I wish: Benefits advisors share which issues they would tackle with an 'easy button'
More hours in the day, fewer steps in the health care... Brokers share what they would do with a magic wand.
We all know there’s no such thing as a silver bullet or easy button… But if there were, what issue or problem would you choose to fix?
Reduced complexity
How to eliminate the complexities of building a self-funded group health plan for an employer that always directs employees to the highest-value/lowest-cost providers and Rx. The solutions currently exist and can be packaged together, but not without complexity. And then you have the issues of communicating everything to employees and making sure they remember to use the value programs. It is hard to make this simple, and we all like simple!
Suzy K Johnson, agency leader and managing director, The Hilb Group Southeast
COBRA’s glitch
I would love to fix the glitch of making COBRA creditable coverage for Medicare beneficiaries who are retiring or leaving an employer-sponsored health plan. Members of NAHU have been working tirelessly on this issue for a long time, as many Medicare beneficiaries are unaware of this glitch. This fix will allow Medicare-eligible employees to extend their coverage with COBRA while transitioning to Medicare as primary and enrolling into Medicare Part B & D.
This challenge is also impacting employees and dependents who are on Medicare disability and enrolling in COBRA coverage. This is one issue I’d like to solve in my lifetime and career. There are many other agents and brokers who would love to see this one issue to be fixed for their clients, too.
Wayne Sakamoto, president, Health Insurance Interactive, Inc.
Time to rethink
The one common problem I see pop up in both my personal and professional life is simply this: lack of common sense. I think it was exacerbated by the pandemic, as many companies used it as an excuse for poor customer service and lack of communication. Many times, this was created by working in different environments, so many felt it was necessary to stick to the script or strict procedures. The result is they forgot to put their “human hat” back on and think about both the problem and solution through the lens of how to resolve this issue in a manner that is mutually beneficial. The pandemic provided an excuse to be selfish. I think it is time to step back into service and always with the thought of “does this make sense?”
Nancy Giacolone, president, Olympic Crest Insurance
Family matters
If I had a silver bullet, the problem I would like solved is the horrible process of prior authorization that happens when having a procedure done. Neither providers or carriers have a standard process, so it’s always different. If there were just one process for everyone involved in the process it would make our lives easier as both consultants and consumers.
This recently hit home for our family. On July 4th, I took my five-year-old daughter to the ER because of high Fever and rash. They ran tests and a CT scan because she had some weird memory blips during her time with fever. When we got home, they called and said they saw something on her brain and it would require a MRI. Doctor’s quote: “Could be nothing, could be a brain tumor.” As a parent, I wanted to get her into the MRI scan ASAP; as a consultant, I knew we would need our pediatrician to send a referral since we were considered outpatient.
After all day back and forth I finally got the referral to the MRI facility, which said it couldn’t schedule it because the carrier hadn’t sent an authorization number yet. I called the carrier, who they said they were never sent an authorization request from the hospital or the pediatrician. Got on the phone with the pedi and they said they needed the scheduled date of the MRI, so I called the MRI team and they said they couldn’t send a date of scheduled MRI without a prior authorization from the carrier. So after crawling under my desk, I finally got the pediatrician’s office to ask for the authorization so that we could get a date scheduled.
I know how disjointed our health care system is, but a normal consumer doesn’t and usually just blames the carrier. This was not on the carrier this time, but a singular process system would fix this issue that happens at an alarming rate for members each day.
They did find a small tumor on my daughter’s brain called a low-grade glioma, so we’ll have to do a follow-up MRI in six months with hopes that it hasn’t grown. We are taking each day as it comes.
Michael Hart, employee benefits consultant, Dillingham Benefits
Painful prospecting
If I were given two silver bullets, here’s how I would apply them. For business, I would shoot my silver bullet at sales prospecting. It’s an activity few enjoy, but we all know how critically necessary it is. I just wish I could hit the “Easy” button on this one.
For my personal life, I suppose I would use my silver bullet to create more time for leisure activities with my family: traveling, fishing, doing stuff we enjoy, and doing it more often. It’s easy to get engulfed in work, so that’s probably how I would use it in my personal life.
Josh Butler, president, Butler Benefits
Cutting costs
Solving the business issue of affordable health care would easily be my top choice. We all know that the single biggest line item for any employer and many household budgets, outside of payroll or mortgages, is health care. The way the system is set up now is not sustainable. In the last decade or so we have seen such a boom in health care expenses that it is reasonable to assume that in the foreseeable future, we will see an inflection point if these costs are not mitigated. Of course, there’s so many moving pieces to it, from pharmacy spend and how we can control the pricing for existing and new drugs entering the market to utilizing more efficient network contracts from carriers to ensure services are delivered from an efficient perspective and not just volume-driven.
From a personal level, I’d have to say the ability to manage the day effectively. There’s so much to get done in a 24 hour period. It really comes down to discipline and focus, along with prioritization. I’d use an easy button any day of the week to streamline that process and allow for much easier allocation to get all the line items checked off without feeling like I’m moving at 100 mph to do so.
Kai Williams, employee benefits advisor, PSA Insurance & Financial Services
Tick tock…
Time still tends to be the biggest issue that we’re all looking to address. Whether it’s time in the day to get more done with work, or time with family, time to get fit, time to yourself, etc. Thankfully, life tends to get a little easier to figure out the longer we’re here, and technology doesn’t hurt. I’ve personally started to look at time more on a weekly basis than a daily basis, as sometimes that’s the best approach to make sure that you’re finding time for the things that matter most.
Derek Winn, benefits consultant, Business Benefits Group
A fine balance
Clients warrant highly personalized solutions in a less formal delivery style. Thus, we must delicately balance AI with the ultimate empowerment possible in order to maximize customization for our members. Human capital still trumps on all sides of the equation!
Kari Niblack, CEO, ACS Benefits Services
Battling burnout
Millions of people have and will be impacted by burnout, which impacts work and life. Many times, it comes unnoticed unless those around have the courage to speak up when they see the warning signs. Burnout, like ripples on a pond, impacts much more than the victim and some things lost may never be fully restored. I would love to know that my past experience with burnout was not in vain and was part of the global solution. Until then, I will impact awareness one person, one discussion at a time.
John Troutman, National Marketing and Business Development Director, Mazzitti & Sullivan EAP Services
A clear impact
Every day, I wake up to an alarm clock message saying: “Be grateful. What impact will you make today?” A crystal ball would allow me to understand the things that could generate the biggest impact. There are moments where we spend so much time on things that don’t matter. From how to best impact my family and friends to the advisors and employers that will partner and make the largest impact, momentum builds a tsunami of energy, and energy builds more energy. This energy creates change and impact.
Instead of that crystal ball, I try to be intentional and “handicap” each day, month, quarter and year to see if I can pick partners, initiatives, clients, etc. that will create the biggest chances to win. Additionally, I try to surround myself with others with an abundance mindset.
Lester Morales, founder and CEO, Next Impact
We need evidence
This one is super simple for me! I would solve the problem of disparities in social determinants of health by ensuring widespread use of evidence-based clinical practices. I believe that would improve the health of individual patients, ease access issues (as the playing field would be leveled as all practitioners meet high-quality standards), and create less financial impact for both patients and employers who provide employee health benefits. ZING! (That’s the sound of the magic bullet whizzing by!)
Deb Ault “Nurse Deb,” president, Ault International Medical management
A common theme
That’s an easy one: time! Whether personal or business-related, time is our most valuable resource and I would use my silver bullet to create more of it. More time to spend with family and friends, more time to spend on my personal health, and more time to spend with customers on their benefit strategy and business needs.
Reed Smith, SVP, Practice Leader I Employee Benefits, BOK Financial Insurance
Show me the money
From a business perspective, I’d love to see lobbying either totally eliminated or capped at an aggregate amount. This is obviously a highly controversial phenomenon; however, I describe it as a legal form of bribery that’s convoluting and muddying our current health care system. It’s unethical and attracts subjective behaviors. We also need term limits to ensure we have “fresh eyes” and “fresh perspectives” in our industry that’s constantly subject to change, but at the mercy of our leaders.
Rina Tikia, managing director, Risk Strategies Company
Peace of mind
An “easy button” is part of my daily sadhana. I use sadhana in my business, as it is my goal to continue my work as a health care leader and try to make sense of our system.
My business “silver bullet:” As the Eastern and Western styles of medicine merge, my clients have been able to step into their true well-being with self-love and compassion. Yoga and meditation are part of each policy implementation–either fully insured, value-based, or self-insured. Ultimately, this makes a definitive difference in the lives of my clients and organizations. It’s like a magic button that can transform every one of us and help us to move into the space of health, healing and happiness
Personal “silver bullet:” To get my house remodeled as quickly and efficiently as possible. I find the process of planning excruciating. We have lived in this house since 1997, and the house now needs a significant upgrade. I worked long hours from home throughout last year’s quarantine, which helped me realize I need a space for a private office and must upgrade the house structure as a whole. For some reason, this feels like an almost impossible project for me. My personal “easy button” would be if someone could step in, take responsibility, and help, support, and magically transform my house into the home of my dreams.
Naama O. Pozniak, founder and CEO, A+ Insurance Service
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