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| Best Business Practices
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- Advice about fitting clients with annuities
Three "silver bullets" can help financial advisers educate clients about indexed annuities and prevent disappointments later, writes Joshua Anderson of Aaron Matthews Financial Resources. A company's rating is one of several characteristics to consider when purchasing an annuity, requiring advisers to educate clients "beyond the brochure," Anderson writes. He also recommends clearly explaining a product's terms, presenting all investment options and pinpointing what the client is trying to accomplish in order to determine whether an indexed annuity is appropriate. National Underwriter Life & Health
(1/29)
- Audit your way to a better social media strategy
Small businesses should use careful auditing to evaluate their customers' needs and their own capabilities when crafting their online marketing strategy, Beth Longware Duff writes. Audits are useful when embracing a new tool such as a social network but should also be conducted periodically to keep the brand's marketing strategy on track. "Internal and external audits should provide you with a list of actionable items that will help you achieve your business and personal goals," she writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media
(1/29)
| Industry Insight
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- Help young adults explore options after their parents' plans
Young adults who have stayed on a parent's health plan will need to explore other options once they reach the age of 26. Among the choices available are enrolling in an employer's or spouse's health plan, continuing coverage on the parent's plan for up to 36 months under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, and buying an individual plan. Medicaid is also available for people with limited incomes. Fox Business
(1/30)
| Market Trends
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- AHIP: Break down barriers to cutting health care costs
Regulatory and other barriers to reducing health care costs must be broken down to achieve real savings, AHIP president and CEO Karen Ignagni says. Tiering, or partnering with networks of care providers and giving consumers incentives to use those networks, has yielded significant results, but Medicare Advantage plans cannot set up tiered networks, Ignagni said. Some providers force health plans to sign contracts that forbid disclosure of certain information to consumers, creating another barrier to cost savings, Ignagni said. Insurers should also be allowed to offer wellness incentives for enrollees in individual plans, she said. Bloomberg BNA (free content)
(1/29)
- Report: HSAs, HRAs rose 43% last year
Health savings accounts combined with health care reimbursement arrangements increased from 2011 to 2012 by 43% to $17.8 billion, and the total number of accounts went up by 36%, according to the annual Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey. Average account balances increased by 4.3%, the survey found. Modern Healthcare (subscription required)
(1/30)
- Growth in annuities will be a trend this year, group says
Retirement-income industry trends to watch in 2013 include further innovation and growth for deferred-income annuities, new variable-annuity products and increased consumer demand for insured-retirement products as the U.S. population continues to age, the Insured Retirement Institute says. Other expected trends are continuing strong balance sheets for insurers and more private-equity firms joining the annuity market, the group says. National Underwriter Life & Health
(1/29)
| Health Insurance Plan Company News
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| AHIP News
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Don’t miss out on the early registration rates
Register now and save. Early registration ends Feb. 6. ACA implementation, affordability, benefit design, delivery system reforms, health exchanges – the list goes on and on. AHIP’s 2013 National Policy Forum is one-stop shopping for those seeking insights on the latest policy developments and trends shaping health care. Register now.
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The “Who’s Who” of health plans
“AIS's Directory of Health Plans: 2013” is a comprehensive resource that provides data and information on every health insurance company and primary care preferred provider network in the country as of year-end 2012. As a thorough and definitive tool, it lets you calculate health plan market share, gain insight on networks, enrollment data, risk data, contact information and more.
| SmartQuote
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 | Any workout which does not involve a certain minimum of danger or responsibility does not improve the body -- it just wears it out."
--Norman Mailer,
American writer
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| AHIP Solutions Team |
Managing Editor, Online Publishing:
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AHIP Agents and Brokers SmartBrief Issues:
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- Thursday, January 24, 2013
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