Industry News

CDI Transitions Online Licensing Service to a New Provider

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) is moving their online licensing services to Sircon, powered by Vertafore. Starting August 19, 2019, individuals and business entities will use Sircon for ...

HSA Balances Affect Health Care Spending

Employees with larger balances may be viewing their HSAs as free money for current health care without realizing that they can save their HSA balances for retirement expenses, according to Paul Fronst...

The Most Popular Ways to Control Health Care Costs

Employers are using creative ways to control health care costs, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEB) “Telemedicine stands out as the fastest growing h...

Utilization Reward Programs Gain Ground as a Cost-Saving Strategy

Employers are increasingly turning to financial reward programs that encourage the choice of lower-cost providers, according to Christopher Whaley, lead author of a recent study by RAND Corporation. “...

Premium Only Plans – Small Expense, Big Benefits

by Tiffany Gorrell Taxes. Did that word give you a little shudder? Maybe you cringed a little when you read it. The word on its own tends to bring about a strong, visceral reaction in most people. ...

Cross-selling Ancillary Products

We find that the focus tends to shift toward new business growth in early spring, because this is a calmer time of year for many brokers. This is the perfect opportunity to explore ways to enrich the...

The Most Popular Ways to Control Health Care Costs

Employers are using creative ways to control health care costs, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEB) "Telemedicine stands out as the fastest growing h...

Ebix Enhances HealthConnect Quoting

Ebix introduced two enhancements to its online quoting system. First, plan names are now linked in the ACA Medical Plan Employee Worksheet as well as in medical side-by-side reports. Simply click on t...

Employee Benefit Planning Association (EBPA) Summit

The recent Employee Benefit Planning Association (EBPA) Summit in Los Angeles highlighted industry trends to watch in 2019. Attorney Marilyn Monahan of the Monahan Law Office in Marina Del Ray discus...

Employees Drastically Underestimate the Value of Their Benefits

Comparability.com is a somewhat addictive website that asks online users to answer questions about their workplace. In one survey, employees estimate the value of their benefits including “healthcare,...

Prescription Drugs Are a Significant Factor in Higher Premiums

Prescription drug costs are a major contributor to driving up health plan premiums according to a recent report by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). Health plans paid nearly $8....

Benefit Trends for Part-Time Employees

With flexible work arrangements on the rise, more employers are considering benefits for part-time employees. Seventy-nine percent of employers surveyed by the International Foundation of Employee Ben...