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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NABIP Membership Chair Leslie Shelton discusses her journey into the insurance business and her passion for membership. She emphasizes the importance of making new members feel welcome and supported, and shares strategies for improving the member experience. Shelton also highlights the social aspect of NABIP and the value of networking and building…
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NABIP’s Vice President of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel and Tiber Creek Group’s Andrew McKechnie discuss setting meetings with your federal legislators during August recess and how to get the most out of these meeting.NABIP has released August talking points for all members to use and is encouraging all members to meet with their federal legi…
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Alicia Riedl, the new national president of NABIP, shares her journey in the insurance industry and discusses the issues and initiatives that NABIP is focusing on. She emphasizes the importance of creating a healthcare system centered around the consumer and highlights NABIP's efforts to advocate for a better healthcare system. Riedl also discusses…
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Join us for a special episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast, sponsored by our Premier Affinity Partner, AgencyBloc, an agency management system that helps health and life insurance agents manage their information, leads, policies, and communications with clients. Alongside our host, David Saltzman, they discuss their AMS, along with addition…
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We all know it’s an election year, and Congressional action has been limited. Join host David Saltzman and NABIP lobbyists John Greene and Michael Andel to discuss several key topics related to healthcare legislation, including employer reporting and the challenges faced by employers in complying with the reporting requirements. They also discuss t…
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The Final Rule on Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI) and Fixed Indemnity Plans: What it Means for Brokers and their Clients.
This episode of NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour is a deep dive into the recent changes surrounding short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI). It explores concerns surrounding STLDI’s impact on risk pools and the ACA market. Join OneDigital’s Scott Wham and host David Saltzman for a conversation that addresses the new rule, marketing practices of …
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Exploring Ancillary Benefits in Self-Funded Plans - The Role of Stop-Loss Insurance in Self-Funded Plans
In this episode of NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, our new host, David Saltzman, interviews Sarah Ann Flaherty and Adam Sheehan from AccuRisk about the differences between fully insured and self-insured health plans. They discuss the benefits and risks of each type of plan, as well as the role of stop-loss insuranc…
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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…
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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 tha…
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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 …
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NABIP Submits Strong Comments to CMS on Medicare Advantage and FMO Proposed Rule; DOL Releases Association Health Plan (AHP) Proposed Rule
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 Assoc…
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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 th…
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Proposed Regulations Would Impact Medicare Broker Comp, FMOs; What Should You Expect from Congress in December?
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 …
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Special Guest from Genworth Discusses Long-Term Care Legislation and How Agents Can Help Their Clients
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 e…
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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 t…
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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 NA…
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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 …
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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 Hea…
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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 Hou…
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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 diagno…
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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 ep…
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NABIP Submits Comments on Short-Term Plans, ACA Excepted Benefits, and Level-Funded Plan Arrangements
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 favo…
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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 Legislativ…
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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 ad…
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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 Emp…
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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 o…
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Government Affairs Staff Review PATIENT Act, Proposed Rule on Short-Term Plans, and NABIP Response to NAIC Privacy Provisions
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 ite…
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We hope you enjoyed our Annual Convention in New Orleans at the end of June, and we hope you had an excellent Fourth of July. We did not host an episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast last week, but that’s because we’ve been busy with our brand-new State Legislative Tracking Tool, available now on NABIP.org. On this week’s episode of the Heal…
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On Wednesday, the House passed the Employer Reporting Improvement Act (H.R. 3801), a bill that provides much-needed relief for employers by easing certain aspects of the reporting requirements under Section 6055 and 6056 of the ACA. This has been an issue that NABIP has been active in for several years now, and for employer-reporting legislation to…
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This week is Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner’s last here at the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals. For several years, Marcy has been one of the premier voices on the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast – but that has just been a small piece of her duties at NABIP. After over 11 years, Marcy has left…
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Earlier this week, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Employer Reporting Improvement Act which will simplify employer reporting on health insurance coverage. This is a priority that NABIP has long advocated on behalf of. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses what this big win means, along with …
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NABIP’s Annual Convention is rapidly approaching – our first Convention as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals! We hope that all our listeners are planning on attending Convention, which will be held June 24 through 27 in New Orleans, Louisiana. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dan is joined by NABIP…
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In a recent benefits survey, 92 percent of respondents said that benefits were important to their overall happiness on the job. In today’s world, that means offering benefits that go beyond health insurance. For those that work in the group market know that employers are always looking for interesting and useful supplementary benefits to attract th…
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Earlier this week, a federal appeals court issued a stay on a lower court ruling that struck down provisions of the ACA’s preventive care mandate while it reviews the case. Meanwhile, NABIP submitted more written testimony to Congressional committees on a variety of topics – including direct primary care and hospital consolidation. On this week’s e…
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May 11 was the official end date of the public health emergency that has been in place for over three years. There are several temporary health policies and flexibilities impacting Medicare, group and individual plans that were put into place during the pandemic. Do you know which ones are affected by the national emergency as opposed to the public…
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Did you know that NABIP regularly submits written testimony to Congress ahead of relevant healthcare hearings? From small-business tax credits to Association Health Plans to mental health network adequacy, NABIP submits statements to Congressional committees when they are debating policy that impacts our members. On this week’s episode of the Healt…
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North of 175 million Americans receive their health coverage through their employer, among a host of related benefits. Agents, brokers and other insurance professionals who work in the employer market understand how important it is – for both the employer and employee – that a company can provide top-tier health benefits. On this week’s episode of …
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As we have discussed a few times on the podcast, we are amid what is being referred to as the “Medicaid Unwinding,” where tens of millions of Medicaid beneficiaries are having their eligibility redetermined. CMS estimates that nearly 15 million individuals are poised to lose coverage over the next 12 months following the end of a major public healt…
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President Biden signed a resolution on Monday ending the COVID-19 national emergency earlier than scheduled… but the public health emergency is still set to expire on May 11. What’s the difference? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Vice Presidents of Congressional Affairs John Greene and Michael Andel review what the end of the n…
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On Wednesday evening, CMS released the 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule, which contains several provisions that are directly relevant to our Medicare members. We discussed the regulation back when it was just a proposed rule in late December and – on this week’s Healthcare Happy Hour – NABIP’s Senior Vice President of Government Affair…
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Do you own your agency? Are you interested in selling your business, or is there a potential acquisition in your future? Last week, Rick Israel joined us to discuss the importance of succession planning in your business. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by NABIP Past President Beth Ashmore, whose agency in Lubbock,…
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Do you own your agency or business? Have you thought about succession planning – even if you are young? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Rick Israel – principal of South Florida Affiliated Health Insurers, Medicare adviser and NABIP member – to talk about the perpetuation of his father's business (now his busine…
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Under Section 204 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, employer-based health plans must submit certain information about prescription drugs and healthcare spending. This data submission is known as RxDC reporting. During yesterday’s Compliance Corner webinar, NABIP Compliance Corner members Barb Gerken and Samantha Malovrh discussed RxDC…
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As we talked about during last week’s Capitol Conference recap with Greg Stancil, NABIP had some amazing speakers at this year’s conference. Many of them took questions, but unfortunately time constraints prevented us from asking those questions. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP’s Senior Vice President of Government Affair…
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This episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour was recording live at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, on the last day of NABIP’s 2023 Capitol Conference, where hundreds of insurance professionals showed to make their voices heard! In our official Cap Con recap, NABIP's Marcy M. Buckner and Dan Parker are joined by Legislative Council Vice Chair Greg S…
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NABIP’s Capitol Conference is just a few days away! Will you be attending this year? We certainly hope you are. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP’s Husni Abdelaziz and Dan Parker review what you need to know about the event before you go.If you are interested in learning more about our federal talking points, please listen …
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We hope you’re looking forward to NABIP’s Capitol Conference from February 26 through March 1! We will cover everything you need to know before you go on next week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour. But today we have another topic to discuss: At the end of December, we discussed a new proposed rule on policy and technical changes to the Medica…
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President Joe Biden delivered the 2023 State of the Union on Tuesday evening. As usual, healthcare and the administration’s healthcare priorities were a large part of the presidential address. Hey, speaking of addresses in DC, are you ready to come to 400 New Jersey Avenue NW? Because that’s where NABIP’s 2023 Capitol Conference will be hosted! We …
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This week NABIP submitted two comment letters and one response to a request for information to HHS and CMS. One of these comment letters is in response to the proposed 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, which contains provisions directly impacting agents and brokers. Here to discuss our comments on this week’s episode of the Healthcare …
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We are just one month away from our annual Capitol Conference, and the first Capitol Conference as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals! As folks who have already been to Cap Con know, it’s the responsibility of each chapter's delegation to make their appointments for Congressional lobbying visits during Cap Con. But how…
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