Normally the challenge for benefits brokers is finding clients. But an unusual phenomenon for some has emerged. Establishing relationships with business owners and employers is no longer as much of a challenge as figuring out how to earn income while providing benefits.

With regulatory changes hitting rapid-fire, brokers are left wondering how they will be compensated. Consider three very different regulatory issues (current, future, and proposed) that affect how benefits are brokered to employers:

CURRENT: MLRs and health insurance: The health insurance arena is chaotic.  Even though the PPACA is barely a year old, many benefits brokers have seen their health insurance compensation plummet. In particular, medical loss ratio concerns have cut into both the market opportunity and compensation per case. Brokers have told me they've experienced a drop of more than 50 percent in their health insurance commissions. One long-time agent lamented, "I have plenty of businesses to talk to, but I'm not sure how I'll get paid."