TAHU Update Volume No. 5 Issue No. 3 November 2003
Next Meeting
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Brier Creek Country Club
Main Clubhouse
11:45 am, Luncheon Meeting
Please RSVP before Friday, November 7, 2003
to Mike Alexander, at
Jmalexander@nc.rr.com or 919-544-5681
GUEST SPEAKER
Jeff Kiser
Managed Care Manager,
Wake Medical
Jeff joined WakeMed in August 2003 as the Manager for Managed Care Contracting. His responsibilities include contracting with health plans, as well as employer group and broker relationship management and development. Prior to WakeMed, Jeff held leadership roles in Network Management with UnitedHealthcare of NC from 1997-2003 and with Healthsource, NC (a CIGNA Healthcare Company) from 1995-1997.
He received his undergraduate degree in Business Management from Virginia Tech and a Masters in Health Administration from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.
SPONSORED BY
Pacific Life
and
Wake Medical Systems
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President's Message:
Nancy Gibson, HIA, MHP |
"If the crew's not on board to put the sails up, the ship's not going anywhere."
I want to assure the membership of the Triangle Association that "the crew is on board." So what's the crew (your board) doing?
We strive to reach out to others in our profession to be a part of Health Underwriters; we support local charities through contributions of money and in-kind donations; we provide educational opportunities for our members through CE courses and speakers at our meetings; we publish a newsletter that gives our members current information regarding legislation and a variety of other subjects; we support our North Carolina and National PAC; we connect with other chapters across the state to provide a strong network of professionals; we take responsibility for the financial well being of your chapter; we publish a newsletter that is informative; we maintain a website that is factual and fun.
What we would ask from each of you is your support in recruiting members for our organization; we would ask that you support both NCPAC and HUPAC with your donations to influence legislation; we would ask that you visit the NAHU website periodically and participate in Operation Shout; we would ask that you take advantage of the educational opportunities that are available; we would ask that you support our charitable events; we would ask that you attend our meetings and give us feedback about the things we are doing right and the things you would like to see improved.
We're all on this journey together and the strength of our organization depends on each of us to do our part. Thanks for your support.
We would like to extend our sympathy to the family and friends of Linda J. Smith who passed away unexpectedly on October 20, 2003. Linda was President and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of North Carolina and was a long standing member of TAHU, having served on our Board of Directors. If you desire, contributions in Linda's memory may be made to Camp Rainbow, c/o Tommy Eller, P.O. Box 1765, Salisbury, NC 28145 or to Masonic and Eastern Star Home, 700 South Holden Road, Greensboro, NC 27407.
Get to know your Board . . .
In an attempt to let you know more about who your leaders are, at my request as President, each of our Board members has shared some information about themselves. There was no stated format and you will find each of them very different and very interesting. There's some great talent on your board. Part of why we attend our meetings and belong to this organization is to get to know each other better. So, here's our second installment.
Allison C. Tolksdorf, RHU
Public Service Chair 2003-2004
Allison has been involved with the Triangle Association of Health Underwriters since 1995. She has been served on the Executive Board for 4 years and definitely thinks you get more out of this organization that you give. One of the main changes in this organization has been the renewed focus on the Law & Legislative side of our membership. Our national association is dedicated to following changes that affect our industry on both the state and national level. She is a supporter of HUPAC and NCPAC (our PAC entities through Health Underwriters).
Allison earned her RHU designation through a study group of other TAHU members in 1998. When she is not working, she and her husband are driving around (or, more likely, repairing and tinkering with) their 1974 MG.
BIO for BETH DONNER
I am the president of Diversified Planning, Ltd. starting that business in 1997 originally specializing in selecting and servicing health insurance plans for small to mid-size companies in the Triangle. My background includes 15 years as a Registered Nurse with experience working in hospitals, home health, medical case management, HMO and insurance carrier settings. My medical background has been invaluable to me in understanding the complexity of the health insurance industry. During the past 7 years I have transitioned into helping clients with their entire benefit packages and currently hold licenses in Life & Health, Medicare Supplement and Long Term Care and am NASD Series 6 & 63 registered.
Nancy Gibson, HIA, MHP
Principal Financial Group
1616 East Millbrook Road, Suite 210
Raleigh, NC 27609
919-783-7790
919-783-9748 Fax
gibson.nancy@principal.com
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Vice President / Golf Tournament:
Mike Alexander |
Remember, we are meeting at Brier Creek Country Club. When you come in the property's main entrance on Lumley Drive off I-540, go to the traffic circle. You must go right, around the circle. Take the first right onto Arnold Palmer Drive. The main Clubhouse will be on your left, on Club Hill Drive, just past the small clubhouse, tennis courts and pool.
J. Michael Alexander
Magellan Benefits Group
#4 Haycox Court
Durham, NC 27713
919-544-5681
919-806-8455 Fax
jmalexander@nc.rr.com
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Treasurer:
Jay Kennedy |
Please consider our Pre-Pay program for our monthly luncheons. You can pre-pay in the amount of $100 and purchase your lunches for the entire TAHU year (10 meetings through next June). Make checks payable to TAHU. Also, keep in mind that you as a member of TAHU are entitled to have access to both the TAHU annual budget and the monthly Treasurer's reports. Please see Jay Kennedy for further information.
Jay Kennedy
Four County Health Network, Inc.
511 Ruin Creek Road
Suite B-1
Henderson, NC 27536
252-430-0360
252-430-8980 Fax
jkennedy@vance.net
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Continuing Education:
David Smith |
The Triangle Association of Health Underwriters has three excellent opportunities upcoming for TAHU members, potential members and clients.
On November 11, 2003, TAHU will sponsor a three-hour CE class entitled "The ABCs of Flexible Spending Accounts". The class will be taught by Cheryl Elkins, a member of the Charlotte Association of Health Underwriters and the owner and president of Elkins & Associates, a Charlotte based TPA. The class will cost $3 for TAHU members and $40 for non-members.
On December 9, 2003, TAHU will sponsor a three hour class on HIPAA Privacy and its impact on insurance agencies. This class will be taught by David Smith, a TAHU member who is an attorney in Durham. The costs will be the same as the November class - $3 for TAHU members and $40 for non-TAHU members.
Finally, on December 11, 2003, TAHU will sponsor its annual compliance seminar at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. This class will have two components - one on the recent COBRA changes and the second portion on HIPAA privacy and how it impacts employers. These two programs will allow TAHU members to "reach out" to their clients and show another way that TAHU helps the community understand their roles and responsibilities. The cost for the seminar is $99 and a registration form will be on the TAHU website soon.
If you have any questions, please contact David Smith, the Continuing Education and Compliance Seminar Chair, at 919-806-4481.
David C. Smith
BenInsLaw
2530 Meridian Parkway, Suite 200
Durham, NC 27713
919-806-4481
919-882-9745 Fax
david@beninslaw.com
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HUPAC/NCPAC:
Sam King, CHC |
"Aloha" - That is what some lucky NAHU member will be saying around this time next year. Yes, for a mere $20.00 investment someone will be enjoying the beautiful island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. Until December 20th, a raffle is underway that will allow you to purchase a $20 ticket for an opportunity for a trip for two to our 50th state.
Ante up; how often do you go to Hawaii?
The last two TAHU meetings have resulted in a net donation of $220 to the PAC. We appreciate the donations, but we need more to work with the candidates we need to back. We need your help.
$ . . . Aloha,
Archie Samuel King
1711 Mohegan Drive
Durham, NC 27712
919-815-0433
SamKingTAHU@aol.com
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Law and Legislation:
Bill Hendrickson |
As of the day this column in being drafted (October 23), there continues to be wrangling in Congress around the details of the now-famous Medicare prescription drug legislation. The Democrats have told the President that they don't want any competition between Medicare and private insurance. They also don't want Medicare spending caps. These are issues where there is disagreement with the Congressional Republicans and which must be settled before any legislation is ready for the President's signature. NAHU has favored opening Medicare for a prescription drug benefit, and Congress and the White House both say they want the benefit - but let's hope that when the next TAHU Newsletter is published the issue will be settled. Don't hold your breath.
NCAHU is a very well managed and fortunate organization. At the October meeting of TAHU we were favored with a very informative message from our Raleigh lobbyist, Robert Paschal. He outlined legislation that did or did not pass the legislature in the last session and prepared us for possible legislation coming along. Be sure to stay tuned to this column as well as your local newspapers to be well informed. All members of NAHU have the responsibility of working together toward successful state and federal health care and health insurance legislation and regulations to improve the health environment for our clients and their employees and families.
A recent article in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved stated that persons served by Medicaid are 29% more costly than persons insured by private insurance. This kind of information has significant implications for health care costs, particularly as these costs are reflected in both state and federal budgets. The study suggests that these higher Medicaid costs may be the results of higher rates of pregnancy and worse health status among the Medicaid population.
NAHU as well as NCAHU have been lobbying for several years to have non-economic caps legislated into Medical Malpractice Insurance. While several states have passed this legislation, both North Carolina and the Federal Government have failed to act. But, as many of you have seen, the September issue of HUI featured an article by Martin D. Weiss, PhD, of the Weiss Ratings which reported a study saying that caps alone will not prevent premium increases in Medical Malpractice Insurance.
In states where caps are in effect, the rise in median premiums has continued. In states with caps, relatively few have been able to keep their premiums flat; in states without caps, more have been able to accomplish that goal.
Why, you ask? Medical inflation continues to mount; insurance companies have been playing catch up due to years of under charging; higher reserves have been needed as investment income has declined; and fewer insurance companies remained in the Medical Malpractice business, putting the squeeze on the remaining few.
Weiss claims the study was completely unbiased and not funded by any outside interest and, while the study cannot be considered fully scientific, it will be carefully examined by various legislators prior to considering action. There has been no announced change in NAHU's position and we'll be watching to see if Congress brings up the topic in this session prior to the 2004 elections.
Interesting product note-the NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICE ANALYSIS recently reported that both employers and employees give positive reports when they have personal health accounts. Now that the IRS has allowed Health Reimbursement Accounts to be set up be employers, there is an increasing national trend into these programs. Employees appreciate having more control over how they spend their health care dollars and employers appreciate the modest level of rate increases compared to rate increases suffered by traditional managed care plans.
In a recent conversation with a rep from Definity Health, the leader in marketing and administering these plans, I was told that while traditional fully insured plans have been facing rate increases of from 12% to 15%, plans that Definity manage have had low single digit increases and in some cases, decreases!!
William Hendrickson
Hendrickson & Company, Inc.
2219 Lawrence Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278
919 644-8636
919 644-6433 Fax
bill2219@mindspring.com
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Public Service:
Allison Tolksdorf, RHU |
A hearty thank you to the members who attended in October! As a state initiative, TAHU participated in a fund drive for the American Red Cross during our October luncheon. My apologies for no announcement in the October newsletter - it was a late addition to the state's public service agenda. NCAHU, our state association, is taking collections and making one large donation on November 22, 2003. With great generosity from our members, we collected $93! Your local board approved a motion to match the donation, dollar-for-dollar. We'll be sending the American Red Cross $186 on behalf of TAHU & NCAHU. Thank you!
We will continue to collect for the men's shelter in Raleigh - you will see a box for donations of personal toiletry items (shampoo, soap, etc.) at the check-in table next month.
Thank you for your support of the worthy causes!
Allison C. Tolksdorf, RHU
Jones Insurance Agency, Inc.
P.O. Box 190
Garner, NC 27529-0190
919-772-0233
919-772-4783 Fax
allisont@jones-insurance.com
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Website:
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC |
Have you visited our photo page yet? You can get there by clicking on "Photos" from any page on our website.
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
2501 Aerial Center Drive, Suite 200
Morrisville, North Carolina 27560
919-765-4671; 800-228-6216
919-467-2823 Fax
Michele.Gregory@bcbsnc.com
Special Announcement:
In Remembrance
It is with a sad heart that we inform all TAHU members that on October 20, 2003, one of our own long-standing members, Linda J. Smith unexpectedly passed away. Linda was President and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of North Carolina and served on TAHU'S Board of Directors. If you desire, contributions may be made to Camp Rainbow, c/o Tommy Eller, P.O. Box 1765, Salisbury, NC 28145 or to Masonic and Eastern Star Home, 700 South Holden Road, Greensboro, NC 27407.
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
2003-2004
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC
UnitedHealthcare
Please extend your appreciation to the Triangle members representing these organizations and remember their generosity when placing coverages.
Triangle Association of Health Underwriters
P.O. Box 19177
Raleigh, NC 27619-9177
