New Program Helps Insurance Agents Help their Clients
Zane Benefits, Inc. announced today the release of a new Agent Affiliate Program to help insurance agents protect their client-base from rising health insurance costs and the impact of health care reform. The program focuses on three new consumer-driven products and provides agents with free ongoing education, training and customized sales and marketing collateral.
“Insurance agents need better tools to communicate to employers and employees how the new consumer-driven solutions work,” said Professor Paul Zane Pilzer, founder of Zane Benefits. “The primary goal of this program will be to educate agents on these new solutions and equip them with the knowledge and materials they need to fully address the concerns of their clients.”
Rising Health Insurance Costs and the Impact of Health Reform:
According to Rick Lindquist, who contributes to the company’s Clarifying Health blog, “the new health reform legislation does little to address rising health insurance costs. Rather, the federal mandates and coverage requirements, such as unlimited lifetime maximums that take effect September 23, 2010 will likely increase employer health care costs.” Today, less than 45% of small employers offer group health insurance, and this figure is expected to decrease in 2010-2011 as employers consider reducing health benefits or dropping them entirely.
Health care reform will likely accelerate the switch of small employers from group-based to individual health insurance plans. Employer sponsored group plans have been the dominant form of insurance because employees with pre-existing medical conditions have been unable to obtain individual insurance. This is no longer the case starting in 2010.
Beginning July 1, 2010, there will be a new federal "risk pool" to guarantee individual coverage to adults with preexisting conditions. Beginning September 23, 2010, carriers offering individual policies will no longer be able to reject or charge more for children with preexisting conditions. And in 2014, insurance carriers will be required to accept all individual applicants regardless of health status.
How the Program Works:
To get started, insurance agents create a free Zane Affiliate Account online. The online account gives agents immediate access to weekly webinars, discounted Continuing Education courses, custom marketing brochures and other sales tools.
Zane Benefits does not sell health insurance or interfere with its affiliates’ existing insurance services. The GroupHRA, ZaneHRA and ZanePOP products serve as an add-on to an agent's current insurance offerings.
Availability:
The program is available now at http://www.ZaneAffiliates.com and from authorized insurance agencies in every state.
About Zane Benefits:
Zane Benefits, Inc. (http://www.ZaneBenefits.com) is a leading provider of Health Reimbursements Arrangements (HRAs) and Defined Contribution Health Benefits accounts to U.S. employers and their employees. With Zane's HRA, employers open and manage their HRA completely online and manage reimbursements via their existing payroll system.
Zane Benefits does not sell health insurance. Its products and services are distributed in all 50 states by independent licensed agents and other distributors of health insurance who receive direct online and telephone access to help employees choose the best insurance policy.
