"Everything proceeds as if of its own accord, and this can all too easily tempt us to relax and let things take their course without troubling over details. Such indifference is the root of all evil." (I Ching). I learned this all too well while working on a group health insurance package for a non-profit agency several months ago. Now mind you, I'm a stickler for details. But an issue came up that knocked me over the fence and into the parking lot. This article was written to generate some "what would you do?" comments. So, read and write back as you see fit.

The quoting process started months before the actual effective date and I did my due diligence in getting the employees to complete a couple of different insurance carrier applications for firm quotes. The client and I finally agreed on a competitive carrier and it was time to hone in on specific benefits. This was a labor-intensive process since the client was really struggling to provide benefits to the employees on a tight budget. Quotes were flying back and forth like a paperboy's arm in a hurricane. My client needed a lot of options, but we finally zeroed in on a set of benefits they were comfortable with and they could afford. I actually counted the number of re-quotes at 12.

Since the effective date of coverage was now looming, I completed the employer application and all the supporting documents and sent them off to the carrier. The last piece was the final quote from the carrier. Once I received that, I quickly ran it over to the client for a final sign-off and we were on the home stretch. All I had to do now was wait for the issuance and then do the employee meeting. I was glad to get this one on the books!