Q&A; with Richard Greenhalgh, CLU, ChFC:
| Richard Greenhalgh, CLU ChFC Vice President, Diversified Business Group Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts |
1.) In your opinion, in this evolving health care landscape, what are the most significant obstacles for specialty benefit professionals?
More than ever it’s about “shelf space”. Ancillary or specialty products have always had to fight for the attention of the HR and Finance departments of employers because of the time and money medical benefits, and to a lesser degree dental benefits occupy in an employers benefit offerings. This has become even more difficult with health care reform as employers consider the options available to them. That being said, ancillary or specialty products could and should play an important role in benefit design decisions, employee attraction and retention and the aging workforce.
2.) Please expand on any initiatives with which you are currently involved that are working to overcome these obstacles.
The closer you can tie your ancillary or specialty offerings to the medical the better. We’re experiencing this with our medical and dental connection, where we are using enhanced dental benefits to help manage high cost medical claims like high risk pregnancies and diabetes. We’re expanding the program to now include a connection with short term disability to potentially high risk musculoskeletal and cardiac cases. Additionally, we have developed targeted voluntary product offerings based on an employers demographics and medical plan options.
3.) What do you hope to achieve by participating in the World Congress Leadership Summit on Ancillary Products and Voluntary Benefits?
The World Congress leadership Summit on Ancillary Products and Voluntary Benefits is a great resource for finding out what my peers at other companies as well as in other states are doing. I find it an invaluable resource and networking opportunity.
4.) Will you share a few highlights from your presentation that potential delegates will be excited to see at the conference?
My presentation on marketing to different generations will give some insight on how we approach market segmentation from both and account and employee perspective. We’ll show the different employer and employee buying patterns and how we marry both together to bring the right ancillary or specialty products and services to our customers.
