I'm not usually a take-charge person, at least when it comes to my own ambitions. I oft go with the doom and gloom route (um, totally works by the way), as it usually saves me from facing fears of rejection or failure.
But thanks to my friend Brian Hicks—whom I heard speak yesterday as part of the Colorado State Association of Health Underwriters annual symposium—I realize that's unacceptable.
Though a safe approach makes life easy (and boring), it also never shows us what we're capable of doing.
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At the conference, I heard from a lot of brokers about what's going on in the industry. And the one big certainty they all agreed on was, well, uncertainty.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a scary thought—and probably the biggest thing to happen to brokers. So what do they do about it?
Some argue we have to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court ruling before we act. Or maybe we should wait 'til November and see if there's someone new in office. Cause maybe they'd do something about it.
What does Hicks have to say about the things and people we're waiting for?
They ain't coming.
So based on this new information, we should probably stop waiting and do something.
As far as health care goes, we all know the ridiculous rising costs are unsustainable. It's no wonder PPACA passed. But the truth is, even if PPACA doesn't make it out alive in any form, health reform of some kind is still going to happen—because it has to. Employers aren't offering coverage like they used to, and employees can't afford their share, anyway.
NAHU reps surprised me for the most part. When NAHU president-elect Bruce Benton addressed health reform, he told brokers to step up and embrace it.
"Nonengagement is baffling to me," he said. Brokers can't take a wait-and-see stance. They have to act.
How? Maybe by placing more emphasis on wellness. Maybe by coming up with ways for employers to save money on coverage. Maybe by taking a more consultative approach, as I learned in one session.
New things, new regulations, new ways of life—they aren't all easy and comfortable. But it's something we have to deal with. And maybe we can surprise ourselves.
Hicks cited Thomas Edison: "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
It's worth a try.
As far as I see it, we already have the doom and gloom approach anyhow. If we fail, we won't be much worse off.
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