Health Agents Head For The Hill – InsuranceNewsNet

InsuranceNewsNet — Your Industry. One Source.ℱ

Sign in
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home Now reading Washington Wire
Topics
    • Life Insurance News
    • Annuity News
    • Health/Employee Benefits
    • Property and Casualty
    • Advisor News
    • Washington Wire
    • Regulation News
    • Sponsored Articles
    • Monthly Focus
  • INN Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Webinars
  • Free Newsletters
Sign in or register to be an INNsider.
  • Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Webinars
  • Free Newsletters
  • Insider Pro
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Staff
  • Contact
  • Newsletters

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Health Insurance Newsletter
Washington Wire RSS Get our newsletter
Order Prints
February 7, 2017 Washington Wire 4 comments
Share
Share
Tweet
Email

Health Agents Head For The Hill

By Susan Rupe

With agent commissions slashed and consumer costs snowballing, health insurance agents are taking their message to Congress.

Preserving the role of the agent and broker in the health insurance marketplace and keeping government out of the health insurance business are the two main themes that will be discussed as members of Health Agents for America (HAFA) visit with their representatives in Congress this week.

HAFA is the first of two agent groups scheduled to visit the Capitol this month. The National Association of Health Underwriters will hold its annual Capitol Conference Feb. 13-15.

Related stories

  • What’s new, what’s changed in ACA open enrollment season
  • Texas lawmakers ask feds to reconsider Medicaid expansion proposal

HAFA members are focusing their efforts on meeting with targeted legislators who are crafting health care reform legislation. In preparation for those meetings, HAFA has released a position paper outlining its ideas for stabilizing the health insurance market.

The position paper is especially critical of the Affordable Care Act’s effect on the agent and broker community.

“Our members lost an average of 50 percent of their income upon the passage of the ACA and are currently paid zero or a nominal amount on individual policies,” the paper reads. “The agent and broker have been negatively affected by the ACA navigator program which is nothing but a government-funded and operated insurance sales force.”

HAFA is calling for lawmakers to retain the role of the agent and broker in any health care reform law, as well as to require insurers to compensate brokers and agents fairly.

“Government-run insurance exchanges have failed, are unnecessary and should be dissolved or defunded,” according to HAFA.

“The independent broker can distribute insurance products without the government helping via website. For this and many other reasons, alienating and excluding the agent community is a detriment to the consumer.”

The federal government is the agent’s biggest challenge, HAFA said.

“(The federal government) has chosen to be in the insurance business, replacing those who are professionals, and have utterly failed at every level.  Management of information is horrific and cumbersome. Let the federal government provide thoughtful and reasonable guidance but not take over the role of the private sector, which does a better job despite the burdens placed on it by the ACA.”

HAFA also wants lawmakers to defund the health insurance exchanges created under the ACA, and return the sale of health insurance products to the competitive, free markets.

In addition, the group wants the navigator program defunded immediately, saying “This program has created an unfair playing field between government and the private sector, is ineffective, and provides little or no ‘value added’ to the consumer."

Addressing Consumer Costs

But preserving the role of agents and brokers will do nothing if consumers can’t afford coverage to begin with.

The HAFA position paper calls for Congress to address the rising costs of health care.

“Until the cost of health care is brought into check, consumers will continue to struggle with high premiums, deductibles, and access to services,” the paper reads.

HAFA wants private industry to be allowed to create plans that meet the demands of consumers, subject to state regulatory filings, while providing the option for much less costly coverage options for many Americans. The organization also favors expansion of health savings accounts and other flexible options such as “Roth-style” HSAs to help Americans pay for care.

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected].

© Entire contents copyright 2017 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Older

DOL Rule Delay Could Come Tuesday

Newer

What’s in Store for the DOL Fiduciary Rule?

Advisor News

  • 1 in 3 Americans struggling financially but goal-setting is a game-changer
  • Advisors bet on US stocks to outperform in 2023 amid tech rebound
  • Investors want more ESG information from companies
  • Fed slows rate hikes even as Powell says there’s more work to do
  • 12 ways SECURE 2.0 can benefit your clients
More Advisor News

Annuity News

  • Study: Does pessimism really suppress annuity sales?
  • Sweet streams of income: ChatGPT, the bard of annuities
  • F&G Annuities & Life announces equity investment in life IMO SYNCIS
  • Investors scrambling to lock in rates propel annuity sales to record highs
  • North American and Annexus launch new fixed index annuity
Sponsor
More Annuity News

Health/Employee Benefits News

  • Medicare Advantage plans denied 6% of prior authorization requests in 2021
  • Hawley wants to shield Social Security, Medicare from debt ceiling talks. Experts say it won’t work
  • What’s new for Medicare in 2023?
  • Utah physician charged in alleged fraudulent COVID vaccine scheme
  • Ohio physician pleads guilty to illegally prescribing opiods, healthcare fraud
More Health/Employee Benefits News

Life Insurance News

  • Equitable expands portfolio in VUL market
  • New date set for billionaire suspect accused of bribing state cabinet member
  • House approves bill protecting life insurance payouts from bankruptcy
  • NAIFA’s Future Leaders Program offers free sessions for students
  • Scott Boutin named president of Standard Security Life
More Life Insurance News
The time is 06:40:06pm test

- Presented By -

Top Read Stories

  • Chicago news roundup: PPP fraud uncovered in Chicago, informant reveals $100K bounty on FBG Duck and more
  • 25 people charged in fake nursing diploma operation
  • Retirement plans take center stage in the war for hiring talent
  • Gov. Carney: Enrollment on Delaware's Health Insurance Marketplace for 2023 Reaches All-Time High
  • Missouri Department of Insurance: Over $24 Million Returned To Missouri Insurance Consumers In 2022
More Top Read Stories >

FEATURED OFFERS

Meet Encova Life
We know agents matter. You can count on our life team to be high tech, high touch and responsive.

How to Write For InsuranceNewsNet

Find out how you can submit content for publishing on our website.
View Guidelines

Topics

  • Life Insurance News
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Property and Casualty
  • Advisor News
  • Washington Wire
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Monthly Focus

Top Sections

  • Life Insurance News
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits News
  • Property and Casualty News
  • AdvisorNews
  • Washington Wire
  • Insurance Webinars

Our Company

  • About
  • Editorial Staff
  • Magazine
  • Write for INN
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Sign up for our FREE e-Newsletter!

Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox.

select Newsletter Options
Facebook Linkedin Twitter
© 2023 InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdvisorNews

Sign in with your Insider Pro Account

Not registered? Become an Insider Pro.