America's Benefit Specialist December 2023

PRODUCT NEWS

AGENCYBLOC CONCLUDES EARLY-ADOPTER PROGRAM OF SMALL-GROUP QUOTING SOLUTION AgencyBloc, a management platform in the health, life, se nior-market and group-benefits space, announced the suc cessful conclusion of its early-adopter program for its small group benefits quote-to-close solution, Quote+. Quote+ allows brokers to easily access and compare group benefit products with almost 130 regional and national group health carriers and 40,000 plans available across the U.S. Launched in March, Quote+ enables brokers to quote and compare multiple types of group health insurance offerings, including community rated, medically underwritten and sev eral ancillary options in one central place with tools to reduce the normally manual, time-consuming processes involved in quoting, product comparison, proposal generation and enrollment. In addition, Quote+ provides regional and national group health insurance carriers the ability to showcase their prod ucts, map data to their custom forms and import underwrit ing and enrollment data more efficiently. For more information, visit www.agencybloc.com. OPTUM RX TAKES ADDITIONAL STEPS TO LOWER THE COST OF INSULIN Optum Rx, UnitedHealth Group’s pharmacy services company, recently announced additional actions to make insulin more affordable, moving several rapid-, short- and long-acting insu lins to tier one, which offers the lowest cash price consumers pay. This is the latest effort by Optum Rx to ensure consumers have access to affordable medications and are protected from the high prices set by drug manufacturers. In all, Optum Rx will shift eight products, including all short- and rapid-acting insulins, to tier one, or “preferred” status, on standard formularies. Three manufacturers will have products added to tier one, including Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi. In 2022, the company supported UnitedHealthcare in its work to eliminate copays for consumers in group fully insured plans for insulin and other critical drugs used to treat emergencies such as severe allergic reactions, hypoglyce mia, opioid overdoses and acute asthma attacks. In total, 170 unique medications are part of the Optum Rx Critical Drug Affordability program that includes a recommended cost share of $35 or less for consumers.

Q4INTELLIGENCE LAUNCHES PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLATFORM Q4intelligence has announced the launch of Q4i Online. This platform is an online subscription service offering an array of proven ideas, resources and lessons that welcome all levels of professional salespeople and business owners. “Our vision has always centered around empowering professionals in the insurance industry with sales training, business planning and growth techniques. While we’ve had great success doing just that, we’ve also been limited with our reach and impact because of our hands-on approach and knew it was time to expand our point of access,” explains Wendy Keneipp, partner at Q4intelligence. “With Q4i Online, we’re not just adapting; we’re leading a new era of accessi ble, continuous professional growth.” Q4i Online is tailored for employee benefits and insurance agency owners and salespeople seeking a support system that ensures consistent business expansion. “Blowing sales goals out of the water requires more than just ambition; it demands a systematic approach and the right set of tools,” says Kevin Trokey, founding partner at Q4intelligence. “This is our invitation to every committed in dividual in the industry at every stage of your career: Engage with a platform engineered for your success.” There are four subscription tiers designed for targeted growth: SELL—Geared towards individual producers, this entry-lev el engagement offers online sales training videos, focusing on cultivating a buyer-centric sales process, replacing the redundant renewal meet-ups with strategic problem identi fication and solution alignment. EXPAND—This level provides producers with additional training videos, tools and tips beyond the SELL offering, focusing on maintaining a healthy prospect pipeline and small-agency owners, this tier integrates the benefits of SELL and EXPAND with opportunities to connect with a support ive community of peers and coaches, further enhancing growth potential through an extensive support network. INTEGRATE—Tailored for agencies poised for collective growth, this comprehensive package grants access to an all-encompassing suite of agency growth resources, cater ing to multiple facets like marketing, service and leadership, apart from sales, for up to 10 team members. For additional information and pricing options, visit www. q4intel.com/online-platform. fostering habits that underpin sustainable growth. ENGAGE—Intended for individual producers or

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