HJAR Jul/Aug 2019

Healthcare Journal of ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2019 23 Health benefits brokers, would have to reveal the fees and other entice- ments they’ve received from the insurance industry under biparti- san legislation proposed Thursday in the U.S. Senate. The brokers are supposed to in- dependently help employers se- lect benefits for their workers. But a ProPublica investigation in Febru- ary found that the insurance indus- try often uses undisclosed money and gifts to influence which plans the brokers favor. The payments and perks include healthy commissions, six-figure bonuses and exotic island vacations. Critics call the compen- sation a “classic conflict of interest” that drives up costs.