Newsmakers

• Raw Bar: Don't underestimate the power of consumerism

  Make sure to check out our conversation with Robert Laszewski, he's a health policy guru extraordinaire and he runs a consulting firm inside D.C.'s infamous beltway. While it takes awhile for us to get there, eventually the point is made during our conversation with him that the average American's current gas price fixation and the speed with which it is bringing about changes in our automobile manufacturing sectors as well as other markets is a clear reminder of how potent an engaged consumer class could be in wrangling health care costs. The successful strategy for tapping that power is what remains elusive. Check out what else is fresh this week on EBA's Raw Bar…

• Language arts: New book aims to teach HR conversational finance

  It is often said that knowledge is power and Joe Knight co-author of the new book Financial Intelligence for HR Professionals believes that opening up the books to workers across an organization engenders a more powerful workforce.

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• Is one vision rep as good as the next?

  We're trying to ferret out the industry's best again. This time we're focusing on group vision. Just like dental and disability there are dozens of carriers in the market, but are the bonds betwixt broker and rep as strong in vision? How important is rep service on this product line? Those are just some of the questions we're trying answer.

• Raw Bar: NYC's rebating debate and more

  Make sure to check out our conversation with Dan Colacino, who serves as president of the New York state association of health underwriters. He and his group have just concluded a series of seminars with the state insurance agency on the issue of rebating. While sparks were expected, it seems tempers were kept in check.

• Raw Bar: Lazy brokers, easy pickings for vigilant advisers

  Make sure to check out our interview with Jim Edholm of Business Benefits Insurance. He outlines how he continues to pick off clients with his simple, back-to-basics approach to service -- he just doesn't get lazy (or at least he tries not to).

• Merger of giants may present opportunities

  Insurance brokerage giant Willis Group will buy Hilb Rogal & Hobbs (HRH), the United States' eighth-largest broker, for $2.1 billion, representatives of the brokerages announced Sunday.

• Burning Question: Merger musings?

  Last week's burning question focused on client relationship management programs. Based on reader responses, most advisers use CRM software and many feel it is essential to successfully running their business.

• Raw Bar: What Willis' play means for the indie firms, more wellness and medtour ...

  Don't forget to get your daily dose of eavesdropping on the EBA Raw Bar. We have several conversations you may want to listen in on like discussion of Willis' purchase of HRH, wellness and medical tourism.

• Tackle consumerism models with today's panel

  Tune in today at 3:00 pm to an online forum where experts will offer tips and tactics for building consumerism models that meet employer demands.

• Raw Bar: Wellness watch continues, filling the client pipeline, benefits cross the border and more ...

  We are continuing to follow Thom Mangan of Hub International as he walks the wellness walk. Through his health improvement odyssey, Mangan hopes to end with a slimmer, healthier and more productive version of himself.

• International health care alternatives may be greener, but not in a good way

  The heat fueling dinner-time health reform talk has risen in recent years as firebrands like Michael Moore and others have made their contribution to the discourse. For many the debate hinges on whether to stick with America's market-driven private system or adopt a single-payer system like the ones practiced most famously by our European neighbors. If only the decision were that easy.

• Health care reform proposals should promote more provider competition

  One of the main contributors to our unsustainable health expenditure increases is the lack of competition and individual choice of health plans among employed insured Americans.

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• Employee dietary habits affect productivity

  Employers striving for a more productive workforce may want to begin their mission in the cafeteria. Employees with balanced diets have 10 times more energy, compared to workers with poor dietary habits, reports ComPsych Corp. in its 2008 Health & Productivity Index.

• Voters split over health care reform solutions

  Republican and Democratic voters have displayed differing views on the nation's health care problems in the primaries, says the New England Journal of Medicine?s report, Health Care in the 2008 Presidential Primaries.

• Talent trumps technology in the HR department

  How can advisers help their clients improve business processes in the HR department? By supporting high-tech solutions that help their people be their best. Human resource executives have consistently ranked technology and systems implementation as their top priority in HR service delivery. In 2008, however, employers report that their talent agenda is taking center stage.

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• Taking off: Expectations for medical tourism continue to soar

• Separating self-funding fact from fiction