Healthcare Happy Hour

We hope everyone had an excellent Fourth of July weekend, and we hope all those who attended NAHU’s Annual Convention enjoyed themselves! On June 24, the Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, effectively overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey’s previously established constitutional right to abortion access. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the implications of the Dobbs decision on ERISA, employee benefits, state laws and more.

It’s almost time for NAHU’s Annual Convention! But, before we see your bright smiling faces in Austin, there is some regulatory news to discuss! This week, NAHU submitted comments to CMS in response to a proposed rule released in April that makes policy changes to the Medicare enrollment process, among other important changes. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s John Greene discusses our comment letter to the administration. Additionally, we discuss how you can complete your Medicare Advantage training with NAHU.

Last week, NAHU submitted comments on the Biden administration’s proposed rule to fix the ACA family glitch, where we noted our questions, concerns and suggestions for the Treasury Department to consider before the rule is finalized. Additionally, NAHU’s Annual Convention in Austin, Texas, is right around the corner. For those of you who are attending in-person, there is a legislative track of professional development breakout sessions that you absolutely must hear about. Here to discuss all of this on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour is NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner.

Hopefully, you all saw in your inbox on Tuesday that NAHU, and all individual market brokers, had a major regulatory victory this week. A new FAQ from CMS has made a vital clarification regarding broker compensation during special enrollment periods. In addition, discussions around the Build Back Better reconciliation package have resumed, and several important primary elections took place earlier this week. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Chris Hartmann and John Greene review all these items and what you need to know.

Thomas J. McInerney is president and CEO of Genworth Financial, a leading company in the long-term care and mortgage insurance industries. If you work in the long-term care space, you know Genworth and the role that they have played in the industry. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Noel Evans and Lori Martin, members of NAHU’s Long-Term Care Advisory Group, sit down with Tom McInerney for an in-depth discussion on what drew Tom to Genworth and long-term care, new Genworth products, a recent cost of care survey, and more.

The 2022 midterm elections are just around the corner, and important primary elections have taken place across the country over the last few weeks. Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alaska, Minnesota, Georgia and Alabama held various primary elections for federal and gubernatorial offices. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Chris Hartmann and John Greene discuss a few of these election results and their potential impacts come November.

Last week, NAHU spoke with CMS officials from the Division of Surveillance, Compliance and Marketing about a recently finalized rule from the agency regarding marketing requirements that are set to begin in October. Additionally, the Commonsense Reporting Act of 2021 was introduced in the House early this week, mirroring the language included in the Senate bill. Here to discuss these items on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour are NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner and John Greene.

For self-funded employers, navigating the world of health insurance can be complex and often overwhelming. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guest Mark Lawrence, president of HM Insurance Group, to discuss the challenges that self-insured employers face, specifically regarding large, unpredictable claims and how stop-loss coverage can help them.

Law now requires that agent, broker and consultant compensation be disclosed for arrangements entered into, renewed or extended on or after December 27, 2021. But the nature of compensation in our industry, both direct and indirect, can be complex, making compliance with broker-compensation disclosure difficult. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Brand Manager Kelsey Rosauer and Product Manager Kayleen Homewood from NAHU partner and agency-management company AgencyBloc join us to discuss broker-compensation disclosure and how their tools and services can assist you.

Earlier this week, CMS released a proposed rule aimed at minimizing gaps in coverage for Medicare beneficiaries and the Medicare-eligible population. The proposed regulation would implement a few policy changes that were a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, most notably new special enrollment periods that would be triggered in certain situations. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner and John Greene are here to discuss the proposed rule.

For several plan years now, NAHU has had the opportunity to submit comments and suggested edits to CMS regarding the next plan year edition of the “Medicare & You” handbook. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, president of The Brokerage Inc. and chair of the Medicare Advisory Group Mike Smith and NAHU’s John Greene join us to discuss the handbook and our suggestions.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been officially confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States – but she has not been sworn in quite yet. Judge Jackson was confirmed by the Senate last Thursday, April 7, cementing her place in history as the first Black woman to be a member of the nation’s highest court. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses Jackson’s appointment, when Jackson will be sworn in, and what it could mean for healthcare moving forward.

Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced the release of a proposed rule to fix the “family glitch,” an inconsistency in current ACA regulations. Fixing the family glitch has been a legislative priority of NAHU for several years now. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner explains the family glitch and what this proposed rule would do to fix it.

NAHU’s legislative advocacy work takes many forms, one of which is the process of submitting written testimony to Congress. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner and Vice Presidents of Congressional Affairs John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss two pieces of testimony we submitted this week as well as the overall importance of submitting testimony for the record.

While NAHU staff handle certain crucial duties, NAHU is ultimately a member-driven organization. That means that what we do relies on NAHU members such as you volunteering in various capacities and helping make our association what it is. Did you know that NAHU has a wide array of volunteer committees covering a large swath of areas, from legislative matters to professional development to membership and our Leading Producers Round Table? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Chief Experience Officer Farren Baer, Vice President of Leadership Services Brooke Willson, Senior Vice President of Public Relations Kelly Loussedes and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner join the podcast to discuss the committees and how you can participate in one.

Following Capitol Conference, we are taking a break from policy and politics to talk about the importance of finding the right products and vendors for your agency. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by our friends Kelsey Rosauer and Steve Ogden from NAHU partner and agency management company AgencyBloc to discuss AgencyBloc’s vendor vetting services and more.

This week’s episode was recorded at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill during the last day of NAHU’s annual Capitol Conference, where hundreds of agents, brokers and health insurance professionals showed up both in-person and virtually to make their voices heard. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy Buckner is joined by Legislative Council Vice Chair Misty Baker, who also served as this year’s Cap Con chairperson, to discuss the event.

This past Friday, NAHU senior vice president of government affairs Marcy M. Buckner reviewed everything you need to know about our 32nd annual Capitol Conference before you go. Today, as promised, we are discussing our tailored legislative talking points – the list of legislative priorities and why we support or oppose them - that you will utilize in meetings with your lawmakers. Returning to discuss the talking is points is Marcy Buckner, joined this time by our vice presidents of congressional affairs John Greene and Chris Hartmann.

Calling all Capitol Conference attendees and those curious about this year’s event: In just a little over one week, NAHU members from across the country will attend NAHU’s premier legislative event, both in-person and virtually. On this week’s episode, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner is here to preview this year’s conference. We break down the agenda and the can’t-miss speakers, provide a preview of the breakout sessions, and share tips for making the most of your visit. You won’t want to miss this episode for essential info ahead of your trip to the nation’s capital, especially amidst pandemic uncertainties. Stay tuned for the second part of our Capitol Conference discussion where we will discuss NAHU’s legislative talking points for the event. That episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour will be released on Tuesday, February 22.

We are just a little over two weeks away from NAHU’s 32nd annual Capitol Conference, where health insurance professionals from across the country will be able to meet with their legislators, in-person and virtually, to advocate on behalf of our industry. Recently, NAHU’s government affairs staff learned of a new potential threat to the employer exclusion, a tax benefit that serves a crucial role in employer-sponsored health insurance. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s vice presidents of congressional affairs, John Greene and Chris Hartmann, discuss employer exclusion, along with a general overview of legislative developments ahead of our Capitol Conference.