TAHU Update Volume No. 3 Issue No. 7 March 2002
March MEETING
Monday, March 18, 2002
Marriott at RTP
Exit 281, Miami Blvd.
11:45 am, Luncheon Meeting
MARCH GUEST SPEAKER
Carla Suitt Obiol
Deputy Commissioner
Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program
North Carolina Department of Insurance
Carla Suitt Obiol, a graduate of East Carolina University with a BS Degree in Business Administration, has been employed with the North Carolina Department of Insurance since 1985. She assisted with the development of the Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), and became one of the program's first trainers. Since 1992, Ms. Obiol has served as Deputy Commissioner of SHIIP. She is considered an expert on the topics of Medicare, Medicare supplement and long term care insurance, participating as a presenter at a variety of forums, workshops, and various state and national conferences. Over the past 15 years Ms. Obiol has been active on various committees and councils relating to aging issues. She is personally and professionally interested in improving the lives of seniors and serves as an advocate for older North Carolinians.
SPONSORED BY
Doctors Health Plan, Inc.
President's Message:
Gene Lee, Jr., CHC
Given last month's lengthy message, I offer a brief but emphatic communication this month to you specifically. Please encourage every insurance agent to attend the 2002 Raleigh edition of the premier gathering of North Carolina insurance professionals and carriers. The Symposium this year, as I hope you know by now, is centered around Raleigh's Fayetteville St. Mall downtown.
This annual event is becoming historically significant and rich in traditions because it showcases the very best insurance benefits carriers, and more importantly, the very best agents in our state attend it. Your presence and support individually is crucial to this year's Symposium. Please help the many faithful volunteers make our annual conference a success. Thank the newer insurance professionals in Raleigh for attending when you see them. We are all in this business to try to be the most knowledgeable professional we are capable of becoming in exchange for fair compensation. Reward is invariably connected to how current your knowledge is of products and industry trends. The 2002 Symposium in Raleigh is a great place to be and a greater place to begin. I'll be looking for you. Saludos Amigos.
The 2001-02 TAHU treasurer's report is now available to all members. To receive a copy, please contact Treasurer, JoAnn Davis at 919-477-9199
President Elect & GRIP/GAP/HUPAC
Sam King, CHC
An individual who is very wise and very wealthy (he is consistently member of The Forbes List of Wealthiest Americans) once told me "That a commitment is the will to follow through on something long after the enthusiasm in which the commitment was made has faded." Many of us made resolutions for 2002. Business and personal goals were set with a New Year Eve's Toast or a New Year's Day Blessing. We now are 60 days+ into the year 2002. Are you on track are you meeting your commitments? Our State and National PACs need your follow through if you have not sent in your pledged amount.
We have excellent programs in place for the March (Speaker, Department of Insurance, Sponsor Doctors Health Plan ), April (NCAHU Symposium), May
(Speaker & Sponsor, United Health Care), and the June (Speaker & Sponsor, BCBSNC) meetings. We are also in the process of securing speakers and sponsors for next year. If you have heard a good speaker or know of a
potential sponsor please let Nancy Gibson or myself know. We are beginning to plan for next year and would love to have your thoughts.
Law & Legislation:
Nancy Winter & Bill Hendrickson
On the legislative front and prior to the NAHU Capitol Conference in Washington, several members of the Triangle Chapter were invited by Brad Crone of the Healthcare Leadership Council to meet with Congressman David Price in his Raleigh office. This meeting with Rep. Price was an excellent opportunity for representatives of the industrial and insurance communities to bring critical issues to the Congressman and seek his support. Rep. Price seemed knowledgeable about many of the important issues that were presented to him, but he was generally noncommittal as to his position on issues such as tax credits for the uninsured or the need for high risk pools as advocated by many health insurance advocates. Our concerns related to improved Medicare services, liability issues in potential patients rights legislation, and various members at this meeting eloquently presented the overall problems facing the uninsured to Rep. Price.
The Capitol Conference held in Washington, DC from February 2-5 was the most successful ever as to the
number of delegates attending from across the country. The NAHU staff had, as usual, prepared a packed and interesting agenda so that there was an abundance of critical topics to hold everyone's interest. The primary Master of Ceremonies at most of the full sessions was our own Rufus Langley who carried out his assignment with consummate skill and good humor.
Jane Walbrun, Health Benefits Manager of Duke University who previously had spoken to our own TAHU meeting during 2001, made a major presentation during Sunday's session. Her message was similar to the one we had heard--that the costs associated with health insurance are escalating at an increasing pace and employers, both large and not so large, are taking a variety of steps to ease these increases. As Ms. Walbrun had told the TAHU meeting, prescription drug usage is a primary factor forcing costs higher. Duke has made several decisions actually aimed at controlling the expanded use of prescriptions and these decisions have not caused alarm or hardship among Duke employees or their families.
Rep. Bob Ehrlich, (R, MD) gave an overview of expectations from the Congress during the present session. Due to the extra effort being extended on the war against terrorism, he wasn't hopeful that many health issues would reach a vote in the near future. An observation of Rep. Ehrlich was that in general on all
issues, legislative activity mostly includes manipulating the tax code. He did extend his opinion that the Senate would not likely pass legislation supporting Medical Savings Accounts. The concept of a single payor system has substantial political appeal, but making it work is unlikely according to Rep. Ehrlich.
Tom Scully, Administrator of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly HCFA) manages the largest budget in the entire Federal system--some $560 billion! He emphasized that many states have budget shortfalls and that any Federal economic stimulus package could include assistance for health care expenses.
Overall, many of the breakout sessions touched on issues dealing with costs and techniques in the works
or in effect to help control costs or to slow the escalation. Such topics include Consumer Driven Health Care, popularly known as Defined Contribution Plans, dealing with the millions of uninsured, changes
within HIPAA, and encouraging private sector planning for long term care needs.
Major elements in all Capitol Conferences are the visits to Capitol Hill, meeting with the staffs of Representatives or Senators. All North Carolina legislators were visited on either Monday or Tuesday afternoon and all NAHU positions were clearly and succinctly presented during every interview. In most cases, Congresspersons listened politely, but made no promises. That is why it remains our
responsibility to continually remind our own Congress people of our positions on all the major health issues pending in Washington.
The NAHU website http://www.nahu.org has portions of the Capitol Conference available and if you wish to research any topic from the conference, do it now while the topics are still on the site.
Nancy Winter
nancy@medsaver.org
919-493-9405
Website
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC
Take the TAHU Website Quiz!
Okay, it's time to stop passively reading and start actively participating in this newsletter. Take out a number two pencil, set your stop watch, and see how many of the following questions you can answer before lunch. (No cheating.)
Ready? - - - Begin!
1. What is the easiest way to find the email address for a TAHU member?
___ Call Gene Lee and ask him
___ Do an Internet search
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
2. What is the easiest way to find the phone number for a TAHU member?
___ Call Gene Lee and ask him
___ Look it up in the phone book
___ LOOK ON OUR WEB SITE
3. Where can you find links to sites for organizations in our field?
___ Ask Jeeves
___ Search Google
___ LOOK ON OUR WEB SITE
4. How can you find the lecture topic and the menu for our next meeting?
___ Come to the meeting
___ Call the Marriott and ask
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
5. Where can you find back issues of our newsletters?
___ in your "to be filed" pile
___ bottom of bird cage
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
6. How can you find out what legislative issues are important to our business?
___ Take Jim Long to lunch
___ Watch Larry Stogner
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
7. Where can you find a TAHU application form for new members?
___ White out your old form and use it
___ See if John Henson has one
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
8. If you forget what events are on our calendar, where can you check:
___ Ask somebody in your office
___ Read the Spectator
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
9. To find information about TAHU award winners, where is the best place to look?
___ The TAHU awards manual
___ Dig through old newsletters
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
10. What is the single best source for information about our professional organization?
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
___ LOOK ON OUR WEBSITE
www.nctahu.org
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
michele.gregory@bcbsnc.org
Phone: 919.461.5271
Membership:
Donna Cashwell (New) & Kendra Neese (Renewal)
Please WELCOME our newest members to TAHU:
Paula C. Kennedy
Wellpath
6330 Quadrangle Dr. Suite 500
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Phone: 919-419-3840
E-Mail: pckennedy@cvty.com
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Carol J Gordon
Long Term Care Insurance
5708-17 Windlestraw Drive
Durham, NC 27713
Phone: 919-806-5662
E-Mail: cjgordn@cs.com
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Vice President & Public Service Committee:
Nancy Gibson, MHP
Thank you for the interest that you have shown in our current public service project. We are supporting the Durham Crisis Response Center by donating our old cell phones. This organization serves victims of domestic and sexual violence domestic abuse and violence by providing legal advocacy, emergency shelter, a 24 hour crisis line, community education, individual counseling and a safety program.
Part of the safety program is providing a cell phone to the victims of domestic abuse and violence to use in case of an emergency. These cell phones are not activated but are capable of dialing 911 in case of an emergency.
Your donation should include the phone as well as the charger. Please bring the phones and charges with you to our meeting on March 18th.
Communications:
Tom Snell,CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC
Bring a prospective member to the March Luncheon. This regularly scheduled luncheon is on Monday, March 18, 2002 at the RTP Marriott, just off I-40. Lunch begins at 11:45 a.m. Put it on your calendar today and get your RSVP in by 3/13/02. Prior to the speaker we have a wonderful lunch planned:
Louisiana Corn Chowder
Tossed Garden Salad
Pasta Salad Florentine
Lemon Chicken
Shrimp and Scallop Creole
Chef's Choice of Vegetable
White and Wild Rice
Key Lime Pie
Carrot Cake
Fax or e-mail your response to Tom Snell at MAMSI Health Plans. Fax: 281-7222, or e-mail at tsnell@mamsi.com. Lunch is $12.00 for members and first-time guest are free. Lunch is $16 for repeat visitors.
Attendee: ________________________________
I (will) be attending the March meeting.
I (will) (will not) bring a guest/prospective member.
Guest name: __________________________________
There is no need to fax the response back if you are not planning on attending the meeting/luncheon.
Please RSVP no later than March 13th.
If you are not receiving the monthly fax, please contact Tom Snell 281-7205 or tsnell@mamsi.com
As the success of the Triangle Association of Health Underwriters largely depends upon the benevolence of corporate contributors, we are proud to honor the following organizations for their continued support of our many programs and activities:
Diamond Sponsors
2001-2002
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC
United Healthcare
Please extend your appreciation to the Triangle members representing these organizations and remember their generosity when placing coverages.
Please remember that the cost of lunch for TAHU members is $12. Guest and non-member lunches are $16.
There will be a $3 charge for lost or misplaced name badges. Please remember to turn in your badge at the conclusion of each meeting.
Triangle Association of Health Underwriters
P.O. Box 19177
Raleigh, NC 27619-9177
