2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 10, 2024 12:51:19 PM
Overview of ACA Reporting Requirements: As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) are required to report the availability of minimum essential coverage (MEC) that provides minimum value to all full-time employees....
Read More
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 5, 2022 1:26:08 PM
Broker Compensation Disclosure Requirements Signed into law in late 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act contained a provision that required...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 21, 2021 8:21:48 AM
Virtual Benefits Enrollment The ability to enroll and administer employee benefits virtually has reached a record high with the impact of COVID-19....
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Sep 2, 2020 10:15:00 AM
Most employers we encounter are offering some type of Employee paid benefits like Accident, Critical Illness, Disability, Hospital Indemnity, etc....
3 min read
Robert Gearhart: Aug 25, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Specifically, does the broker fee agreement align with the success of your health insurance offering, and help you hold your costs down while...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 24, 2020 9:00:00 AM
As a manufacturer, you likely have a procurement strategy for your raw material, overseen by a sourcing or supply chain manager who ensures efficient...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 19, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Here’s a hard truth for most manufacturing firms. You’re not managing the supply chain when it comes to your employees’ benefits, which means you’re...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 17, 2020 9:00:00 AM
As the CFO of a manufacturing firm, we don’t have to tell you that companies are buying and selling their businesses based on a multiple of EBITDA,...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 12, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Does it make sense to have a non-P&L manager in charge of a top-three business expense at your manufacturing firm? Most CFOs would say, “Of course...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 10, 2020 9:00:00 AM
When it comes to improving the performance of your manufacturing firm’s health plan, it’s not what you buy, but rather how you buy it. Are you...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 5, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Employee benefits are a top-three line item for most companies, but many employers have given up on this category of expense. Accepting defeat, they...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Mar 3, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Most business owners do not look at insurance professionals as being able to help their business grow and produce free cash flow in the process. This...
3 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 27, 2020 9:00:00 AM
The National Association of Manufacturers and the Bureau of Labor Statistics have identified a need for several million qualified manufacturing...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 25, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Your benefits expense does not have to continue to grow at 10% or more each year. Once you take control of those costs that have been out of control...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 20, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Manufacturers get healthcare benefits! The National Association of Manufacturers reports that 98% of its members provide healthcare plans for their...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 18, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Stop if you’ve heard this one before: A manufacturing company walks into a health insurance benefits store, and by using technology and a third-party...
3 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 13, 2020 9:00:00 AM
What is the #1 way you can improve your employee’s medical benefits? By offering what your employees want, customized options and benefits that add...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 11, 2020 9:00:00 AM
When is $0.25 earned worth more than $0.50 spent? This isn’t a riddle, but a real-life example of how employees evaluate wages and benefits received...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 6, 2020 9:00:00 AM
A Look at the Numbers – National versus Regional Costs – How Do You Stack Up? In the war for talent it is important to understand what hourly wages...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 4, 2020 9:00:00 AM
If you had a group of employees traveling on a business trip and you told them they’d only need to pay a $100 contribution toward the hotel room,...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 30, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Here’s a familiar conversation. A manufacturer says, "We need to keep our costs down." Their broker responds, "No problem, we can do that. Let's...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 28, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Manufacturing firms want to know, "why are our health insurance rates continuing to increase year after year?" It’s simple. You're trusting the other...
1 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 23, 2020 9:00:00 AM
When informing manufacturing clients of yet another annual premium increase, brokers will commonly reference industry “trend,” or the average...
1 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 21, 2020 9:00:00 AM
We get asked this question all the time: “What’s everyone else doing?” Manufacturers want to know, how do we stack up in a difficult labor market...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 16, 2020 9:00:00 AM
When we ask manufacturers what they’re doing to control the 80% of their health insurance costs that are coming from four key areas in the healthcare...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 14, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Far too often, brokers working on annual health insurance renewals for manufacturers focus on negotiating a premium discount or lower admin fees,...
3 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 7, 2020 9:00:00 AM
There's an easy way for you to switch to insurance advisers who offer more services without paying more. Contact your current insurance company...
2 min read
Robert Gearhart: Jan 2, 2020 9:00:00 AM
Do you recommend price be the sole consideration for the products you manufacture? Probably not. So why do you shop for your company's health...
3 min read
Robert Gearhart: Feb 25, 2019 9:20:57 AM
During the 2017 holiday season, Toys R Us fell $250M short of profit expectations, the final blow that led to the downfall of the once dominant...
