in a modified offer is a fairly common occurrence and should not be feared.

3 ways millennials, Gen Z will pressure benefit costs

Michael Showalter | August 24, 2018

By integrating the same data sources used to comply and report on the ACA — HRIS, benefits and payroll — new insights can be gained.

What’s the good news, ladies? August edition

Susan L. Combs | August 24, 2018

I can’t believe that we are coming close to the “unofficial end” in a couple of weeks. Meeting some really fascinating women in our industry has been one of the highlights of my summer!

Factors shaping the benefits administration industry this fall

Alex Tolbert | August 20, 2018

As benefits administration providers vie for market share and brokers continue to make the move online to meet employer demand, these trends will continue to affect the benefits industry throughout the rest of the year and into 2019.

Direct primary care helps employers get more while paying less

James Blachek | August 17, 2018

Many businesses neglect not only the importance of primary care benefits, but also the creative solutions that can give their workers a better experience while saving the company money.

Load More 🔽

Wellness participation: How data drives engagement

Dinesh Sheth | August 13, 2018

To be successful, an employer must implement wellness programs by first developing a concrete strategy to drive and track employee engagement.

Social responsibility: worthy, but worthwhile?

Catherine Hernandez-Blades | August 09, 2018

Insurance professionals considering establishing CSR programs should know what the data has to say about CSR’s significance to consumers.

5 things your clients should reevaluate ahead of their renewal

James Blachek | August 06, 2018

Here are the five most important questions you and your clients should be asking ahead of renewal:

Open enrollment: 3 tips to win new business before

Alex Tolbert | August 06, 2018

Here are three steps brokers can take now to improve sales, grow the pipeline and win new business before the fourth quarter.

What do millennials think about benefits? I asked them

Jerry Cohen | July 25, 2018

A broker wanted to know what the young adults around him were really thinking. Here's what he found.

Tough questions & palliative care

Greer Myers | July 25, 2018

When brokers, benefits consultants and retirement advisors are armed with information about the financial challenges of advanced illness and how payers are implementing effective solutions, they can better serve their clients.

Well-being beyond health care – with Mark Donohue

David Saltzman | July 23, 2018

One of the benefits of moving from old-fashioned “wellness” programs to today’s well-being initiatives is the opportunity to include and address more of the issues employees are dealing with.

What’s the good news, ladies? Happy birthday to us!

Susan L. Combs | July 20, 2018

Here's to many more years of motivating stories from women around the country!

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.

Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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…
Broker Innovation Lab

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?
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

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!
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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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!
Broker Innovation Lab

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.

LOAD MORE

Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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…
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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,…
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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…
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

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.
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.
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
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…
Broker Innovation Lab

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…
Broker Innovation Lab

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.
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.

LOAD MORE

Retirement

McDonald’s warned by New York pension fund over chicken welfare

Deena Shanker | September 21, 2018

Treating animals humanely protects the company and investors—including institutional ones, letter points out.

Core and Group Health

Now comes the hard part for Cigna-Express Scripts: PBM reform

Max Nisen | September 21, 2018

This is a period of massive uncertainty for the PBM business, and Cigna is paying $54 billion for the pleasure of having to navigate it.

Core and Group Health

5 ways benefits educators can ease the open enrollment process

Gil Murdock | September 21, 2018

To deliver a more personal, empowering experience, organizations can look to benefits educators to supplement strapped HR teams.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Curbing specialty drug spending: Where to start?

Emily Payne | September 21, 2018

Pharma and specialty drugs are among the top targets of employers attempting to rein in their health care spending. But what's the best approach?

Core and Group Health

In a ranking of health care efficiency by country, can you guess where the U.S. falls?

Lee J Miller and Wei Lu | September 21, 2018

The U.S. had the second-highest per-capita spending on health care at $9,536, but we're not getting a whole lot for the price.

Voluntary Benefits

How employer support affects an employee's return to work after disability leave

Marlene Satter | September 21, 2018

Employers' handling of employees’ health conditions can negatively affect productivity, time out of office and overall employee experience. But it doesn't have to.

Compliance

3 FAQs about the NLRB's 'joint employer' rulemaking

Erin Mulvaney | September 21, 2018

The NLRB is beginning rulemaking on how to define relationships between companies, franchises, contractors and others.

Employer-Paid

5 industries with the worst retirement plans

BenefitsPRO Editors & Chris Nicholls, Eric Ryles | September 21, 2018

When it comes to 401(k)s and other retirement plans, not all industries are equal. In fact, some are pretty bad.

C-Suite

CalPERS ups pressure on companies over executive pay, harassment

Anders Melin | September 21, 2018

Among the companies receiving CalPERS's “Against” votes due to executive pay were Weight Watchers International and Tesla.

Retirement

Democrats tout lower price tag of multiemployer rescue bill

Nick Thornton | September 20, 2018

Butch Lewis Act tweaked—but exactly how is unclear.

Load More 🔽

Benefits Sales Strategies

Building a new normal, one step at a time

Paul Wilson | September 20, 2018

Attendees of the recent Q4Live conference in San Diego discussed realistic and actionable ways to address the quality and cost of their clients' benefits plans.

Retirement

Early Social Security claiming behavior can be changed, study says

Marlene Satter | September 20, 2018

Center for Retirement Research study suggests incentives might change practice of early Social Security claims.

Compliance

IBM sued for age discrimination

Gerrit De Vynck | September 20, 2018

A class-action lawsuit alleges that the company has fired more than 20,000 employees older than 40 in the last six years.

Consumer Driven Health Care

Heroin, tobacco and alcohol use all declining

Jack Craver | September 20, 2018

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has some promising statistics.

Core and Group Health

Hospital drug shortages send prices soaring

Robert Langreth | September 20, 2018

A new study quantifies a phenomenon among U.S. hospitals: mysterious jumps in the prices of vital medicines once those drugs become harder to find.

Core and Group Health

4.1 percent increase in health care benefit costs expected for 2019

Joel Kranc | September 20, 2018

What's more, numbers show that medical costs have actually declined from 6.5 percent to about 5.3 percent leading into 2019.

Core and Group Health

The best way for employers to help end the opioid crisis

Dave Chase | September 20, 2018

One of the most important pieces of leverage employers have in this fight against opioid addiction is their role as employee benefits purchasers.

Retirement

The media’s responsibility in the fiduciary debate – Carosa

Christopher Carosa | September 19, 2018

How the media reports the difference between 'sales' and 'advice' will help the public differentiate 2 business models.

Compliance

Preferred recordkeeper to state IRA plans says enrollment in Oregon better than expected

Nick Thornton | September 19, 2018

Ascensus has seen “limited evidence” of current sponsors moving to the state’s platform.

Core and Group Health

How to stay smart about the health care industry

Doug Dvorak | September 19, 2018

Health care is always changing and it's essential that brokers, employers and individuals stay up to date. But the question is, how do you do so?

Core and Group Health

Drugmaker AbbVie sued over alleged arthritis drug kickbacks

Robert Langreth | September 19, 2018

According to the state, AbbVie paid for registered nurses that it called ambassadors to help doctors with patients who were taking Humira.

Core and Group Health

New Medicare Advantage tool will lower prices, but also limit choice

Susan Jaffe | September 19, 2018

Under the new rules, private Medicare insurance plans could require patients to try cheaper drugs before moving on to more expensive options.

Voluntary Benefits

One year later: The influence of Equifax & other data breaches on corporate culture

Dale Dabbs | September 19, 2018

The 2017 Equifax breach was a wakeup call, and cybersecurity has now become part of the conversation for every business.

Core and Group Health

6 statistics highlighting the trends in employee health and wellness today

Emily Payne | September 19, 2018

Find out where employers are focusing their attention as they look to improve employee health and well-being.

Core and Group Health

Senate bill takes aim at surprise medical bills

Rachel Bluth, Kaiser Health News | September 19, 2018

The bipartisan proposal would protect patients from surprise bills and high charges from out-of-network hospitals or doctors.

Core and Group Health

Big Tech moving deeper into health care with latest Apple watch

Zachary Tracer, Spencer Soper, Gerrit De Vynck and Dina Bass | September 19, 2018

The business of keeping people well is a logical frontier for an army of tech giants looking to grow bigger.

Core and Group Health

A tool to reveal plan sponsor benefits spending

BenefitsPRO Editors | September 19, 2018

Judy Diamond Associates tackles the problem of modeled premiums with its latest update for the benefits industry.

Benefits Sales Strategies

What advisors and agents need to know about WARN notices

Bryce Sanders | September 19, 2018

Using the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications, a desire to help, and these 8 tips, you may find new opportunity.

Employer-Paid

Do strong 401(k) plans translate to company profitability?

Nick Thornton | September 18, 2018

A new T. Rowe Price study suggests a correlation between great retirement plan benefits and productive, profitable companies.

Core and Group Health

2019 Social Security COLA increase will be largest since 2011

Nick Thornton | September 18, 2018

Cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients depends on 2 important factors.

Core and Group Health

The path to health care redemption

Bret Brummitt | September 18, 2018

Belief that we can still be responsible consumers is perhaps the hardest task in today's health care market, but we must tackle it now.

Core and Group Health

Senate passes bill to combat opioid epidemic

Marlene Satter | September 18, 2018

The bill would encourage development of nonaddictive alternative painkillers, as well as crack down on current opioid distribution.

Retirement

10 findings on employee financial wellness

Marlene Satter | September 18, 2018

New Prudential Financial Wellness Census finds many don't know how poorly they’re doing when it comes to money.

HR Technology

By 2025, half of work tasks will be done by machines

Jeremy Kahn | September 18, 2018

A report suggests the effects of automation may vary substantially across industries, and predicted job losses to be heaviest in mining, consumer, and information technology companies.

Voluntary Benefits

Half of American workers lack life insurance

Marlene Satter | September 18, 2018

Not only do younger people overestimate what a life insurance premium might cost them, they’re far less likely to be covered than older generations.

Benefits Sales Strategies

Unique first impressions

BenefitsPRO Editors | September 18, 2018

We asked our readers what the most unique or creative thing they've done (planned or otherwise) that has left an impression on a prospect or client.

Core and Group Health

Drug rebate bubble: Will it burst?

Scott Vogel | September 18, 2018

A system without rebates would take years to implement and could certainly have a dramatic impact to PBM pricing as we know it today.

Core and Group Health

Primary care shortage affects 44 million Americans

Jack Craver | September 18, 2018

It's a problem will only get worse in the coming years, as the overall population increases--the older adult population in particular.

Defined Contribution

How ERISA affects 'top-hat' compensation plans

Greg Ash | September 18, 2018

Many mistakenly believe that top-hat plans are entirely exempt from ERISA’s requirements. With one increasingly rare exception, however, ERISA remains an important consideration in how these arrangements are structured.

Retirement

Fidelity, Vanguard have greatest name recognition among consumers

Marlene Satter | September 18, 2018

Shareholder Awareness Score has improved for Wells Fargo Funds, iShares (BlackRock), and American Century.

Core and Group Health

Cigna-Express Scripts deal cleared by DOJ

Zachary Tracer and David McLaughlin | September 17, 2018

Approval by the Justice Department smooths the way for the deal to wrap up by the end of the year.

Employer-Paid

NYC police and fire pensions invest $134M in exotic quant fund

Dani Burger | September 17, 2018

At first blush, it’s an odd pairing: The quant shop follows trends in hard-to-trade assets from European power to cryptocurrencies.

Voluntary Benefits

5 states where death is most unfair

Allison Bell | September 17, 2018

These states have the biggest gap between neighborhoods with the longest life expectancy at birth and the shortest.

How to set up your clients for enrollment success

Steven Johnson | September 17, 2018

The key is to make the benefits enrollment process simple, modern and personal for your clients and their employees. Here’s how.

How brokers can help employers in the face of high employment rates

Alex Tolbert | September 17, 2018

Helping employer clients expand benefits in the context of recruiting and retaining talent in the middle of a red-hot economic environment can present a valuable strategy for brokers looking to create agency growth.

Core and Group Health

Health care groups suing to nix short-term plan expansion

Marlene Satter | September 17, 2018

Seven industry and advocacy groups are challenging the new regulation on the grounds that it violates the intent of the ACA to make low-cost insurance available to Americans.

Health Care Reform

In Trump’s first year, uninsured rate held steady

Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News | September 17, 2018

An estimated 8.8 percent of the population, or about 28.5 million people, did not have health insurance coverage at any point in 2017.

Cost-Containment

Employees say they're more productive working at home

Marlene Satter | September 17, 2018

65 percent of respondents say that working at home would make them more productive, and they’ve got plenty of reasons why.

Practice Management

Always moving foward: A Q&A with Laura Frances

Paul Wilson | September 17, 2018

Benefits consultant Laura Frances embraces change and sees a bright future for the insurance industry and those working in it.

Core and Group Health

7 states where the obesity rate is 35 percent or higher

Marlene Satter | September 17, 2018

No state has seen a significant decrease in obesity over the past year, though the numbers are worse in some states than others.

LOAD MORE

Copyright © 2018 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved.