health care-reform law

• Agent/Broker Acquisition Activity Takes Off in 2012; Private-Equity Interest Grows

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  March 8, 2013

  Insurance-agency mergers and acquisitions hit an all-time high in 2012, a recent study shows, with 291 transactions in the U.S. and Canada.

• AJG’s Private Exchange Offers PPACA Alternative, But Smaller Brokers May Have to Go with State Exchanges

  By Mark E. Ruquet  |  August 6, 2012

  Arthur J. Gallagher’s move to offer a private-insurance-exchange platform is a smart strategy for leveraging the health-care-reform law into new solutions for employee-benefit clients—but smaller brokers may find it difficult to duplicate such an offering, says one industry watcher.

• Agents, Challenged by Health-Care Decision, Vow to Soldier On in New Environment

  By Mark E. Ruquet  |  July 9, 2012

  Smaller agencies selling employee-benefit services face increased compliance demands and lower commissions now that the health-care-reform law has been upheld by the Supreme Court, but agents aren’t throwing in the towel just yet.

• How Health-Insurance Exchanges Could Affect Agents, Brokers

  By Steve Purkapile  |  June 4, 2012

  Although the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is currently under scrutiny by the U.S. Supreme Court for possibly being unconstitutional, many states are still pressing ahead with setting up insurance exchanges.

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  Health Insurance Exchanges: The Effect on Agents

  By Steve Purkapile  |  May 21, 2012

  Some states are taking up the banner for insurance exchanges. Is it better for them to wait?

• New HHS Rules Define Producer Role in Health Exchange

  By Arthur D. Postal  |  March 13, 2012

  Health exchange regulations finalized by the Obama administration envision allowing agents, brokers and private companies, to sell coverage on the exchange to individuals and employers through privately-run websites

• How Greatly Will Health-Care Reform Impact Benefits Practices of P&C Firms?

  December 15, 2011

  The health-care reform law is not scheduled to take effect in 2016, but questions and impact of the law is already hitting some employee-benefit agency programs.

• Health-Care Reform Doesn’t Have Agents Running for the Exits—Yet

  December 15, 2011

  The health-care reform law is not scheduled to take effect in 2016, but questions and impact of the law is already hitting some employee-benefit agency programs.

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  Can Group Health Business Ruin Your M&A Prospects?

  By Dave Lenckus  |  November 16, 2011

  Some say agency health business can decrease valuation by as much as 90 percent--while other buyers actively seek out this specialty.

• IQ: Grads May Not Get Health Insurance from Mom and Dad: eHealthInsurance Survey

  By Staff Writer  |  June 1, 2011

  According to a national survey of college students, graduates and parents, conducted in April 2011 by global insights firm Kelton Research and sponsored by eHealthInsurance (EHTH), 38 percent of parents do not plan to keep their adult children on their health insurance plan until age 26, despite the fact that...

• NCCI's 2011 Issues Report Presents a Cautionary Tale

  By Joan E. Collier, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  April 7, 2011

  The latest NCCI 2011 Issues Report calls attention to "significant deterioration" in the workers' compensation product line.

• NAIC Panel Seeks More Info Before Backing Agent MLR Exemption

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  March 28, 2011

  State insurance regulators Sunday delayed for at least four weeks action on a resolution that would support the demand by insurance agents for an exemption from the medical loss ratio provision of the health care reform law.

• Rockefeller Objects To MLR Agent Exemption; NAIC To Hold Hearing

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  March 16, 2011

  Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-West Va., called out the National Association of Health Underwriters and Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, saying their lobbying for agent exemptions from the medical loss ratio “will cost American consumers $1 billion in benefits.”

• PIA Readies For Capitol Hill Summit

  By Staff Writer  |  March 13, 2011

  The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents said it will hold its annual 2011 PIA Federal Legislative Summit in Washington D.C. on March 30-31.

• AJG Chief Exec. Slams Health Care Law But Sees Benefit For Firm

  By Mark E. Ruquet, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  February 23, 2011

  Although stating that the health care reform law will do more harm than good, Arthur J. Gallagher’s chief executive said one benefit of the law will be to fuel the brokerage’s acquisition strategy.

• House Republicans Look To Kill Funding For Health Care MLR Provision

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  February 23, 2011

  Funding for implementing the medical loss ratio provision of the health care reform law would be eliminated for the remainder of this fiscal year under the budget passed by the House last Saturday.