TAHU Update Volume No. 4 Issue No. 9 May 2003

May Meeting

Monday, May 19, 2003
Brier Creek Country Club
Main Clubhouse
11:45 am, Luncheon Meeting

MAY GUEST SPEAKER
Harry Reynolds
VP, HIPAA and Information Compliance Officer, BCBSNC

Harry Reynolds is a Vice President at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Harry has 30 years experience in the technology field focusing mainly in Health Care. He started his career with IBM, worked at two large hospitals (Ohio State and UNC) designing systems and has been with Blue Cross for the last 24 years. Harry has managed all aspects of IT at BCBSNC as well as managing a $500 million business unit that served 450,000 covered lives (N. C. Teachers & State Employees). He coordinated all Y2K efforts for Blue Cross, a $40 million effort.

Harry currently has responsibility for oversight of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Harry serves as NCHICA HIPAA co-chair and serves on the NCHICA Board of Directors. Harry is serving his fifth year on the Durham YMCA Board of Directors and was its Board Chairman in 1999. A native of Ohio, who after 30 years in residence, calls North Carolina home.

SPONSORED BY
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina

President's Message:
Sam King, CHC

In 1976, when I first became licensed as a Life & Health Agent in the State of North Carolina, I worked for a company who had a strong presence in the Individual Life and Disability Insurance Market. They had a marketing system that worked well in small towns and rural environments. Consequently this gave me the opportunity to experience a life that I had never know as "City Boy" from Winston-Salem. Not that Winston-Salem is mega metropolis it was larger and more urban than say downtown Ahoskie. I spent thirteen years with this organization. I sold insurance in 96 of the 100 counties that comprise North Carolina. I learned how to listen and comment on the nuisances of planting, raising, & harvesting, tobacco, corn, soybeans, peaches, apples, shrimp, oysters, rainbow trout, pigs, cattle, sunflowers, worms, rabbits and various other agribusiness.

So what does this have to do with the price of eggs you may ask (I also learned about the nuances of chicken & turkey operations)? Well, the answer is simple spring is the time for planting for a fall harvest. TAHU is doing that now. Nancy Gibson, Barry Hill & Mike Alexander are planting the seeds for next year. They have stepped up to the plate and are scheduled to become the President, President-elect, & Vice President of TAHU for next year. This is great but they cannot do this alone. Your help is needed. Not just as Committee Chairs but as members of the different Committees of TAHU. Your involvement is needed as attendees at the local meetings. Your participation is needed in the legislative initiatives and alerts.

Our industry will continue to be in the spotlight next year. Numerous issues are on the table. If the proposed legislation is passed regarding Association Plans have you thought about what impact will it will have on your business as either an independent agent or as a carrier representative. If the uninsured problem is not addressed in a manner in which the free market system has a role, where will you be. I assure you candidates for elective offices will emerge who will promote and find backing for the problems our industry and they will not have your interest at heart.

Which brings us back to this spring we are in now and my request to you, GET INVOLVED! This organization is like a farmers field. The ground is fertile for new seeds (you) to be planted. Help Nancy, Barry, & Mike reap a harvest of a strong Board of Directors & strong Committees for the 2003-2004 year. Grow as a leader in your industry. Grow as an individual. GET INVOLVED!

Sam King
Telephone: 919-815-0433
1711 Mohegan Drive
Durham, NC 27712

New Legislative News:
Bill Hendrickson

The activity among both State and Federal legislators relative to health legislation is heating up rapidly. In fact, a New York Times headline of May 1 said, "Health Care Limps Up Political Ladder". If you've been following particularly the Democrats who hope to run against President Bush in 2004, health care is becoming a dominant issue. Rep. Gephardt has even announced his plan which, in summary, will require all employers to purchase health insurance through the private market with tax credit subsidies made available to those who can't afford the premiums.

Focusing on Raleigh first, there are multiple bills from both houses affecting health care. Here are comments on several with their possibilities as we have been told:

Mental Health Parity--The bill has been emotionally supported and vigorously opposed with the opinion that it will not pass during this session.
Health Care Information Privacy-This bill goes beyond HIPAA intending to restrict the flow of health information that could be of benefit in both drug and medical research. It has been pulled.
Managed Care/Health Benefits-This bill shortens the prompt pay law from 30 to 15 days and it changes existing ground rules that had been laboriously worked out in the past. No word on passage yet.
Health Insurance Coverage/Early Intervention-a new mandate that would require coverage of certain services for children from date of their birth to their third birthday. An amendment is intended to make this a part of the state employees' health plan which throws the bill into the Appropriations and Finance Committee that will delay or defeat the bill.
Association Health Plans-This concept is gaining momentum both in Raleigh and in Washington. In essence, many of the existing small group mandates and rating practices would be removed in order to allow certain trade associations to offer group health insurance at a cost savings to member firms. The value of this for small employer groups is questionable and, as you know, NAHU has been opposed to many of the features in the pending Federal bill.
Ovarian Cancer Detection/High Risk Women-This bill passed the Senate and would mandate insurance coverage for surveillance testing for women over 25 and at high risk for ovarian cancer.
High Risk Pools-These are something strongly endorsed by TAHU, NCAHU, and NAHU, but during hearings many underwriting companies including Blue Cross indicated adamant opposition to these pools. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Ballantine, chose to avoid a confrontation between agents and underwriters, so the bill is off the table for now.

There are other state bills pending including the possibility of legislation defining a "Do Not Call List" which may impose limitations on telephone solicitations, and if you wish a more complete summary of the above bills and others, call me at (919) 644-8636 and I will FAX you my information. Please remember to contact your personal State representative with your opinions on any pending legislation. My representative, Verla Insko, along with several others, submitted a bill to amend the State Constitution to make health care a right of all North Carolina citizens. I recently e-mailed her with reasons why such an amendment is totally improper and should not be considered. It is important for each of us who are TAHU members, as well as for our clients, to become acquainted with our legislators and to let them know our opinions on all important and sensitive issues. Legislators are compelled to listen to the will of their constituents.

We will not review any Federal initiatives in this newsletter because they have been outlined in previous issues. But Congress is back after the Spring recess, so keep tuned.

Public Service:

TAHU Members,

Remember that our Public Service project to support the Raleigh Shelter with toiletries. Please bring shampoo, toothpaste, combs, brushes, soap, etc. to the meeting next Monday at Brier Creek Country Club. The small, personal (hotel) sizes are best, but the Shelter will take whatever is in your cabinet!

Please bring a donation to the May meeting. Allison Tolksdorf of Jones Insurance is heading this project. Call her at 772-0233 if you have any questions.

Website:
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC

PICTURE PERFECT and a FEW MINUTES . . . MORE

When was the last time you went to the TAHU BOARD page? Now would be a good time to revisit. We have PICTURES of each of the Board members . . . PERFECT!

And, on the same page, you can link to a FEW MINUTES for every Board meeting this year.

Now you want MORE? Wait until you see the features we are going to add this summer. No hints in advance - we will let you know when it's time. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy the pictures and the minutes.

Your Opinion is Requested:

What do you think about no longer publishing our newsletter on paper?

Since we all seem to have access to the web, beginning with our next season (in September 2003), we could publish the newsletter on our website only. This would allow us to get information to you faster than by mail, and would save on monthly printing and postage charges.

We will still have a newsletter editor, who will gather all the information each month, then pass it on to the webmaster.

Note that web site still has archived copies of the last two years' newsletter editions, as well. To help us make a decision, we would love to have your input. Please email any comments or suggestions to:

michele.gregory@bcbsnc.com
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Phone: 919.765.4671
Fax: 919.467.2823

Golf Tournament:
Mike Alexander

"Make sure to mark your calendars and reserve a spot in this year's TAHU golf tournament scheduled for Monday, May 19. This year it will be held at Brier Creek Country Club, voted 'Best New Private Course in NC'.

Thanks to our many sponsors of the tournament. We are sure to raise a lot of money for this charity event.

For details please contact Mike Alexander at #544-5681 or jmalexander@nc.rr.com.

Golf Application is now online at the home page: http://www.nctahu.org

Membership Update:

There are many benefits to joining TAHU. Here are just a few reasons to join:

Monthly meetings to network with company representatives and other agents in your line of work
Monthly meetings with top-notch speakers in your industry discussing current events.
Website access to a local, state, and national list of membership for NAHU.
An opportunity to find out about current legislative action in your field.
An opportunity to help your community through several public service projects or playing in our annual golf tournament.
A chance to make new friends.
A chance to meet agents who are experts in other areas of life, health, disability, LTC, and retirement planning.
A local newsletter delivered to your office to keep you current in your industry and remind you of upcoming meetings and events.
A national magazine, HIU, delivered to your office to keep you current in your industry and remind you of state & national meetings and events.
It's a small investment in your industry and your future.

To find out more about TAHU or for membership information please contact any of our Board of Directors (phone number in the newsletter), visit our website at www.nctahu.org, or contact Jennifer McLaurin at John F. Sipp & Associates 919-403-7173 ext 14.

Communications:
Tom Snell, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC

Please join us!

When: Monday, May 19, 2003 @ 11:45 a.m.

Where: Brier Creek Country Club - We will meet in the Main Clubhouse

Please RSVP by May 14, 2003

Please call Tom Snell @ 919-491-8880 to reserve your place. You may e-mail a response to srttes@charter.net. There is no need to respond if you are not planning on attending the meeting/luncheon.

Attendee: ______________________________ for the May 19th meeting.

I (will) (will not) bring a guest/prospective member.

Guest name: _____________________________

Lunch is $12.00 for members, $16.00 for guests.

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
2002-2003

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC

United Healthcare

Health Care Savings

Please extend your appreciation to the Triangle members representing these organizations and remember their generosity when placing coverages.