March 2010 Newsletter - North Carolina Association of Health

President’s Message
IN THIS ISSUE
M. Hughes Waren, Jr., RHU - President, NCAHU
March has been a busy month for NCAHU with the upcoming
Symposium, awards submissions, and Capitol Conference. Chad
Blankenburg and his symposium committee have been putting the final
touches on our 21st Annual Symposium “Success, It’s All in the Planning.”
Our exhibitors have stepped up to the plate and supported this continuing
education event in greater numbers than last year. More exhibitors, more
attendees, equals
more revenue for our
state. Thank you to
United Healthcare for
leading the way.
March is the last
month for each local
& state chapter to
submit for national
awards. Our state
has a long history
of bringing home
multiple banners from
Gupton, Kay Schmitt, Senator Kay Hagan,
our annual convention. Cristy
Tori Thomas, and Hughes Waren.
President’s Message
Retention
Inclusive Health
Media Relations
HUPAC
Membership
Symposium
Symposium Agenda
Charlotte
Coastal
Sandhills
Triangle
Triad Golf Tournament
Triad
Western NC
Western Piedmont
1
2
3
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7
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Cristy Gupton, our
state awards chair, is
“Even though the House
available to help local
chapters with submisof Representatives passed the
sion questions or procedures. I am very proud
Senate bill on Sunday March
of the accomplishments
21st, 2010 our work is not over. from each chapter during this award period
and I suspect we will
We are focused on the Senate
have another successful
Reconciliation bill language.
awards ceremony in
Chicago this summer.
Sen. Hagan will continue to
March is also the month we storm Capitol Hill. NCAHU had
50
members from across the state attend the NAHU Capitol
be our focus for the next few
Conference earlier this month. I have to thank all of the local
presidents for getting your members to attend, especially the
weeks.”
first time attendees. Our productive trip to D.C. could not have
been possible without the leadership and organizational skills
of our Legislative Chair, Ken Sherlin. His experience in Washington, his knowledge of the issues and Congressional
leaders proved to be a valuable resource for the conference veterans and first timers alike. THANK KEN!
Keep up your calls to Hagan’s office. Thanks for what you all do for our industry. •
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
1
March 2010
Retention
We have all heard that we are all on the membership
committee. It is all of our jobs to find and recruit new
members. Well I want to let you know that we are all on
Teri Gutierrez - Chair
NCAHU Secretary/Treasurer the retention committee as well. Retention/renewal is
critical to growing our membership. Our most at-risk
members are those that have been members for two years or less.
As an active member of your local association you can make a
significant impact when it comes to helping retain these newer
members. Here are a couple of simple things you can do to help:
• Volunteer to greet members as they arrive for your local
meeting.
• Sit with a newer member at your local meeting and introduce
them to other members.
• Introduce them to the membership chair and recommend that
they get involved with one of the committees.
The goal is to have our newer members feel welcome and
connected to the local association. Members that are involved and
engaged with the association are much more likely to be long time members. Look
forward to seeing as many of you as possible at Symposium in less than a month. •
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Meet NCAHU members from across North Carolina on our
social networking group page on Facebook and professional
networking group page on LinkedIn.
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
2
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March 2010
Inclusive Health Training
Scheduled for Symposium
Brokers/Agents Played a Big Role in 2009 Success
Brokers and agents were involved in 47% of all Inclusive Health enrollments in 2009
reports Executive Director Michael Keough. “We are grateful to NCAHU and its
members for the role they have played in our success. In 2009, 803 agents were
involved in at least one referral. We are working on a number of changes to make it
even easier and more worthwhile for agents to get involved with Inclusive Health in
2010.” Inclusive Health will be holding a broker/agent training on Monday, April 12th
from 4 pm to 5:30 pm prior to April’s NCAHU Symposium. It will be held at The Hearn
Ballroom in the Winston-Salem Marriott.
Agents who complete the training successfully will be listed on the Inclusive Health
enrollment website www.inclusivehealth.org for interested applicants to contact for
enrollment assistance. Sign up will be done on a first come first serve basis by contacting the Inclusive Health Call Center at 1-866 - 665 -2117.
“The website agents listing proved to be a successful source of referrals and leads in
2009 for Inclusive Health” said Keough. “Between now and the training, we will be
announcing additional changes to our referral fees, and on-line application to make it
even easier for agents to assist Inclusive Health enrollees. Last year’s training at
the Symposium was well attended and we look forward to even a bigger group this
year.”
CIGNA’S Mission:
To help the people we serve
improve their health,
Our goal is to reduce health care costs and, ultimately,
well-being
increase productivity by and
havingsecurity.
a positive impact on
CIGNA’s Mission:
To help the people we serve improve their health,
well-being, and security
Our goal
is to
reduce
health
CIGNA
is pleased
to support
the care
Triad Association
of Health Underwriters.
costs
and, ultimately,
increase
productivity by
having a positive impact on
employee’s behavior and lifestyle
decisions.
employee's behavior and lifestyle decisions.
CIGNA is pleased to
support the
North Carolina Association
of Health Underwriters.
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
3
March 2010
Media
Relations
Membership
Jim Deese – Chair
NCAHU Vice President
Mark Waugh – Chair
NCAHU
President
Hughes
Waren, Jr. was
invited to be a
guest on the
Morning Beat
talk radio
show to
discuss
healthcare
reform. His interview aired on
Wilmington’s 106.3 FM The Big
Talker at 8am Friday March 19th.
During the 45 minute spot Hughes
was able to promote Brokers Making
a Difference and discuss many of the
pitfalls of the current Senate bill that was
scheduled to be voted on the following
Sunday.
In addition, President Waren sent an
HUPAC
email to the entire NCAHU membership
voicing his views on how NCAHU/
NAHU will continue to provide
professional advice to the consumers
of NC. This is in response to President
Obama’s signing the Healthcare Reform
Bill on March 23rd. •
Congratulations to the North Carolina Association
of Health Underwriters on an outstanding HUPAC contribution
Blake Spell – Chair year. In calendar year 2009 NCAHU contributed $40,431 to
HUPAC; a 27% increase from CY 2008. I would like to recognize a
couple local chapters for their dedication and contributions to the
PAC:
• Percent of statewide total: Triad = 25%, Triangle = 20%
• Contribution per member:
Sandhills = $117.22, Western NC = $87.84
• From a regional perspective NCAHU once again lead the
way. Region 5 increased CY 2009 contributions by 36% from
2008 to $109,369. NCAHU’s share of that regional total was 36%.
Your contributions are making a difference as our NAHU
leadership in DC continue to use those funds to bend the ear of
our legislators and shape “health insurance reform” into something
that will have a meaningful impact on the cost of care and the availability of care to those
who do not have access to it.
Continue to give and talk to others about why they should if they are not today. If you
have questions about HUPAC or NCPAC please contact me (336.540.7780) or your local
PAC chair. •
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NCAHU The Health Underwriter
4
NCAHU was
well represented
at the recent
NAHU Capitol
Conference in
Washington DC.
North Carolina
had as many members attend as
some regions all
together and that
is a testament to
your commitment to our industry and
our professional trade association. The
key word being “professional” trade
association. As a member of NCAHU you
are saying to your clients that you are a
professional, you do stay informed and
up to date on some very complicated
issues regarding health care financing.
Being a member of NCAHU brings great
value to your business and is something
you should be proud of.
YOU ARE A
PROFESSIONAL!
We held our monthly conference call
on the first Friday of the month. We have
these calls each month for all of the local
Membership Chairs and local Presidents
to call in and share ides concerning
membership recruitment and retention.
I believe these calls have been very
successful. This can be demonstrated in
our total membership count as well as
our retention numbers this year. As of
this article NCAHU has 920 members
and we rank 7th in the country in new
member growth and 4th for retention
during the current GAIN contest.
As you know we have concluded our
NCAHU Membership Campaign which
began November 1, 2009 and finished
March 1, 2010. You will recall that for
each new member recruited the
contestant received 7 points and if the
new member put their dues on bank
draft the contestant received an
additional 3 points. All NCAHU members
were eligible for the campaign and the
winners will receive $150 and $75 gift
cards. The winners will be notified
shortly and presentations will be made
at the NCAHU Symposium. During the
campaign we recruited 63 new members.
Well done everyone.
Thank you to each of you for being a
member of the best state chapter in the
nation. Keep up the good work, it
matters. •
March 2010
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
5
March 2010
NCAHU 21st Annual Symposium & Exhibition
MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Inclusive Health Agent Training
Embassy Suites Hotel
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
7:00 PM
Registration Open
Benton Convention Center
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by The Cason Group
Garden Terrace – Embassy Suites
4:15 PM – 5:30 PM
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
9:30 PM
Healthcare Reform –
Where Does It Stand?
Michael Tanner, Senior Fellow
Cato Institute
Aerobics Class - Marriott
Lead by Tori Thomas
Under 40 Council Social
“6th & Vine”
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010
7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Registration Open
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration Open
7:45 AM – 8:30 AM
8:00 AM – 8:20 AM
7:00 AM – 7:45 AM
Continental Breakfast (Exhibit Hall)
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
The State of Health Insurance
Russ Childers, NAHU President
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
1:50 PM – 2:40 PM
2:40 PM – 3:30 PM
3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Opening Ceremonies & Welcome
COBRA/ARRA Update
Karli Dunkelberger, OptumHealth
Break (Exhibit Hall)
2010 Frederick W. Joyner Award
Presentation by Chris Harrison
Coach Jim Grobe
Wake Forest University
Head Football Coach
“Leadership and Teamwork”
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast (Exhibit Hall)
8:20 AM – 8:30 AM
Special Presentation
ʻSpirit of NCAHU Awardʼ
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
Customer Loyalty –
The New Standard
Polly White, SPHR
Richmond Performance Group
Break (Exhibit Hall)
NCDOI Commissioner
Wayne Goodwin
Ethics
Anthony Boquet –
The American College
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
Break (Exhibit Hall)
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Ethics
Anthony Boquet –
The American College
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Lunch (Exhibit Hall)
Healthcare Delivery Panel Discussion
Eileen Kohlenber, PhD. –
Associate Professor and
Associate Dean for Graduate
Programs –
School of Nursing UNC-G
Brenden OʼHara, President of
the NC Assoc. of Pharmacists
Tim Rice, President & CEO –
Moses Cone Health System
Grace Terrell, MD, MMM, CPE,
FACP, FACPE – CEO
Cornerstone Health Care, P.A.
Moderator: Fred Joyner
Opening Ceremonies & Welcome
Tort Reform - Panel Discussion
Heston LaMar, M.D., FACEP –
Eastern Carolina Emergency
Physicians
David Sousa, Vice President &
General Counsel, Medical
Mutual Insurance Company of NC
Moderator: David Smith
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Lunch (Exhibit Hall)
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Disability Coverage –
Are Your Clients Covered?
Dave Denniston, US Paralympian
1:15 PM – 1:30 PM
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
NCPAC Raffle drawing
Worksite Marketing
Bonnie Brazzell, VP Eastbridge
Consulting Group, Inc.
Ann Phillips - Keynote Speaker
“Building High Performance
Teams”
Charlotte
CAHU hosted new Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx at
our March meeting, sponsored by the Bank of Oak
Ridge. Mayor Foxx shared his ideas for creating new
Nat Smith – President
jobs in Charlotte and retaining the banking and finance
positions that have fueled past growth. He emphasized the need to make Charlotte
small-business friendly and reduce or eliminate roadblocks to new business startups.
Ten members returned late Wednesday 3/10 from our annual lobbying visit to
Washington, DC for Capitol Conference. During three very busy days we heard from
NAHU, elected officials, economists, pollsters, and Washington insiders, and met with
North Carolina Senators, Congressmen, and their legislative aides to share our views
on the need for health care reform done right and for changing the reform focus to
how we can lower the cost of health care. I would like to personally thank Sherry
Crawford, Eric Foster, Bruce Frizen, Wes Grigston, Lindsay Norvell, Suzanne Proctor,
Brook Seaford, Kay Schmitt, and Kathleen Thomas for the time, energy, and
wonderful support of our industry they displayed during our DC visit. CAHU is
blessed to have such knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers.
Our association’s Golf Tournament will be 6/21 at Raintree Country Club. Bob
Frazer and his committee are hard at work planning this year’s event. Please contact
Bob at [email protected] if you can help with a foursome,
sponsor, or prizes. This tournament is our primary fundraising mechanism for both
The Spokes Group donation and our Capitol Conference trip. Thanks for your support
of CAHU. •
Coastal
Michael Smith – President
February was a great month for Coastal. We held our
Membership Blitz on February 26th, to make calls to prospective
members. Members called over 300 prospects to provide an
invitation to join us for a free lunch and learn about Coastal Health
Underwriters. We should see our results in our March 25th
meeting. We are now at 99 members, and are working to surpass
the 100 mark by the end of March.
On February 17th and 19th, Coastal members assisted Inclusive
Health with open house enrollments in Supply, NC and Whiteville,
NC. Members - Connette Bradley, Joyce Britt, Amanda Smith, Sam
Carr, Nick Ogden, Hughes Waren, Ray Custer and Michael Smith
were present to meet with over 40 people that showed up to ask questions and talk about
enrollment.
Our March
meeting
speaker will
be Brian
Kroll of
Companion
Global, to
talk about
medical
tourism. This
is a growing
trend for
health care as
patients try
to reduce
medical cost.
It is also an
additional
Capitol Conference, Richard Burrʼs Office - James Warren,
(continued
Ronald Sheffield, Hughes Waren, Michael Smith and Darlene
Smith.
next page)
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
7
March 2010
Coastal
(continued)
savings concept for self-insured groups.
Sponsors are Phil Collier of Basic Plus
Insurance Services, LLC and Dr. Michael
Graybar of Graybar Chiropractic.
March 8th – 10th, was our annual Capitol Conference in
Washington DC. Coastal had six members in attendance. Local
members representing Coastal included NCAHU President - Hughes
Waren, Coastal President – Michael A. Smith, President Elect –
Ronald Sheffield, Leg Chair – Mark Waugh, James Warren and
Darlene Smith. Three of our six attendees are first timers to Capitol
Conference. Excellent information was provided and we had visits
with our elected officials. Local members met with staff of Kay Hagen,
Richard Burr, Mike McIntyre and Walter Jones. Health care is still
alive and we must not stop the fight. Cost of care, tort reform and
Capitol Conference,Kay Hagenʼs Office - Hughes Waren,
jobs are the topics to focus on as the vote approaches that will change James Warren, Ronald Sheffield, Michael Smith and
Darlene Smith.
health care as we know it. •
Sandhills
Tuesday was a big day. Our
local association got together for
the first time since the Democrats
Kelly Sherrill – President
passed the healthcare reform bill,
at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
in Fayetteville. We got to share our
amazement at this bill and talk with fellow
professionals about what it might mean to
our industry. We shared lunch provided
by Cape Fear Valley Health System, and
listened to Michael Nagowski, CEO, give
an overview of the new healthsystem
leadership team, activity in the
ER, recent accreditations making
the health system a center of excellence in several areas
and hopeful expansion into Hoke County. “Mike” gave a
relaxed talk and candidly answered questions. We had
an excellent turnout and saw some old friends in Baylus
Bramble and Linda Bailey.
Johnny Dawkins also shared he was running for the
NC House. Johnny is one of two insurance agents
seeking election across the state. Let’s get behind
Johnny and help him win his primary. Local agents can
help by putting a yard sign up at their home or business.
But I am sure we can all find a way to help. •
(Above) Tracy
Mozingo and
Johnny Dawkins in
the Executive Board
Room of Cape Fear
Valley Medical
Center.
(Left) Mike
Nagowski, CEO of
CFVHS, addresses
SAHU members at
the March meeting.
Triangle
(Submitted by Tom Snell.)
We just came back from Cap
Conference and I want to thank
everyone that participated. Even in
Dean Holmes – President the face of potentially harmful legislation to our industry, it is always a great
experience to meet with our elected representatives to share views and concerns on
behalf of our members.
The Triangle Chapter was well represented and we met with both NC Senators
and Congressmen that represent our area.
As you know, this is still a “fluid” situation
and it’s very hard to predict what will be
the outcome. I did walk away with a sense
that the forces of change are upon us no matter what happens in
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
8
this legislative session.
Every time I come back from Washington DC it reminds me
how important HUPAC contributions are and have become. At
times It seems like we ask a lot of our members financially, but
the reality is the groups that are diametrically opposed to private
sector health care financing solutions are well funded and focused,
and they will not stop until we have a Canadian-European style
delivery system, or something close to it.
The last statistics I saw were something like 13% of NAHU
members give to HUPAC. If everyone gave $10 per month, the
impact we could have in Washington and North Carolina would
grow geometrically. Take a “restaurant holiday” just one day a
month and there is your $10 contribution!
Thanks for your continued support of NAHU and the Triangle
Chapter! •
March 2010
2010
Annual Charity
Golf Tournament
Thursday May 13, 2010
Greensboro Country Club
410 S UNSET D RIVE , G REENSBORO , NC 27408
Charity:
Entry Fee:
$500 Per Team
FORMAT: CAPTAIN’S CHOICE
11:30 A.M. - REGISTRATION
12:30 P.M. - SHOTGUN START
Box lunch will be provided
Hole Sponsorships Available
For Details Contact: Elizabeth Cook 919-337-1896 or Ted McVickers 336-316-5307
2010 TAHU Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Official Registration Form
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2010
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:
Triad Association of Health Underwriters
I would like to play, but I can’t make it; however, I would
like to contribute to Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro.
Contribution Amount $
MAIL REGISTRATION FORM & PAYMENT TO:
Wellpath Select, Inc.
Attn: Elizabeth Cook
2801 Slater Rd., Suite 200
Morrisville, NC 27560
Entry Fee: $500 Per Team (4 PLAYERS)
Includes Golf cart, Range balls, Lunch & Prizes
CONTACT PERSON/TEAM CAPTAIN*:
COMPANY NAME/ADDRESS:
E-MAIL & PHONE:
1ST PLAYER NAME:
2ND PLAYER NAME:
3RD PLAYER NAME:
4TH PLAYER NAME:
We would like to sponsor a hole ($125)
Yes
No
We would like to be a “Hole In One” sponsor.
Yes
No
Yes
No
For information on the “Hole In One” sponsorship contact Elizabeth Cook 919-337-1896
We would like to donate a prize(s) for the tournament.
If yes, list donated item(s)
*Team captains will be the point person in case of inclement weather or changes.
Triad
Greetings from the Triad!
Capital Conference 2010 in
Cheryl Dukes – President behind us. We had 11 TAHU
chapter members attend and 3
first time attendees. We met with
Representatives Virginia Fox and
Howard Coble. We also met with the
Health Director for Senator Burr and the
Legislative Aide for Senator Hagan. All of
our meetings were productive however
it seemed our message fell on deaf ears
with the aide from Senator Hagan’s
office. The town of D.C. is definitely
divided upon party lines when it comes
to the healthcare overhaul.
An economist we heard at our conference called us
“Ambassadors of Reality.” I totally agree. Many of our representatives have totally lost touch with their constituents. Hopefully
when they go home for Easter break (assuming the Senate bill
has not passed by then), the people will make their views loud
and clear. NAHU's main opposition to the Senate bill is that it
does nothing to control healthcare costs. All of us in the
business know that 80% of the insurance premium rates are
composed of claims. Without control of the claims, nothing
will change. Rates will continue to rise and more and more
businesses will stop sponsoring group health plans, penalty
or no penalty.
At last month’s meeting we had Paul Russ Director of
Resource Development from Hospice of the Piedmont and
Palliative Care of the Piedmont. This group is our charity for
our TAHU golf tournament being held Thursday afternoon,
May 13th at Greensboro Country Club. We appreciate Paul’s
moving presentation. Our Diamond Sponsor for our March
meeting was UNUM. A big thanks to Andrew Edwards and
Brad Schumacher for their presentation.
We will have our April 6th meeting at Starmount Country
Club at 11:45-1 pm in Greensboro. Our speaker will be Jeanie
Schepisi from the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Jeanie will discuss who SHIIP is and what SHIIP does,
Medicare 2010
(including Parts A, B,
C and D), Medicare
supplements– the
changes that are
coming in June, and
preventive benefits.
(Left) Rep. Virginia
Fox and her legal
aide.
(Below) Outside
Rep. Howard
Cobleʼs office.
Jeanie has been with SHIIP since 1996 and has a wealth of
knowledge on the program and Medicare. You don’t want to
miss this program!
Our April Diamond Sponsor will be Companion Life.
Regional Manager Brad Wells will be present to tell us more
about Companion Life and their products.
Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings. Just let me
know ahead of time! We also invite all of you to join in the fun
of our annual TAHU golf tournament on Thursday afternoon,
May 13th. It will be held at Greensboro Country Club in
Greensboro. •
Western NC
Finally, the weather has
been kind enough to let us
meet. After snow canceled
Mike Norris – President
both our January and
February meetings, we resumed with our
WNCAHU 2010 Education Seminar on
Friday, February 26th, at the Enka
Campus of AB Tech. Over 85 employers,
human resource officers, and agents were
in attendance to hear a Health Care
Reform update and a Privacy Law update
led by David Smith, and an afternoon
sponsored by The Hartford which focused
on (1) Workplace and Employee Benefit
Trends, (2) The Group Disability Value Proposition, and (3)
Return to Work Programs. Thank you, Sharon Robbins, for
leading another successful seminar.
(continued next page)
(Right) Chris Swecker, Assistant Director, FBI Retired
2006, speaking to WNCAHU regarding Medicare and
insurance fraud.
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
10
March 2010
Western NC
(continued)
we must speak even louder for appropriate reforms using private
market solutions.
On 07 April we will detour from our Friday breakfast meeting
format to have a Wednesday lunch meeting with Insurance
Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Come join us!
FIGHT WE SHALL – AND ADAPT IF WE MUST! •
Our membership telephone
blitz and promotion netted two new
members. Ken Sherlin conducted a
new member orientation on 05
March.
About 35 members and guests attended our 05 March
breakfast to hear Chris Swecker, Assistant Director, FBI Retired
2006, discuss Medicare and medical insurance fraud. Mr. Swecker
was arguably one of our most interesting speakers and programs
this year. Drew Hassenzahl, Mutual of Omaha, sponsored this
meeting.
WNCAHU presented a check for $1300 to Donna Pierce of
Manna Food Bank during our March meeting. Thank you, Diane
Austin, for leading our charity fundraising.
Sharon Robbins, Kim Kendall, Carol Owens, Ken Sherlin, and I
just returned from another NAHU Capitol Conference. I must say
that Congress and Washington are as tense as I have seen in
many years. Our voice was certainly heard.The outcome of any
House vote is unknown as I write this newsletter. Whether or not
the House approves the Senate bill, our commitment as agents
must continue. If the House approves the bill, we will work within
the new system to assist our clients, all the while seeking to
reverse this mistaken path. If the House does not approve the bill,
Jennifer Moore listens to Donna Pierce of Manna Food
Bank thank WNCAHU for a $1300 check.
Western Piedmont
member of the House that shares the same perspectives as our
organization. I also had the pleasure of attending the legislative
meeting with Senator Kay Hagen’s office. Our group, of about 13,
met with Senator Hagen’s Aide and expressed some of our views
on this legislation. The response, although polite, left us feeling as
if Hagen’s position will not change. I encourage any and all of you
to call her office and express your concerns and encourage her to
rethink her position.
WPAHU recently was awarded the Silver Seal Award to 2010. I
would like to commend Leighanne Sharpe on gathering and submitting this information, without her efforts, this may not have
been achieved. Thanks Leighanne!
Our ongoing membership contest has resulted in the recruitment of one new member to date and we hope to recruit more
before the end of the month. Our Chapter has grown this year and
we are very proud of the efforts of Angela Smith, or President
Elect and Membership Chair.
Eddie Icard is busy scheduling our local “Day on the Hill”. He
will be scheduling visits to our local legislatures by the end of
March. All of our members are encouraged to attend these visits if
possible. He will be releasing a schedule of the visits soon and
send it to the membership once finalized.
In closing, I am pleased to announce that WPAHU recently conducted a member survey. The results reported represent about
25% of the membership and were positive in all areas. This indication of satisfied members is wonderful news to our hard working
Board. Marjorie Reynolds led the project and sent out the detailed
results to our membership earlier this week. Thanks to all those
who participated. If you have not completed the survey, it can be
found on our website, www.WPAHU.org. Also on our website is a
posting of the WPAHU annual accomplishments and “year in
review”. Please take a minute to see how active our Chapter has
been. Have a great week!
“Get in the game!” •
Lori Alala – President
Gail Martin with Dream Spinner
Communications presented a program on
social media at our March meeting. She
did a great job informing the membership
of the differences between the social
media outlets and how we could use these
tools to promote business, as well as educate people regarding various health insurance issues. It was a great program. Our
meeting was sponsored by Reliance
Standard. Special thanks to Aaron Norman
for his willingness to support our Association. Our Vendors are so
important and we appreciate their continued support. Special visitor, Chad Blankenburg, NCAHU Pres Elect and Chairman of our
NCAHU annual symposium was present at our meeting and made
some announcements about the programs, speakers and scheduled events that will take place at this year’s symposium. I’m looking forward to the event and hope to see many WPAHU members
there.
Six WPAHU members traveled to Washington DC to attend the
NAHU Cap Conference. These are interesting times in
Washington. Regardless of one’s position on healthcare, it was
apparent that there is much citizen concern about their elected
leadership in Washington. So many issues need to be addressed
and are causing a feeling of uneasiness among people. The most
prominent being the growing debt and loss of jobs. While at the
conference, we heard from such speakers as newly elected Senator
Scott Brown (R) from Massachutes and Ben Nelson (D) of
Nebraska. We also had time to visit legislators on the hill. Our
group specifically met with Congressman Patrick McHenry.
Congressman McHenry also shares our concerns about the pending Health Care Reform Bill and it was nice to be greeted by a
NCAHU The Health Underwriter
11
March 2010