BY DAVID BOTTOMS, REBC, RHU, CLU, CHFCSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BENEFITS As premiums for fully-insured small group medical coverage continue to increase due to the Affordable Care Act’s community rating rules, small business owners looking for competitively priced alternative approaches to health care coverage owe it to themselves to explore “level funded plans” based on a self-funded coverage platform. In short, the ACA rules pertaining to coverage and pricing in the small group market are distinctly different for plans on a fully-insured contract platform and those on a self-funded contract platform. Prior to the passage of the ACA, small employers

BY DAVID BOTTOMS, REBC, RHU, CLU, CHFCSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BENEFITS With the American Healthcare Act (AHCA) continuing to slog its way through Congress and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) still the law of the land, Americans are looking toward the Fall open enrollment season with a mixture of dread and confusion. The good news that whatever Congress does (or doesn’t do) shouldn’t have much impact on the 150+ million Americans who receive health insurance coverage from their employers.  However, for the roughly 20 million Americans who have to secure their own individual health insurance coverage, Congress’ actions in the

BY DAVID BOTTOMS, REBC, RHU, CLU, CHFCSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BENEFITS In the insurance industry it is often said that “in the absence of information, an underwriter’s mind is filled with negative thought.”  As we approach 2018, there is a lot of very negative thought swirling in the minds of health insurance underwriters in light of the continuing uncertainty generated by Congress’ inability to coalesce around any seemingly workable solution on healthcare. For several months, clarion calls have gone out from industry observers regarding the importance of swift action by Congress to stabilize the insurance markets, particularly the individual health

BY DAVID BOTTOMS, REBC, RHU, CLU, CHFCSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BENEFITS With the labor market tight and the individual health insurance market disintegrating, it is more important than ever before for employers to calibrate their employee benefit plan to ensure competitiveness both with respect to plan design and premium cost. And perhaps more important than the plan itself is an awareness of how to communicate the benefit program to current and potential employees to ensure an awareness (and eventual appreciation) of the significance of the employer-provided benefit plan in contrast the options in the rest of the market, particularly the

BY DAVID BOTTOMS, REBC, RHU, CLU, CHFCSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BENEFITS If you asked most Americans to name their most valuable asset, many would be quick to reference their homes, their cars or perhaps their bank account balance. While it makes intuitive sense to reference a tangible item of value in response to the question, most would agree after prompting that our ability to earn an income is in fact our most valuable, long-term asset. Accordingly, one would think that Americans would be as vigilant about insuring their ability to earn an income as they are about insuring their homes,