Kaiser Wants Your Opinion: Annual Survey of Brokers Now OPEN

July 20, 2022 Linda Lalande

Read the latest INSIDER NEWS

Annual Kaiser Foundation survey of health insurance brokers in all state Marketplaces is NOW underway

Your insights can yield important lessons for policymakers and stakeholders. Take it right away to register your opinion.
Access the survey here  If prompted, enter the following ID PD4S84SQ

A report summarizing findings  will be published this summer on the Foundation’s web site, All responses will be kept confidential. No identifying information about you will be released or cited in our public report.  Questions? contact Karen Pollitz at KarenP@kff.org.

HONORS

 

Advanced Benefit Consulting & Insurance Services Named Frontrunner by HR Tech Outlook

“My little company was named in the Top 10 Employee Benefit Companies for 2022 by a national HR magazine, HR Tech Outlook…we were selected as the Frontrunner and put on the cover! I’m shocked – and smiling!”   

Dorothy M. Cociu, RHU, REBC, GBA, RPA, President, Advanced Benefit Consulting & Insurance Services, Inc. advancedbenefitconsulting.com

Read more here..  

Way to go, Dorothy! Well deserved.
Dorothy is an continuing contributor to CalBroker Magazine.

 

ECONOMY

Looking to sell your agency? Buy another? You’re not alone
M&A Boom in Insurance Agencies: 4th Most Active EVER

There were 427 announced insurance agency mergers and acquisitions during the first half of 2022, up 16% from 369 for the same period in 2021, according to OPTIS Partners’ M&A database. The pace in the first six months of 2022 is 13% above the previous first-half five-year average, a period regarded as the most active M&A market ever. Following the typical first-quarter lull, the second quarter of 2022 shot up 20% in volume to become the fourth-most-active quarter of all time. Read more.

BENEFIT PLANS

Build economic diversity into benefit plans
Recognizing that some can’t afford to enroll in benefits and connecting them with local and community resources can be the first steps toward health equity.

There’s a whole contingent of people who need your help — working people who can’t afford the group medical plan, even when the employer is paying for most of the premium. They live paycheck to paycheck and are eligible for Medicaid, but they don’t know this. They are working, but don’t know about the free clinic around the corner. They are working, and they need help. This is what it means to truly address financial inclusion and economic diversity inside employer-provided benefit plan designs. 

It’s a challenging post-pandemic world, and a benefit advisers role is to make sure we help the U.S. companies struggling to find help attract and retain ALL positions, not just those who can afford to elect the benefit offerings. Find out more here. 

No Magic Bullet: Will bonuses and benefits be enough to tackle healthcare’s workforce shortages?
We’ve all heard nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers are in short supply — pandemic stress drove many to retire or change industries. And can we blame them? Labor, staffing and benefits experts said there’s no “magic bullet” of benefits or bonuses that will solve retention issues. The healing can begin with a focus on safety, culture change and scheduling. Read more at fiercehealthcare.com

Brokers can help break the bad habits from the pandemic that can (and need to) be broken
Too much of what today is called healthcare is actually “sick care” — it treats disease after it’s appeared, rather than preventing it. Benefit advisors can help create a better solution going forward — for employees, employers, and ultimately even government payers. Help build a new paradigm of habit-based treatment. Read more

LONG-TERM CARE

Guiding clients to get LTC coverage? Be aware – nearly half over 70 are being declined
Nearly half who apply for traditional long-term care insurance after age 70 are declined, according to Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (aaltici.org). He notes there are linked-benefit and short-term care policies that will accept older applicants. Best time to apply? Between ages 55 and 65, before Medicare kicks in with more medical claims, etc. The data comes from the just released 2022 Milliman LTC Survey. Read more

Get serious with clients about long-term care insurance
It’s no joke — aging is RISKY … someone turning 65 has a 70% chance of needing long-term care at some point in their lives. This, according to Eric Rosenbloom in a recent opinion piece in www.financial-planning.com. Rosenbloom tackles the question: How do Americans pay for extended care without depleting the savings and income flow meant to see them through the remainder of their lives. One solution: HSA account with the required high-deductible health insurance plan. The facts: A 65-year-old couple retiring in 2022 can expect to spend on average $315,000 on health care and medical expenses throughout retirement — this according to a May 2022 report by Fidelity Investments. But that daunting figure fails to take into account the cost for long-term care which could cost another $225,000 or more per person. 

LEGISLATION

Public Health Tax Dead for the Year
A ballot measure that would have taxed California millionaires to boost public health funding will not be on the November ballot. But the tech titans who bankrolled the effort say they are negotiating with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration to get more money without imposing new taxes. Read more. 

NAHU Releases Summer 2022 Talking Points Ahead of August RecessW
Work with your local chapter on scheduling meetings with lawmakers during this time. NAHU’s talking points for this summer are focused on the issue of employer reporting and in support of the… Read More

MEDICARE

Comment Letter Submitted by NAHU to CMS Regarding Medicare Marketing Final Rule
Earlier this week, NAHU submitted comments to CMS reiterating our concerns with these new requirements as well as offering potential solutions to the issue. Read More

Could Shark Tank Star’s new company lower Medicare drug costs??
Mark Cuban‘s CostPlus Drugs Company is grabbing attention for its transparent cost structure and low prices, and a recent study found that its model could generate substantial savings for the Medicare program. However, the numbers aren’t telling the whole story. Read the story

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

What leaders should know: Topics from Stanford Social Innovation Review

The article features an excerpt from The Double Bottom Line on how compassionate leadership integrates empathy with the critical element of action:

“We’ve been living in unprecedented times. As a result of the pandemic and political and social upheaval, trends that were emerging have quickly accelerated: a move toward remote work and flexible hours, the need for greater adaptability that allows businesses to pivot quickly in changing conditions, and leadership that prioritizes workers’ humanity.”

What, above all else, drives leaders to direct or redirect their lives, to tackle seemingly intractable problems, and to stay true to their values in the face of enormous challenges? … So, we asked ourselves: What do all of these leaders share? …  After reflecting on the journeys of these individuals, we believe we have found the common thread: moral courage.

The deep connection, meaning, and joy leaders of color draw on from their respective cultures and communities transcend experiences of oppression or marginalization, says authors Darren Isom, Cora Daniels & Britt Savage at SSIR. The article is “not suggesting that Black leaders, and leaders of color more broadly, are inherently better than their white counterparts. Nor are we suggesting that people of color inherently lead differently by virtue of being born a certain race or ethnicity. Rather, the ways people of color have experienced the world up to this point can affect how they lead.” 

Take away: these leaders demonstrate a powerful leadership model all can benefit from.  

EVENTS

  • IEAHU, OCAHU & SDAHU Senior Summit, Aug 23-25, Pechanga resort and c
    asino, Temecula, Calif.     Register. More info here.

Webinars on Demand

Nonstop Wellness Webinars & Guides
Nonstop supplies resources to help your organization thrive. Explore expert insights, tips, tools, and articles created to help your organization navigate the healthcare landscape. Info here.

Understanding Your Client’s Financial Psychology
FREE Master Class in financial psychology taught by Dr. Charles Chaffin (author of “Numb”). Approved for 1 hour CEU by the CFP Board. WHEN: Available now! WHERE: Click here to register

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