Healthcare Happy Hour

President Joe Biden delivered the 2023 State of the Union on Tuesday evening. As usual, healthcare and the administration’s healthcare priorities were a large part of the presidential address. Hey, speaking of addresses in DC, are you ready to come to 400 New Jersey Avenue NW? Because that’s where NABIP’s 2023 Capitol Conference will be hosted! We know listeners have been anxiously awaiting the association’s talking points for members’ meetings with their lawmakers. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy Buckner returns to discuss our legislative priorities for Capitol Conference as well as the State of the Union Address.

This week NABIP submitted two comment letters and one response to a request for information to HHS and CMS. One of these comment letters is in response to the proposed 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, which contains provisions directly impacting agents and brokers. Here to discuss our comments on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour is none other than Marcy M. Buckner!

We are just one month away from our annual Capitol Conference, and the first Capitol Conference as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals! As folks who have already been to Cap Con know, it’s the responsibility of each chapter's delegation to make their appointments for Congressional lobbying visits during Cap Con. But how? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Director of Government Affairs Husni Abdelaziz joins us to walk you through the process

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are providing an audio preview of a significant resource for those interested in Medicare M&A. In this three-part panel, the most knowledgeable M&A minds in our industry -- Brett Rosen, Dan Mangus and Jennifer Borislow -- review what you need to consider if you are selling your Medicare business. In the first section that you can listen to here now, the trio discuss the emotional aspects of selling your business and what you need to mentally prepare for before, during and after the process. In the remaining two parts that you can watch on NABIP.org, the panel discusses the operational and financial considerations you must take into account when selling your Medicare business. Interested in watching the panel and accessing the other two parts? Check out NABIP’s Agency M&A portal now at https://nabip.org/mergers-and-acquisitions-portal/agency-mergers-acquisitions.

Kevin McCarthy is officially speaker of the House after a turbulent series of votes late last week, allowing the House to conduct official business and begin solidifying Congressional members’ committee assignments. To discuss all the happenings of this new Congress, on this week’s episode of the NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour are Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene and – making his podcast debut – our new Vice President of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel!

Happy New Year, and welcome to the NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour! On this week’s episode, NABIP’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner is here to review some items that were released over the holidays, including the end-of-year omnibus package, a delay on certain CAA reporting requirements, and a new report on surprise billing.

Welcome to the last podcast of the year – and the last ever NAHU Healthcare Happy Hour, because next time you listen, we will be the NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour, the official podcast of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals! Last week the agencies released a host of relevant regulatory content, including a new Medicare Advantage and Part D proposed rule that would impact independent agents. On this week’s Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy Buckner is back to discuss this proposal as well as several other proposed and final rules impacting the employer-sponsored and individual markets.

Businesses need to find, hire and keep the best employees. They also need to simplify HR processes and make compliance and legal requirements easier. That’s where isolved comes in. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Director of Benefit Services Carla Adams joins us to discuss isolved’s 2022 employee benefit surveys, and provide insight on workplace trends, the changing needs of the workforce and the value benefits play in helping meet employee needs.

Health insurance professionals, particularly those who work on the employer-sponsored end of things, are acutely aware of health reimbursement arrangements, or HRAs. But exactly how many and what types of employers are adopting and utilizing their HRAs? And what about the growth of other types of HRAs, including the relatively new individual coverage HRAs, or ICHRAS? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guests Mark Mixer and Robin Paoli of the HRA Council to discuss the Council’s inaugural report on growth trends for ICHRA and QSEHRA.

NAHU is happy to announce that a bill has been introduced that would exclude Medicare agents from the recent, burdensome Medicare Advantage marketing requirements. Here to discuss this – as well as to provide a midterm election update – on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is NAHU’s John Greene and Marcy M. Buckner.

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guests and Long-Term Care Advisory Group members Lori Martin and Steve Cain to discuss LTC in health policy. Lori, president of Envision Benefit Specialists LLC, and Steve, director at LTCI Partners, discuss the importance and execution of long-term care needs for people over 65 during LTC awareness month.

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene and NAHU HUPAC Manager Nathan Makla discuss the midterm elections and how control of the Senate and House has still yet to be determined. They also review the key Senate races which will determine which party holds the chamber in the 118th Congress and what we may expect during the lame duck session.

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene and NAHU HUPAC Manager Nathan Makla provide a preview of next week’s midterm election discussing the key races that will determine Senate and House party control.

As we are all aware of by now, HHS released the final rule to fix the ACA’s family glitch earlier this month. On the October 14 edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner discussed the regulation in detail. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy is back to provide some more information on the final rule after discussions with CCIIO.

CMS released FAQs on Wednesday regarding the Medicare Marketing Rule, providing official written clarification on several questions that NAHU and our members have posed to the agency over the last several months. Additionally, NAHU’s John Greene hosted a panel at Better Medicare Alliance’s 2022 National Medicare Advantage Summit earlier this week. To discuss this and more, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is NAHU Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene.

HHS officially released the final rule on the ACA family glitch earlier this week. That’s right, the family glitch final rule is finally here! On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the family glitch, the proposed rule and what, if anything, has changed since its finalization, NAHU’s opinion on the regulation, and where we go from here.

HHS released a proposed rule at the end of July that would make significant revisions to Section 1557 of the ACA – a section of the law that deals with nondiscrimination. NAHU submitted comments in response to the proposed rule this week outlining what we support and where we have concerns. Here to discuss our letter, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is Marcy M. Buckner!

NAHU submitted a comment letter to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners this week regarding proposed changes to the NAIC’s Unfair Trade Practices Model Act, a law that regulates each state's insurance industry. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the NAIC’s proposed amendments as well as the questions and concerns we submitted to the association.

How much do you know about the National Association of Health Underwriters Political Action Committee, or HUPAC? On last week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU vice presidents of congressional affairs Chris Hartmann and John Greene discussed the last few primary elections of the season. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined once again by Chris Hartmann, but we are also joined by HUPAC Manager Nathan Makla, making his podcast debut! The two provide a broad overview of this year’s primaries and HUPAC’s role in elections past, present, and future.

NAHU received some answers from CMS regarding questions we posed in a recent letter to the agency’s marketing division regarding the Medicare marketing final rule that is set to be implemented on October 1. This week also saw a new bill introduced on a very important Medicare issue, as well as the last primary elections of the season before we head into November. To discuss all of this and more, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, are NAHU Vice Presidents of Congressional Affairs Chris Hartmann and John Greene.