I’m an insurance agency executive. Here's why I have open discussions with employees about healthcare costs

Mike Smith, an insurance executive, said that workers should communicate with their companies about healthcare costs because healthcare inflation is eating into annual raises. PM Images/Getty Images Mike Smith, an insurance executive, said healthcare costs are eating into workers' raises. Smith saw his company's monthly premium per worker double to $1,200 over seven years. Smith said that ICHRA could give employers budget control and workers more choice. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mike Smith, president emeritus of The Brokerage Inc., an insurance marketing organization. Smith has been in the insurance industry for nearly three decades. The essay has been edited for length and clarity. I've worked in health insurance since 1993, selling health, life, Medicare, and long-term-care coverage . In that time, I've watched the market change dramatically.