Steve Auerbach, the head of a company that supplies the innards of many large health insurance exchanges, says he is hungry for good agents.

The Self-Insurance Insurance Institute of America Inc. (SIIA) is blasting allegations by federal regulators and others who contend that employer flight to the self-insured market could leave insured plans stuck with the sickest employees.

Staffing industry representatives are asking Congress to exempt temporary workers from employer health insurance requirements set to take effect in 2014 or at least lighten the load.

Analysts at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, Calif., have described the stage of exchange development in each state in a new collection of state exchange program profiles.

Millions of U.S. residents are supposed to pour into new health insurance distribution exchanges in 2014, but only 3% say they are very or extremely familiar with the exchange concept.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is giving members of the public until Halloween to comment on any dangers that may be haunting a health insurance exchange proposal and a health insurance risk management proposal.

State insurance regulators are wrestling with questions about whether the benefits insurance company employers have offered employees are promises or heartfelt wishes.

The U.S. Labor Department should try to make the regulations governing the security of information at retirement plans and health benefits plans as similar as possible, and leave room for technology changes.