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...s permitting an out of work pharmaceuticals vendor to attend you as a consul...

...., hospitality, construction, pharmaceuticals, transportation, etc.). This me...

... a national scale. However, small boutique insurance agencies specializing in niche marketing or unique insurance products will also keep growing. Similarly, independent insurance agents will be disintermediated (eliminated as the middleman) by the Internet, although only for selective product lines, e.g., low-margin commodity products that consumers are willing to purchase without an agent's advice. At the same time, there will be fee-based reintermediation (in which intermediaries are introduced into new relationships or their roles and responsibilities are expanded) . And insurance agents will emerge as infomediaries. Finally, both insurance companies and independent agents will learn to cooperate and collaborate with each other to serve end users more effectively and efficiently. At the same time, it's likely that some insurance companies will acquire or invest in their distribution partners in the same way pharmaceutical companies dealt with their distributors (Merck buying Medco and Baxter acquiring Hospital Supply Corp.) . Not all the observations, conclusions, and recommendations found in this report will be applicable to all independent insurance agents. Each one will have to analyze their own context and drivers of change and attempt to use lessons learned from other industries and other independent insurance agent companies to determine their own path. MAJOR TRENDS OUTSIDE THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY Embrace of technology. Regardless of the industry, suppliers and distributors alike are embracing the Internet and other advances in technology to propel their businesses to new levels. Those who adopted the Internet early on seem to love the new playing field, while latecomers are scrambling to catch up. Channel shifting. Financial pressures and consumer expectations are driving suppliers to distribute their lower-margin products ...

... must have been covered by the plan, and may announce a dollar limit for normal pregnancy, subject to a special deductible. Occupational therapy Organ transplant Orthopedic training (exercises) Outpatient benefits Physical therapy Pre-admittance testing Prescription drugs, in/out of the hospital Private hospital room (only if required by law) Prosthetic devices Radiation therapy Speech therapy Substance abuse Surgery Surgery-second and third opinions Testing Well baby care X-rays A good Group Health insurance contract should provide the aforementioned benefits, plus a Group Life benefit and Group Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage if mandated by law. Following is a list of some options you might encounter in a Group Health contract: Common carrier Dependent Life coverage Dental plan Long-Term Disability coverage Loss of Time (Sickness), aka Weekly Indemnity Legal service Medicare supplement plan Prescription drug cards service Pharmaceutical PPO Supplemental accident Vision care Because pre-paid plans, HMOs, and PPOs do not issue Life insurance or Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage, and because many optional coverages are written only in certain plans, it may be necessary for you as the agent to put together several different plans for a total employee benefits package for your insured. Method of Benefit Delivery Although designed to cover the same basic risks, insured plans, pre-paid plans, and HMOs and PPOs deliver their benefits quite differently. Insured Plans-Generally, an insured plan will have an overall lifetime limit of liability, stating that a covered person may only be covered for'$[Amount] lifetime limit of liability, from all causes. That limit is commonly $1 million or more. These limits are based on actual cash payouts of plans ...