TAHU Update April 2005

Next Meeting

Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Brier Creek Country Club
Main Clubhouse
11:45 am, Luncheon Meeting

Please RSVP before Friday, April 8, 2005
to David Smith, at
david@beninslaw.com

GUEST SPEAKER
Pat Hyduk
Tax Research Institute

SPONSORED BY
Wellpath

President's Message:
Barry Hill

The Triangle Association had another great meeting on March 8. We had approximately 40 members and guests in attendance. We continue to have good attendance and extremely informative programs.

We would like to thank Empliant Technologies for sponsoring and providing the speaker for the March meeting.

I am pleased to inform everyone that we have had great response to our annual golf tournament scheduled for April 4. As of April 1, seventeen teams had registered to play. We would especially like to thank WellPath for sponsoring four teams. This is Triangle’s main fund raising activity and we are very grateful for the support of the local members and vendors.

Project Access is our charitable organization this year and will receive a minimum of $2000.00 from the tournament proceeds. Project Access is sponsored by the Wake County Medical Society and provides access to health care for individuals 185% below the federal poverty level and do not have access to private or government insurance programs.

Capital Conference – The Triangle Association had great representation at the National Conference in Washington, D.C. attending from the Triangle was David Smith, Rufus Langley, Teri Gutierrez, Tony Gutierrez, Beth Donner, Bill Hendrickson and John Henson. The total North Carolina delegation had the second largest representation behind California.

Many members of the Triangle Association attended the recent NCAHU’s annual symposium. This was one of the largest attended symposiums to date with over six hundred in attendance. If you have not attended the symposium in the past please make plans to do so next year. There are great speaker and programs, plus you can obtain twelve hours of C.E. credit over the two days.

If you would like additional information about the Triangle Association of health Underwriters please visit our award winning website, www.nctahu.org.

Barry Hill
MMIC
700 Spring Forest Road
Raleigh, NC 27624
919-878-7576
919-878-7590 Fax
barry.hill@mmicnc.com

Continuing Education:
Judy Fourie

Get your CE Credits early!

Topic: HSAs & HRAs: Creative Options for Controlling Health Care Costs

Instructor: Cheryl S. Elkin from Elkin & Associates, LLC

Date: May 10, 2005

Time: 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Location: Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh, NC

Cost: $30.00 per participant

Contact Judy Fourie (contact information below).

Presented by the Triangle Association of Health Underwriters

Judy Fourie
J. Fourie & Company
975 Walnut Street, #218
Cary, NC 27511-4216
919-481-1815
919-380-8660 Fax
judyfourie@jfourie.com

Law and Legislation:
Bill Hendrickson

DON’T FORGET THE 'DAY ON THE HILL' MAY 3. THIS IS THE DAY WHEN TAHU AND OTHER INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL GROUPS CONNECT WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT. THERE’S GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS BOILING IN RALEIGH, SO OUR APPEARANCE IS ESSENTIAL!

Senate Bill 534 establishes a format through which a High Risk Pool would be established and administered. The pool would be administered by a board of ten members to be appointed by the Insurance Commissioner. This Board would develop a plan of operation, select an Administrator, and implement programs to help contain insurance costs. Such programs would include cost containment measures like preadmission testing, second opinions, disease management, contracting with physicians and hospitals and other known techniques to assist in cost control.

The Board would determine eligibility for those to participate in the pool and would determine (within legislative guidelines) the premium to be paid by those in the pool.

Financing has always been a bugaboo in establishing the pool. Elements expected to provide financing include, of course, premiums payments for those insured, assessments to insurers and reinsurers in the state, service charges for hospital admissions and other health care facilities, etc. There are broader methods of financing that have been suggested to Raleigh and to NAHU, so it seems safe to say that something can be expected to come from this legislation.

House Bill 20 should be supported aggressively by TAHU, the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, and all Chambers of Commerce in the state. This would provide a tax credit for small businesses that provide employee health insurance. There are certain limitations in the bill, but if the small business met these requirements, they would receive a tax credit of up to $400 for each eligible employee who has the employer’s health insurance plan.

MEDICAID continues to swallow more and more of the state budget. Reports are in the news of many states that are seeing their Medicaid costs spiral upward with no end in sight. Forward thinking people predict that by the year 2050, Medicaid will be swallowing 50% and more of state budgets. The Federal Government is reducing Medicaid allowances to the states and the counties are asking the state government for more Medicaid funding. These are tough financing issues which will require tight monitoring and the development of creative solutions for providing health care for indigents.

House Bill 285 would provide an individual income tax deduction for preventive health services for the tax payer or dependents. These preventive services include periodic medical, dental, and visions exams, health education, including nutrition education, drug monitoring, mental health preventive services, immunization, and other services designed to keep people fit and well. Considering the many friends we all have that suffer from obesity, diabetes, cardiac difficulties, joint pain and the need for joint surgery, this should be welcome legislation.

WALL STREET JOURNAL/and other sources: the number of lower leg amputations resulting from diabetes-related complications are on the rise. There were 110,000 of these amputations in 2002 versus 99,522 in 1993. People with diabetes often experience numbness in their feet due to poor blood circulation and if their feet become wounded, they are slow to heal. Infection sets in which often leads to amputation. Doctors at Mayo Clinic have developed a new “bypass” surgery technique which markedly reduces the need for amputation, but the key way to reduce the need for amputation is early detection of foot problems. Diabetes is an increasing problem among America’s obese millions. Weight control is the surest treatment for diabetes and the most proven way to avoid the threat of amputation.

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE: This organization is promoting the Patient Power Paradigm which empowers consumers to make their own health care decisions without interference from bureaucrats and third parties. The IPI says the federal government should promote this Paradigm by:

Aggressively promoting Health Savings Accounts;
Congress should reimburse health care providers the fill cost of treating Medicaid patients to avoid cost shifting to those with private insurance;
Congress should allow consumers to purchase health insurance not burdened with costly state mandates.
Guarantee issue and community rating should be repealed to level the cost playing field of health insurance.

We have heard the cries for these reforms before, but if enough respected groups and individuals join the chorus, the needed changes will come and the so-called “health care crisis” will diminish.

William Hendrickson
Hendrickson & Company, Inc.
2219 Lawrence Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278
919 644-8636
919 644-6433 Fax
bill2219@mindspring.com

Media Relations:
Elizabeth Barnard

Monthly meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month starting at 11:45 AM

The next meeting will be held on April 12th, 2005 at the Brier Creek Country Club, Main Clubhouse

Come enjoy the food, fellowship, and presentation.

Featured Speaker: Pat Hyduk of the Tax Research Institute
Subject: Tax Strategies for Insurance Agents & Professionals
Sponsor: Wellpath

All members and their guests are invited to attend.

Member Lunch: $12.00
Guest Lunch: $16.00

Guaranteed seating for the luncheon meeting is by reservation only.

RSVP to: david@beninslaw.com

Elizabeth Barnard
Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
Eastowne 600 3d Floor
5901 Chapel Hill Road
Durham, NC 27702
919-765-4686
919-765-3819 Fax
elizabeth.barnard@bcbsnc.com

Membership:
Beth Donner
Membership:
Doug Young

I'd like to recognize the following new or renewing members.

Detreecia Byers with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Mike Cousins with Worksite Services Inc
Megan Davis with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Doug Ebner with Ebner Financial Group
Bill Faison with Moore and Johnson
Steve Greer with The Planning Group, Inc
Dan Hill with Hill, Chesson & Woody
Pete Josselyn with Qualified Retirement Plan Services, Inc
Stan McDaniel with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Leslie McMillian with Mang Insurance Agency
Sandra Page with S&S Healthcare Strategies

Elizabeth C. Donner
Diversified Planning
10 Ivy Hollow Court
Morrisville, NC 27560
919-460-6076
919-380-0908 Fax
bdonner@investment-works.com

Public Service:
Fran Richardson
Public Service:
Nancy Gibson

Spring is finally in the air and it turns our thoughts to the new life that comes in the form of trees and plants coming to full bloom. From those seeds we eventually reap the rewards of the fall harvest.

With that thought it mind, we would like to ask that you share the bounty that you presently have by donating to the NC Food Bank in one of two ways: cash donations or non-perishable food. The Food Bank has often depleted their resources at this time. We remember others in need during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays but fail to remember that their needs continue throughout the year.

Thank you in advance for remembering this worthy recipient.

Frances H. Richardson
4020 Westchase Blvd., Suite 275
Raleigh, NC 27607
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 30995
Raleigh, NC 27622
919-755-3210
919-326-9868 Fax
f.richardson@nmfn.com

Website:
Michele Gregory, MHP, RHU, REBC

SPRING HOUSECLEANING

It's been a long time since we've had a good housecleaning on the website Membership page. This would be a great month for you to check the contact information we have for you, to see if it is current. Please let me know if we need to change your address, phone number(s), email address, or anything else. I will update your data overnight and forward it to Beth Donner so she can update national records, as well.

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 Announcements:

Triangle Chapter’s Own, Judy Fourie, Named To NC Health Insurance Innovations Commission

Judy Fourie, President of J. Fourie & Company, an insurance company specializing in health insurance for groups and individuals, was recently appointed a member of the North Carolina Health Insurance Innovations Commission. As a member of this commission, Fourie will lend her expertise to issues including the cost of existing health insurance mandates and potential reforms that could reduce such costs. The Health Insurance Innovations Commission was established to address the availability and affordability of health insurance coverage for small business owners and employees.

"I’m honored to be a part of this commission," said Fourie. "I plan to work hard to ensure that small businesses have every opportunity when it comes to health insurance."

About J. Fourie & Company:

J. Fourie & Company, located in Cary, NC, specializes in health insurance for employee groups and individuals, long-term disability, life insurance, long-term care, and retirement planning. In 2003, Fourie was named one of the Triangle Business Journal’s top 25 Women in Business. For more information, call (919) 481-1815 or on the internet at www.jfourie.com.

Go Judy!!!!

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.

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
2004-2005

Pfizer Managed Care

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