The federal Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rules have been issued, and the details pretty much confirm what everyone has known all along; this isn't going to work unless there are multiple escape hatches for everyone, except those not clever enough to find a way out. And since the system is not uniform, any value it was ever envisioned to have will be steadily eroded while the costs of proving compliance rise over time.
 

It's a particularly poor deal for agents and brokers, whose commissions got left out in the cold. They are going to suffer the first effects as carriers squeeze their compensation to leave room in the administrative cost category for other things corporate leaders value more, like profits and high salaries.
 

However, like the old saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens.  In this case, that door for brokers is Self-Funding. Read more in January's Client Update on the opportunities that abound.