We're "Difference-Makers"

By Bryan K. Brenner

An article titled “Health insurance brokers set for shakeout” ran on the front page of this Saturday’s Indianapolis Business Journal. In short, the article surmises that brokers are charging exorbitant fees, particularly with commissions for groups under 100, but with health care reform, that will have to change.

Boy, are they right…and yet they got it all wrong.  They’re right that too many customers have suffered at the hands of our industry:  too little value provided for too much money.  But they missed the part about us, and our peers around the country, that have long since fought against the natural trends of our industry in order to provide value and create solid outcomes – to be difference-makers. 

It’s our job, together, to lead change within your organization.  Today’s competitive advantage is about having a workforce that’s adaptable, creative, resilient, resourceful and capable – and that means fostering the dreams and health of your employees. Unfortunately, the days of friendly broker relationships and getting a better price every year for medical renewal have been over for some time. Now, we must push for a culture shift – creating workplaces that win in today’s economy and share a new perspective on health.

So, it may seem unusual for me to applaud the IBJ for an article that puts our business at near extinction.  But they are right.  Traditional approaches have been dying for years, and that’s why we’re growing. We grow every time a customer says “this should be different”.  It’s unfortunate, though, that the IBJ missed the opportunity to show the new day that is already being created by associates like ours – the difference-makers.