Lubbock Area Association of Health Underwriters
MAY NEWSLETTER
RECRUITING
Membership Application for any member looking to recruit someone new.
please call that person right now (before you forget) that might be a good fit with us at LAAHU and invite them to come Thursday….YOU COULD BE ONE OF OUR RECRUITING PRIZE WINNERS…..THANKS FOR HELPING!
EDUCATION
Looking for a great Designation Program? Check out NAHU's Designation Programs for great opportunities to enhance your career. If you are interested, please contact Monica Loya ()for more information.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION
MORE NEXT MONTH
Please title these as “Federal Legislative Issues”
Thanks,
George
1.Weekly Operation Shouts
Over the past few weeks NAHU members have shown their considerable grassroots strength in sending letters to Congress both opposing a government-run public plan option and supporting the Healthy Workforce Act. Members have personally sent more than 18,000 messages to Congress and have motivated more than 1,100 clients to respond to our grassroots call to action.
NAHU will continue to create a new Operation Shout each week for the immediate future. These Operation Shouts will be posted on the website, linked to in the Washington Update and e-mailed to the entire membership each week. Along with our weekly call to action for our members, we will also provide a separate letter that members can forward along to their clients, family and friends to encourage them to reach out to their representatives. The more people we have sending these messages to Congress, the stronger we are!
2. Comprehensive Health Reform Efforts
• An aggressive timetable for comprehensive health care reform has been stated by
President Obama calling for a bill to be passed by this summer.
• The timetable has also been echoed by Senators Kennedy and Baucus, who have
been working with stakeholders for months on their legislation.
• Their bill will likely be released in late May/early June.
• It is expected that they will both introduce their own measure, which will
be combined later in Committee or when the measures reach the Senate
floor.
• Senate Republicans are holding internal strategy meetings on comprehensive
reform as well as ways to cooperate on a bipartisan basis.
• In the House, chairs and subcommittee chairs of the three committees of
jurisdiction have vowed no turf wars on the bill and say they will have a bill
passed out of all three committees by the August recess.
• The six Democrats from the committees working on the House Reform
Legislation are:
• Energy & Commerce: Waxman (CA) and Pallone (NJ)
• Ways & Means: Rangel (NY) and Stark (CA)
• Education and Labor: Miller (CA) and Andrews (NJ)
• House Republicans are less organized, with several alternatives being developed.
3. Reconciliation and Health Reform in the Federal Budget
• On April 24, news broke that the White House and congressional leaders agreed
to include reconciliation in the budget resolution for health care with a deadline
attached.
• This decision means that the budget only activates the reconciliation
process if there is no bill that the two parties have agreed on by October
15.
• The Reconciliation Process – only if a bill is not agreed on by October 15
• Reconciliation instructions limit debate to 20 hours as well as the
opportunity to offer amendments in the Senate – no filibusters.
• Allows legislation to pass with a simple majority, 51 votes, rather than the
filibuster-proof majority of 60 votes required under regular order.
• Reconciliation process has to abide by the “Byrd Rule” – any legislation
considered under the budget reconciliation process should principally
affect federal revenues.
• Allows any senator to challenge the acceptability of any provision
of a reconciliation bill based on whether or not its effect on
government revenues is “merely incidental.”
• There are many ambiguities with the rule: Are market reforms
“merely incidental” to government revenues? Wellness incentives?
Etc.
• Many opportunities for the GOP to gum up the works
procedurally.
• The Senate Parliamentarian rules on what is germane and what is not.
4. Health Care Reform Hearings
• House Education and Labor Committee – April 23
• Janet Trautwein testified on the employer-based system
• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee -- March 18
• Janet testified on Market Reforms and a government-run public plan
option
• All committees of jurisdiction are holding similar hearings on an almost weekly
basis.
• NAHU is submitting written comments to relevant hearings when we are not
called to testify in person.
• Testimony is included in each week’s Washington Update and posted on the website.
5.Comprehensive Health Reform Topics:
• Government-run public plan option is a line-in-the sand issue for NAHU,
insurers, the business community, GOP, etc.
• Individual Mandate (extremely likely) – enforcement, phase-in and exemptions
under discussion.
• Individual and small-group market changes (extremely likely) – guarantee issue,
restrictions on underwriting, preexisting conditions and premium standardization.
Minimum loss ratio specifications are also very possible.
• National Connector or Exchange – Many questions still remain on this topic:
Connector as a purchasing pool, like MA? Virtual connector/Travelocity model?
Public plan option to compete with the private market? Mechanism for
administering subsidies?
• Employer Mandate – The economic impact of an employer mandate is key.
• Long-term care – Would low-income options beyond private coverage be offered?
• Health care cost containment – ideas such as wellness programs, prevention,
health IT and comparative effectiveness.
• Large-group market/ERISA – least likely to change with reform.
TEXAS AREA HEALTH UNDERWRITERS (TAHU):
Lubbock Area Association of Health Underwriters
TAHU news Report by Glen Fonner
May 2009
The April 2nd chapter meeting with Dr Randy Hickle of Grace Medical Group was an outstanding presentation titled “The Employer’s Dilemma”. All LAAHU members were invited to participate in a model health risk assessment and samples were taken the week prior to the presentation. A very comprehensive health assessments was provided free of charge to the members that participated. This was the most comprehensive and informative program on healthy life style I’ve seen.
George Keeling and Coleen Pruitt attended the National Cap Conference and report a very productive time; unfortunately there are no pictures. Details to follow.
If you are in town, come attend our chapter meetings!
Below is a schedule of upcoming events:
April 30, 2009TAHU Annual Convention
May 2, 2009Fairmont Hotel
Dallas, Texas
May 7, 2009Board Meeting
May 7, 2009Chapter Meeting
Bob Rogers
Texas Non-Subscription (Course # pending)
June 4, 2009Board Meeting
Chapter MeetingInstallation of 2009 – 2010 officers
LAAHU
LUBBOCK AREA ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH UNDERWRITERS
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PLEASE COME TO THE MEETING SO WE CAN VOTE ON THE POSITIONS BELOW
FOR 2009-2010
LAAHU 2009 – 2010 Chapter Leadership Roster
President:Becky Allaire,
President Elect:Danny
1st VP:Rick
Secretary:Melanie
Treasurer:Tim
Immediate Past President:Glen
Community Service:Julie
Membership:Lynn Alexanderlynn.alexander@
Education & CE:Monica
Programs & Speakers:Della
Awards:Kim
Newsletter:Reed
Technology & Website:Cheryl
Legislature:George
Media:John
Advisor:Colleen
ATTENDEES AND CE FOR APRIL MEETINGS:
The Health Underwriters Symposium had a great turn out for CE. In addition to several of our regular membership in attendance, we had many guests as well:
Mike Avery / Odessa Chapter
James Overby
Scott South
Mike Hill
Kristi Gillispie / Amarillo Chapter
Darlene Gill
Johnna Jenkins
Sharon McCain
Zachary Galbraith
BobAnn Gamel
Heather Reynolds
Barbara Meade-Findeisen
Joe Jansen
Neil Horn / Amarillo Chapter
Alan Rex
John Tanner
Scott Burnecke / Dallas Chapter
Tim Jander
Kristin Adams
Wes Bryan
Brock Glessner
Taryn Starling
Jacqueline Fenton
Barrett Jackson
Caryn Clemmons
We also had a few SHRM members in attendance as well:
KJ Chailland
Lisa Vargas
Pepper Grey
Overall, we had over 70 people in attendance and provided 49 hours of CE for our courses to our agent community because of very successful Symposium.
Monica Loya
Account Manager ~ The Scioli Group
SEE YOU AT THE MEETING THURSDAY the 7THAT 11:30AM
(don’t forget to RSVP Moncia!)