Spend a few quick minutes on Google, and you’ll find that just about everyone in history has made a quote about opportunity knocking or the perils of waiting for your ship to come in.  It is kind of like watching American Idol with my kids each week – I begin to long for someone to do something different – something unique.  On the other hand, perhaps the message in the monotony is that simple truths are simply true.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has swamped our industry for the last two months, and more than any other event in the long history of COBRA, it is separating the wheat from the chaff, the professionals from the amateurs, you get the point.  Opportunity is knocking.

Two of our customers report closing more new business between February 17, 2009 and April 1, 2009 than in all of 2008.  Another customer reported to me in late March that they had closed new business in this timeframe which will increase their COBRA population by 33%.  A third customer had one of their competitors reach out to inquire whether our customer would absorb their 450 COBRA clients because the current COBRA administrator was convinced they would fail in trying to comply with the ARRA on time. 

More than ever, employers are looking for professional benefits administrators who have the systems, processes, and people in place to respond rapidly and professionally to change.  Do not doubt that more change is coming, and employers know it.  Now is the time for COBRA administrators to call every employer they know.  Opportunity isn’t just out there…it is knocking loudly.