Tribal Newsletter

IN TOUCH
NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
INDIAN COUNTRY’S TRIBAL BENEFITS & INSURANCE NEWS
LOVITT & TOUCHÉ’S DEEP ROOTS IN INDIAN COUNTRY
Long overdue, L&T is eager to launch our first quarterly Tribal News Letter. Lovitt & Touché’s service to Indian Country
has been refined for over three decades. In the 1980’s, L&T ran an in-house underwriting facility for Royal Insurance
Company. At that time we covered most of the Tribes in Arizona through Royal, and our expertise grew as we
provided claims adjusting and loss control services to Tribal Governments and their Enterprises.
Before IGRA, and the specialized markets serving Tribes, L&T had established strong working relationships with Tribal
Attorneys as well as outside Tribal Counsel. L&T’s in-house service operation and Tribal client base enabled
knowledge to be developed and service foundations to be built around ISDEAA and the FTCA, and Indian Health Care
Delivery systems that exist and continue to thrive into the present.
Today the field is narrowed down to a handful of specialized programs and insurers, and an almost equally small
handful of Brokers dedicated to Indian Country. We maintain close partnerships with ALL the carriers and TPAs that
effectively and efficiently serve Sovereign Nations. L&T’s on staff Risk Management Team and carrier partnerships
inside and outside of Indian Country allow us to bring forth the specialty insurance markets as partners to enhance,
develop, and evolve the Risk Management objectives of each Enterprise serving your Sovereign Nation, as well as
those of the programs and departments serving your communities via your public entity governing structure. Our
intimate understanding and years of experience building effective and lasting consultative partnerships with Native
Nations differentiates us from our competitors.
This Newsletter is designed as a comprehensive and objective resource to Tribal Leaders, Tribal Administration
Executive Offices, the C-Suite of all Tribal Enterprises to include Gaming, and members of Indian Country affiliated
associations – Gaming, Finance, Political, Health, and Legal.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE BENEFITS MARKET
By Robert Salas, L&T Tribal Relationships Manager
What was the outcome of your last discussion with your Broker on the Reauthorization of the Indian Healthcare
Improvement Act?
Indian Health’s discussion platforms along with communication clearing houses have an overwhelming plethora of
updates associated with the ACA’s (Affordable Care Act’s) impact on Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, as well as
Urban Indian Organizations. In this first issue, we will use the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) description
of Tribal Employer: “…to refer to Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations…”. We will
discuss a general comparison of options (FEHB, Private Exchange, Fully Insured, Self-Insured, Tribal Premium
Sponsorship) in the market place for those Tribal Employers who may exhaust resources on ever increasing premiums
to pay for fully insured plans, as well as Tribal Employers who may or may not be pursuing a Self-Governance Strategy
but have been convinced that a self-insured plan is the best idea since a sliced bread. Click here to request the
newsletter publication.
RISK MANAGEMENT & INSURANCE IN INDIAN COUNTRY
By John Kovacik, L&T Tribal Account Executive
What were your thoughts after your broker provided you the background and status of Insurance carriers serving
Tribal Governments and their Enterprises?
There are Brokers, Insurers and administrators of specialty insurance & risk management programs provided by a
range of insurers. Often when “the Insurance Market” is mentioned the conversation revolves around the “Insurance
Carriers”. There are four primary Insurance programs & insurers serving Tribes, each with their own history and
evolution. Here is a little background and current status of all four-- Tribal First, AMERIND Risk Management, OnPoint
– Program for Sovereign Indian Nations, and Travelers Public Sector/Tribal. Click here to request the newsletter
publication.
TRIBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Tribal Economic Development “A Total Approach”
By Shawn Bordeaux, VP Operations and Marketing, Ho-Chunk, Inc.
Using a tribe’s governmental and legal status to create successful economic development.
Ho-Chunk, Inc. is a successful tribal economic development corporation. It is wholly owned by the Winnebago Tribe of
Nebraska. The company has won several national awards for excellence in tribal economic development. Due to
these awards, over 30-tribes have visited the Winnebago. Because of these visits and the system of internal
innovation at Ho-Chunk, Inc. a blue print of what a Tribe needs to develop, implement, and consider was developed.
The focus of most economic development is related to specific projects or development initiatives. We believe that
without creating a tribal economic development environment that has the following elements, that your tribe’s
likelihood of long-term success is limited. Four elements of tribal economic success: …. Read More
LOVITT & TOUCHÉ IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Lovitt & Touché Supports Tribal Community’s
Morning Star Leaders Youth Council
Lovitt & Touché is proud to support and sponsor
Morning Star Leaders Youth Council (MSLYC), an
independent inter-tribal youth leadership council serving
Native American children and teens in the Phoenix metro
area. MSLYC is one of more than 140 Native Youth
Councils associated with United National Indian Tribal
Youth (UNITY). …….Read More
7th Annual Tucson Festival of Books: Native American
Pavilion
Lovitt & Touché helped celebrate the annual (and increasingly popular) Tucson Festival of Books with our sponsorship
of the Native American Pavilion. Our Dedicated Tribal
Service Unit coordinated efforts with hosting Sovereign
Nations, Tohono O’odham Nation, an the Pascua Yaqui
Tribe. Over 150,000 visitors from around the world
attended the Festival on the campus of the University of
Arizona. Our hosts filled the pavilion with traditional and
cultural art, song & dance, and story telling. …..Read
More