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Healthcare Happy Hour
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Healthcare Happy Hour

Author: info@nabip.org (NABIP)

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The NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour podcast is released weekly on Friday afternoons by the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, and includes a recap of the week’s top issues in healthcare and health insurance politics and policy.
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Welcome back, one and all, to NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour podcast. Earlier this week, the association submitted our response to a Request for Information, or RFI, from the House Education and Workforce Committee. The RFI focused on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (much more commonly referred to as ERISA). In light of the law’s 50th anniversary, the committee issued this RFI to stakeholders to see what areas surrounding ERISA that may benefit from new legislation to reflect how healthcare is delivered today, so it is crucial that NABIP be a part of this conversation. Additionally, this will be the final episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour hosted and produced by NABIP’s Dan Parker. We will all miss “the Voice of NABIP,” who has been a staple of the podcast for the last few years – but we are also excited about what the future holds for the Happy Hour!
In this special edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we take you inside the halls of the 34th Annual Capitol Conference, held in Washington D.C. from February 25th to 28th, 2024. This episode, recorded live amidst the buzz and excitement of Cap Con, offers an unparalleled glimpse into the heart of healthcare policy discussions and developments that are shaping the future. Join NABIP's very own Dan Parker and John Greene, along with esteemed Legislative Council Vice Chair and Conference Chair Jennifer Berman, and the charismatic CAHIP president and Cap Con emcee, Tim Kanter, as they dissect and discuss the pivotal moments of this year's conference.
As our listeners are aware, NABIP’s 34th Capitol Conference is just around the corner, from February 25-28, 2024, here in Washington D.C. If for some reason you haven’t registered yet, we’re positive you’ll be clamoring to be registered as soon as this episode ends! We have the privilege this week of welcoming a very special guest: Amy Walter - the keynote speaker at this year’s Capitol Conference. Amy Walter is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, where she offers in-depth analysis of the issues, trends, and events that are shaping the political environment. Known for her objective and insightful commentary, Amy has earned her place as one of Washington's Most Powerful Women. Get a sneak peek of what Amy will be discussing in this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, where she provides her take on the 2024 elections thus far.
Happy New Year! We hope you all enjoyed the holidays after a long fourth quarter and OEP. We’re going to kick the year off today by discussing the comments that NABIP submitted to CMS regarding the recent, alarming, proposed regulations relevant to FMOs and Medicare agent compensation. We also saw a hotly anticipated proposed rule come out on Association Health Plans over the holidays, so we will be reviewing that as well. Additionally, we’ll look at what to expect from Congress in early 2024. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, to discuss all of this, are none other than John Greene and Michael Andel.
Welcome back to NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour podcast! Earlier this week, NABIP submitted a response to a request for information, or RFI, from the tri-agencies on coverage of over-the-counter preventive services. But in addition to that, NABIP Director of State Affairs Max Karlin is making his official podcast debut to discuss his experience at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, more commonly known as NAIC, last week.
We hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. As our Medicare agents are aware through our communications over the last few weeks, CMS recently issued a new Medicare Advantage proposed rule for the contract year 2025. Included in the draft regulation are provisions related to broker compensation and “administrative fees,” as well as proposed regulations impacting field marketing organizations, more commonly known as FMOs. Additionally, we’re looking at what Congress is doing and what we can expect from the chambers before the end of the year.
Did you know that November is Long-Term Care Insurance Awareness Month? NABIP was the driving force behind the 2001 proclamation that established LTCI Awareness Month. LTCI is an area that grows more important every day, with over 10,000 individuals turning 65 daily and about 70 percent seniors requiring some form of long-term care. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, LTC Advisory Group members Lori Martin and Steve Cain sit down with Jamala Arland, senior vice president of LTC Inforce at Genworth. Genworth has the largest bloc of private LTCI business, covering over 1 million Americans. The trio discuss LTCI legislation (from Washington state’s program to California’s task force considering future legislation) as well as what listeners can do for their LTCI clients.
As I’m sure all of our listeners are aware, the open enrollment period is underway! Running from November 1 through January 15 (although consumers will actually get one additional day to enroll this year as January 15 falls on a federal holiday), the OEP is an opportunity for millions to get covered, especially those who have lost coverage during the Medicaid unwinding. In addition to the OEP, we have exciting news about one of our oldest legislative priorities – employer reporting relief! On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, John Greene and Michael Andel return to discuss.
On September 1, the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals welcomed new Chief Executive Officer Jessica Brooks-Woods. Prior to NABIP, Jessica served as president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dan Parker is joined by Jessica to discuss what led her to NABIP, what her goals are for the association, and everything else you might have questions about!
Last week, Kevin McCarthy became the first speaker of the House in United States history to be ousted from the position via vote. This week, the House has scrambled to replace McCarthy. While the chamber has a temporary speaker in place, his powers are limited and the GOP majority must choose a permanent leader before anything can be considered on the floor. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, John Greene and Michael Andel discuss what they’re seeing on the Hill. Additionally, the Medicare AEP is about to begin, so we’ll discuss some resources for our members to help with all the requirements for agents.
Since its passage well over a decade ago, the Affordable Care Act has fundamentally transformed health insurance and employee benefits – and every year there seems to be more regulation and legislation building on the landmark law. To best serve your clients, you need to be up to speed on all things ACA and beyond. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP’s Dan Parker is joined by Paul Roberts, senior director of education and market development at Word & Brown and instructor of one of NABIP’s best professional development courses – “ACA and Beyond: A Modern Look at Employee Benefits.” Listen to the whole podcast episode to hear a special code you can use to get 20% off our ACA and Beyond course! The code expires October 13.
NABIP submitted a comment letter in response to a proposed rule on mental health parity. Mental health parity and network adequacy in the mental health space has been a prime issue for employers across the country, and NABIP, for several years now. This new proposed rule was issued in early August. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs John Greene is back on the pod to discuss the proposed rule and our comments. Today’s podcast episode covers a portion of our comments. If you are interested in learning more, please read the executive summary and full comment letter on NABIP.org!
Over the course of the past decade, the industry has seen a tremendous increase in the sophistication and costs of medical treatment options, including enhanced care of newborns, groundbreaking cancer treatments and pharmaceutical advancements like gene and cell therapies. These have created potentially big wins for patients with challenging diagnoses, but also brought about a continued trend in rising claim costs. As the costs have grown, so has the need to ensure appropriate coverage is in place with a carrier that has the right knowledge, experience and financial stability to help protect each client’s bottom line. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by HM Insurance Group, Dan Parker is joined by president of HM Insurance Group’s Mark Lawrence and Eric Berg to discuss the importance of stop-loss coverage amidst this continued trend in rising claim costs. Sponsored by HM Insurance Group.
Health insurance professionals who in the employer market are acutely aware of health reimbursement arrangements, commonly shortened to HRAs, and how they work. However, the world of individual coverage HRAs, or ICHRAs, is a relatively new form coverage that employers and brokers alike are still learning how to utilize effectively. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by Remodel Health, NABIP’s Dan Parker is joined by Justin Clemets co-founder and chief ICHRA officer, Travis Hall, VP of marketing, and John Staub, director of outreach, to discuss how ALEs can utilize ICHRAs, tailoring ICHRAs for various employee classes, broader potential of ICHRAs for different types of reimbursements, and how the Family Glitch fits into all this. Sponsored by Remodel Health
NABIP submitted a comment letter earlier this week in response to a proposed rule by the Treasury Department, DOL, and HHS on short-term plans, fixed indemnity plans and excepted benefits coverage. The proposed rule also included a request for information on level-funded plans, broadly. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, your favorite NABIP staff members John Greene and Michael Andel review the proposed rule and our comments. Read this comment letter, and all of our regulatory comments and written testimony, on NABIP.org - specifically under "Advocacy," under "Policy Documents."
It’s September 1, which means it’s officially fourth quarter – though we probably didn’t actually need to tell you that. September 1 also means that we are just a couple of days away from the end of August recess. If you met with your lawmakers over the summer, please log those appointments using a link on NABIP.org, under Advocacy, then Legislative Issues. With that said, we have plenty to discuss this week, most of which is at the regulatory level – between ACA affordability changes and proposed Medicare regulations. To discuss all of this and more on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour are none other than NABIP’s John Greene and Michael Andel.
Welcome back to the Healthcare Happy Hour! Even though we are in the midst of August recess, a new bill that would resolve one of our Medicare issues has been introduced in the House. NABIP is calling on all members to contact their federal legislators and urge them to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation that would address this important issue. In addition to that, our listeners who work in the individual market will be delighted to hear that our model consent form for those in federally facilitated marketplace states is finally available. To discuss this and more, on this week’s episode of the podcast, is NABIP’s John Greene and Michael Andel.
August Recess is underway! Every year, the House and Senate adjourn for the annual Congressional summer recess. This year, the House will be on recess until September 12 and the Senate will reconvene on September 4. This is a prime time to meet with your federal legislators about NABIP’s talking points, which this year is focused on getting the Employer Reporting Improvement Act across the finish line. In addition to August Recess, a mental health parity proposed rule and technical release was issued by the tri-agencies early last week. To discuss these items, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is NABIP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs John Greene and Vice President of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel.
As of June 18, agents and brokers who operate in states with a federally facilitated marketplace must obtain documentation that consumers they are working with have reviewed their eligibility for applying for coverage. Agents and brokers must also obtain documentation that the consumer consents to work with them when enrolling in advance payments of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reduction payments. NABIP will be providing a model form over the coming weeks for our membership to utilize. In the meantime, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dan is joined by AgencyBloc product director Sara Brammer and Engagement Manager Neal Price, to discuss the new rule and what steps you can take to ensure compliance. Sponsored by AgencyBloc
As you saw in last week’s Washington Update, the administration released a proposed regulation that touches on short-term limited duration plans, fixed indemnity plans and level-funded plans. On the Congressional side, NABIP is looking at the PATIENT Act of 2023, a transparency bill that includes many provisions we support. In addition to these items, NABIP submitted a comment letter to the NAIC earlier this week regarding some proposed privacy provisions. To discuss all of this on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour are our very own John Greene and Michael Andel.
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