HRA Approach

[somarco]

There will be a segment of young people that may not use us directly but if you have an online portal you could pick up new clients.

I have 20-somethings that can't complete an online dental app. Had one that started it back in Nov then called last week wanting to know why she hadn't received her policy.

Well, you never completed and submitted it.

Got an email later saying it was done.

Today she called again.

Nope, you still have not submitted it.

Yeah, this exchange thing is going to work out just fine.

 

[insurehound]

Maybe, maybe not. There will come a time when people will become accustomed to buying their insurance online without an agent. But who really knows. ABC and Ann bring up good points. Some will want our help and others won't. Your going to see a shift in your client base. You'll lose some and gain some.

But from a big picture standpoint, I think once adoption rates are fairly high, you will see the evil agent take a hit. Or if Single Payer comes into being (which I believe we are heading for), we will be done. Just my opinion.

BTW, where is the training on the new and complex Exchange process? Man, this should be a wild year. At least the people doing the reading now will have a leg up on others but can you imagine all of the details that will fall through the cracks in a complicated system like Obamacare?

 

[VolAgent]

I'm with Bob on all this. Everyone is grossly overestimating the average person's ability to follow simple instructions. The younger the person is, the harder it seems for them to follow instructions.

They'll need you guys to buy health insurance so it get submitted if nothing else.

 

[somarco]

Consider most folks have never bought health insurance. Do you think they will suddenly become "fluent" just because Alibama has created this marvelous exchange?

 

[Ann H]

I figure that about 10% will know enough about health insurance, taxes, subsidies and online applications to buy it themselves. Another 15% will think they know that much and will screw it up.

The rest will need & want help. But of the 75% that need & want help, will they know where to turn? Some will certainly know they can call an agent. Others may struggle with the website or 1-800 numbers, they might turn to a navigator, they will most likely google for help, and they may find an agent. Our key is to put ourselves in their search path, so that they know to turn to us.

As for people who think they know a lot but screw it up, I will never forget attending a meeting years ago, where a hot-shot got in front of a crowd not too many years after the Hillarycare debacle, and proclaimed that we agents were a dying breed, following travel agents to the city dump of occupations. He had purchased his own health insurance, by doing his own comparisons, without the help of an independent agent. He had selected a plan for small businessmen, like himself, and it was a stellar deal. After he spoke, an experienced agent took the podium next, began his speech, then turned to the hot-shot speaker who was leaving the stage. He asked, "Sir, if I may ask, what health insurance plan did you choose?" The hotshot speaker bounded back to the microphone and proudly announced, "NASE, the National Association of the Self Employed!" The roar of laughter from the crowd was immense.

 

[insurehound]

The key, as Ann points out, is getting our name out there so people can find us. But here's the problem. Will your marketing budget match the Exchange's budget? Probably not and you bet they will be marketing hard for those people to come directly to the Exchange.

 

[somarco]

My marketing budget is slightly less than carriers and eHealth, but I still get traffic.

The issue is getting your website HHS approved so you can actually talk to folks.

 

[Norwayguy]

Anyone know if since they are looking at a Medicare like enrollment period if they will also have an annual Ahip and other compliance requirements just to be authorized to sell?

 

[Zane Benefits]

I'm not sure if any one posted this already, but I thought this might clarify things in Indiana.

On March 29, 2011, the State of Indiana passed HB 1486 which modifies the states small group health insurance law and removes confusion associated with tax free reimbursements of individual health plans. This Bill further encourages small employers to use (HRAs) to fund tax-free employee health benefits.

Effectively, this bill gives small employers more leeway in setting up an HRA to reimburse individual premiums, and allows individual policies to be sold at the workplace by insurance brokers.

Small employers should continue to use an IRS, HIPAA, and ERISA-compliant platform to offer defined contribution health plans and HRAs that reimburse for premiums.


Source : zanebenefits.com/blog/bid/97157/

 

[mcleanbr]

I just saw online that the latest guidance from the government is telling us that the HRA for Individual Plan premiums is not allowed. Am I reading this right?