I read your blog posts avidly and have shared them with my peers here. Indeed, it is precisely as you state and it is your focus on the practical issues that draws me to read and re-read your well-thought and well-written articles.

Thank you for your voice, for your delivery and for all you have done to guide us through this time of change. It is most appreciated.

Onward & Upward.

On the small business tax credit, Steve Chapkin and I wrote about a way to access the tax credit using a high deductible major medical health plan with a limited medical benefits plan effectively serving as way of insuring the high deductible.

You can read about the calculations here: http://www.franchise-info.ca/supply_chain/2010/08/Small-business-tax-credits.html

There are limitations on this, which we realize. But, in your opinion, have we missed anything? Overstated the case? Thanks.

I am a broker in California. I went to a Blue Shield luncheon yesterday to hear state marketing executives speak. They said that in December they will announce how much broker compensation will be reduced starting Januray but noone will say how much just yet. They also said that we will all be getting a letter in December to let us knoww how much the reductions will be. This will be on existing business and any business going forward.

Aetna has also sent letters, one that I received, stating that they will also be reducing compensation and that the facts will be forth coming in the next few months.

I think that this will greatly affect e health and anyone getting leads via the internet, because aquistion costs will remain the same, with less compensation to offset it.

I also think, as Alan has told us more then once, that we will need to balance our book with other products so we are not too heavily in just one market.

Good Luck everyone!

You stated the reality well.

Spence

As discussed in my previous post, while some brokers spend their time venting about health care reform and others expend their energy ignoring it, prepared brokers are busy talking with their clients (and the clients of those other brokers) about decisions, challenges, and opportunities that need to be addressed now. that post used as an example the need to discuss the Grandfathered plan provisions with both individual and group employers. There are other pressing issues to address, too.

All that you say after these words is excellent, as usual. That said, I take umbrage with your comments about those agents who are still “kvetching.”

Many of these agents have worked their butts off for years, decades, and they are being hurt. Many are too old or too far along in years to be able to make up for the losses they will experience, and haven’t had the good fortune to have made and invested enough to be able to look at these issues more philosophically and roll with the punches, that others, such as ourselves, have had.

I agree that taking a positive attitude and working for the future is more productive, but denying those who aren’t as likely to be able to recover, or who will be working far beyond normal retirement age in order to “make up” for the damage done, and which will be done by those parts of HCR yet to take effect,” an opportunity to “vent” their watching their world crumble, some as others stand by with glee at their misfortune (as evidenced by earlier posts on earlier threads), “strikes me as being insensitive”.
Just my 2 cents.