Teri Gutierrez   President Elect and Membership Chair

 

As we are all running hard trying to finish the last minute additions and changes to our group and individual business before the clock strikes midnight on the January 1st lets take time to take a deep breath and give thanks for all we have. We are truly blessed to be in one of the greatest professions around.  We have a chance to help individuals and companies protect there health, ability to earn an income, life and retirement; and still earn a good living ourselves.

 

I would like to encourage you to find a fellow agent, broker or carrier rep and invite them to join you at one of our up coming meetings. Help sell them on all of the fine things that our association offers including, Continuing Education after most meetings, educational and interesting speakers at the lunches, and lobbyists that work directly for us all here in North Carolina and in Washington DC, just to name a few of the benefits of membership.

 

As Theodore Roosevelt once said “Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere.”

 

I would also like to welcome to the association 5 new members:

Nancy Burns                           Sponsored by Mary Karr

Pam Butcher                           Sponsored by John Henson

Wally Dawson CEBS             Sponsored by Rebecca Tyndall

Jenny DiStefano                     Sponsored by Teri Gutierrez

Ellen Nicholson LUTCF         Sponsored by Mary Karr

 

Please make them welcome and thank the members that sponsored them.

Have a blessed and safe holiday and a very prosperous new year.

 

Hannah Baggett   Continuing Education Chair

We are working hard to provide continuing education throughout the year. Below is a list of upcoming courses:

  • 12/13/05 "Self-Funded Health Plans" Course #17389, Tom Snell, 3 hours.
  • 1/10/06 "Medicare Part-D" Teri Pritchard, No course # as of yet, 2 hours.
  • 2/14/06 "Trends and Changes in LTD" Course # 17195, Dean Holmes, 3 hours.
  • 3/1/06-3/3/06 NCAHU Symposium
  • 4/11/06” Having the HSA Conversation”,  Course #17882, Mary Karr, 3 hrs.
  • 6/13/06 "How Does a Drug Card Really Work" Course #17417, Michael R. Webb, 2 hrs

 

Please feel free to contact me with topic or instructor suggestions.

 

 

Rufus B. Langley   Awards Chair

 

P-A-R-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N----That's what makes our chapter strong.  In order to be a Pacesetter Chapter each member can help by doing the following: attending meetings, taking CE, going to Cap Conference and National, LPRT qualifier, membership-recruit new member, HUPAC, Triple Crown and others.  Our Chapter is strong with your participation and has a great chance in qualifying for the prestigious Pacesetter Award so please get involved!!

 

 

Antonio Gutierrez   Legislative Chair

 

 

The Subcommittee on the Cost of Health Care and Health Insurance for Employees and Employers held its inaugural meeting at the North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday December 5, 2005.  Co-Chairman Hugh Holliman presided, and was assisted by Co-Chairman Alice Underhill. Representatives Sherrill, Grady, McGee, Goforth, Bordsen and Bell were in attendance.

 

Barbara Burke of the NC DOI made the first presentation, and reported on the DOI's regulatory activities.  She discussed health insurance products that are available, and indicated that in North Carolina 1.3 million people under the age of 65 are uninsured.  This equates to 15% of the non-elderly population.  Ms. Burke reported that in the small group market (less than 50 lives), 50,000 groups are covered (551,000 lives).  She indicated that 5 carriers cover 86% of the market.

 

Mark Helms, Ph. D., Vice President of the N.C. Institute of Medicine, presented Recent Trends in Health Insurance Coverage noting that employer based coverage is decreasing.  His figures on the uninsured were similar to those reported by Ms. Burke (1.3 million people under age 65; 17.5% of the state's population).  Characteristics of the uninsured are low income and employment by small business (25 of fewer employees).  He indicated that the Institute of Medicine would recommend that Medicaid be expanded for low income citizens, and that a Healthy NC program and high risk pool would be beneficial for employees of small business.

 

Ben Popkin, staff counsel to the subcommittee, then reported on three bills that might be of interest to the subcommittee.  These were SB 255 (Healthy North Carolina program), HB 20 (tax credit for small businesses offering health insurance programs) and HB 1535 (high risk pool, which will be addressed by the Subcommittee on Access to Health Care).

 

No date was set for their next meeting.