Health insurance industry must work together
In every town in Monmouth County - to every community across the country - the issue of spiraling health insurance premiums is of paramount concern.

With each annual renewal, employers are forced into a quandary: to continually decide if they will pay an increased premium or figure out what benefits will be reduced or eliminated to keep rates flat - at least for one more year.

For those who have never shopped for a health insurance plan, it can be a daunting task. Each insurance company has its own way of listing and pricing its services, with its own restrictions and guidelines for reimbursement.

Small- and medium-sized businesses - just like the large corporations - want to get the best health plan possible. But, without a full-service human resources department at their disposal, many businesses are at the mercy of randomly calling a health insurance company, pressing the requisite buttons in the automated phone system and hoping for a quick and informative response.

In New Jersey, small- and medium-sized businesses have an ally in the annual ritual of purchasing a health plan. There are specialized brokers in each county who know how to navigate through the labyrinth of seemingly incomprehensible lingo, acronyms, and exclusions that are standard in health insurance policies.

These brokers regularly work with the large health insurance companies, know all the available products and are current on all regulations that are enacted to protect the consumer. Most importantly, these brokers can ensure business owners are purchasing health insurance that is the most appropriate for their employee base and is the most cost-effective.

In an effort to continually look for cost savings, these brokers also urge their clients to consider wellness

programs, in which employees have access to the latest nutrition

and exercise programs and can receive incentives from their employers for a healthy living.

It is frustrating that brokers are often dismissed as "middle men" who, it is claimed, just increase the cost of health insurance. The fact is that brokers reduce health insurance costs for businesses. Consider these facts:

Employers do not have time to shop around for health insurance plans and most just sign on with the first or second company they contact. This often results in companies shelling out more for insurance plans, as they end up paying premiums for services they do not need, want or realize they have

If an employee or an employer has a problem with receiving benefits from a health insurance company, they turn to the broker to analyze the coverage and serve as an intermediary with the insurance company. This saves the employee and employer the time and effort to figure out the problem and solve it

Larger companies are equipped with entire departments that have the resources to shop for health insurance and to serve as a liaison with a chosen vendor. Small- and medium-sized businesses can save that considerable expense by using a broker to provide such important services.

As discussion about our country's health care crisis becomes a focal point of the Presidential elections, it is important that the entire health insurance industry work together to propose and debate solutions.

Brokers stand on the front lines of these discussions as they work for the constituents with the most to lose: the people.

Dave Mordo

Middletown

Legislative Chair New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters