https://nabip.org en-us Copyright © 2026 NABIP nahumediabase@gmail.com nahumediabase@gmail.com https://nabip.org/media/7930/healthcare-happy-hour.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=1400&height=1400&rnd=133169727270000000&quality=60&cacheBuster=false https://nabip.org/media/7930/healthcare-happy-hour.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=1400&height=1400&rnd=133169727270000000&quality=60&cacheBuster=false Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:22:11 GMT The NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour podcast is released every other Thursday afternoon by the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, and includes a recap of the week’s top issues in healthcare and health insurance politics and policy. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:22:11 GMT NABIP nahumediabase@gmail.com No nahumediabase@gmail.com nahumediabase@gmail.com Jon Ossoff and The Reverend Dr. Raphael Warnock emerged victorious in Tuesday’s Georgia runoffs, meaning the Senate is now split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with the vice president able to break any ties. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner, John Greene and Chris Hartmann explain what this means for Congressional politics moving forward. https://nabip.org/media/5914/010821-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 08 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As we discussed on last week’s podcast, Democrats now have a narrow majority in the Senate, meaning President-Elect Joe Biden will have a much easier time forming his cabinet. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner, John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss Biden’s nominations for key positions so far, including secretary of Health and Human Services, attorney general, secretary of Labor and secretary of Treasury. https://nabip.org/media/5939/hhh-11521-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Earlier this week, NAHU released the general talking points that Capitol Conference attendees will use in their meetings with their members of Congress. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner gives a brief overview of these talking points and what you can expect if you attend the first-ever virtual Capitol Conference. Leading up to Capitol Conference, the Healthcare Happy Hour will feature episodes on each topic with more in-depth information to prepare you for your Congressional meetings. https://nabip.org/media/5950/12221-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 22 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On last week’s edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we briefly discussed our general talking points that Capitol Conference attendees will use in their meetings with their members of Congress – those are available in the Advocacy section of the NAHU website. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss what it’s like lobbying virtually and how to convey our legislative priorities to different audiences. In the coming weeks, we will take a deeper dive into specific talking points that are important for you to know before meeting with your members Congress. https://nabip.org/media/5972/012921-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We are less than three weeks away from our 31st Annual – and first-ever virtual - Capitol Conference! As promised, we are reviewing NAHU’s legislative priorities in detail leading up to our conference so that you are prepared for your meetings with your member of Congress. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses what NAHU is asking for from legislators in the area of coronavirus relief. https://nabip.org/media/5989/020521-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 05 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We are rapidly approaching our 31st annual – and first-ever virtual - Capitol Conference. We are reviewing NAHU’s legislative priorities in detail leading up to the conference so that you are prepared for meetings with your members of Congress. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner, John Greene and Chris Hartmann talk about what NAHU is asking for in the areas of Medicare, employer reporting, prescription drug prices and more. https://nabip.org/media/6020/021221-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 12 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We are just three days away from our 31st annual Capitol Conference so if you haven’t registered yet – registration closes tomorrow, so what are you waiting for? Go to NAHU.org now! And while you register, listen to Marcy M. Buckner, John Greene and Chris Hartmann talk about one of the most pertinent issues our industry is facing – the potential for a public option or single-payer healthcare system. https://nabip.org/media/6064/021921-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 19 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Welcome back to the Healthcare Happy Hour after our short Capitol Conference hiatus. And what a Cap Con it was! We were able to bring to you legislators from both sides of the aisle, innovative thinkers in health economics, a big name from CMS, coalition partners and, of course, our keynotes - Dr. Deepak Chopra and Shasta Nelson. Today Marcy M. Buckner and Dan Parker are joined by Legislative Council vice Chair Mark Gaunya, who also served as this year’s Cap Con chairperson, to recap the event. In the first part of our Capitol Conference recap, we discuss what attendees heard from the keynote speakers, members of Congress, Jeff Grant from CMS/CCIIO, and Avik Roy from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. In part 2, we will talk about what attendees heard from NAHU’s coalition partners and the fabulous breakout sessions attendees were able to engage with. https://nabip.org/media/6089/030521-hhh-recap-part-1.mp3 Fri, 05 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We know you anticipated part two of our Capitol Conference recap, but we decided to push that to next Friday, March 19, because earlier this week Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, another immense piece of legislation aimed at providing COVID-19 relief to businesses and consumers. On this week’ episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner, John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss the relevant details. https://nabip.org/media/6146/31221-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This is the second part of a conversation between Marcy M. Buckner, Mark Gaunya and Dan Parker about NAHU’s first-ever virtual Capitol Conference. In Part 1 we discussed what attendees heard from the keynote speakers, members of Congress, Jeff Grant from CMS/CCIIO, and Avik Roy from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. This week, we are talking about what attendees heard from NAHU’s coalition partners and the fabulous breakout sessions attendees were able to engage with. If you weren’t able to watch all of the breakout sessions during Capitol Conference, they are available to watch on demand until May 23. https://nabip.org/media/6165/031921-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 19 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law a few weeks ago, and with it came an abundance of compliance concerns. Last week, NAHU hosted a Compliance Corner webinar presented by Vice President and Director of Employee Benefit Compliance for First Insurance Group Barb Gerken. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Barb joins us again along with Compliance Corner Committee members Carol Taylor and Deanna Sizemore to discuss things in greater detail. This episode is focused primarily on the portions of the legislation that impact the ACA marketplace and COBRA subsidies. If you’re looking for a broader overview of the law, please listen to the March 12 edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour. https://nabip.org/media/6176/032621-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com “Transparency” is the word on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, as we are joined by special guest Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of Patient Rights Advocate, a nonprofit organization focused on transparency in healthcare. In addition to Cynthia, we are also joined by NAHU Legislative Council Vice Chair and staunch transparency advocate Mark Gaunya. The two have a conversation about recent hospital price transparency rules, how transparency can lower healthcare costs and more. https://nabip.org/media/6181/040221-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Congress is out of session this week, but while they are on recess the Healthcare Happy Hour is focused on innovation. On this week’s episode, we are joined by special guest Dr. Daniel Kraft, a Stanford- and Harvard-trained physician and scientist, and the host of CVS Health’s new podcast Healthy Conversations. Dr. Kraft discusses the many innovations in technology that will hopefully bring down healthcare costs and increase positive outcomes for patients, the potential for the FDA to expedite drug approval following the success of Operation Warp Speed, and much more. CVS Health's Healthy Conversations podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. https://nabip.org/media/6187/040921-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 09 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last week, the Department of Labor released guidance regarding the COBRA subsidy provisions of the American Rescue Plan, offering much-needed answers to some frequently asked questions agents, brokers, employers and consumers have had over the last month. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner reviews this guidance, what it answers and what it doesn’t answer. To learn more about this COBRA guidance, register for our Compliance Corner webinar on April 29 at 1:00 pm where we will go into greater detail. Please submit your questions about ARP and COBRA to legislative@nahu.org, and we will address it during the webinar. https://nabip.org/media/6208/041621-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Democrats were able to pass the American Rescue Plan Act last month using their razor-thin majority in the Senate by utilizing budget reconciliation. Now, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that Democrats could use the reconciliation process again if they so choose. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss what could be passed as a result of this ruling. https://nabip.org/media/6218/042321-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 23 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The pandemic has made it more evident than ever how important it is to focus on mental and behavioral health. Along with other legislative working groups, NAHU’s Mental Health Task Force, which was first created last year, explores legislative and regulatory developments as they relate to mental health parity in the market. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dede Kennedy and Tracey Pal Izzi from the task force join us to discuss the task force, the work they’ve done thus far, and the results of an important all-member survey. https://nabip.org/media/6231/043021-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 30 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein sits down with Perry Braun, executive director of the Benefit Advisors Network. The two discuss President Biden’s first 100 days in office, the impact of the pandemic on our industry, current and future industry trends, NAHU’s advocacy efforts and more. Benefit Advisors Network is comprised of agencies in the employee benefits space that work collaboratively to bring solutions to the complex issues employers are faced with today. BAN has clients in 45 states, the territory of Guam and recently expanded into Canada. Perry Braun leads BAN and has worked in the insurance and healthcare space for 35 years. https://nabip.org/media/6243/050721-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 07 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In January, President Biden established a new special enrollment period via executive order from February 15 to April 15, since extended to August 15. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are highlighting the milestone of 1 million consumers covered on the ACA exchange since the beginning of the SEP. In addition, we preview the next episode of the President’s Perspective podcast, hosted by NAHU President Dane Rianhard and Membership Council Chair David C. Smith. The forthcoming episode will feature Jerald Tillman, founder of the National African-American Insurance Association. Dane, David and Jerald have a fantastic conversation about how Mr. Tillman got his start in the industry, why he feels associations are vital to the industry, why he established an association for black insurance professionals, and the work that they have done. Make sure to listen to the full episode on Tuesday May, 18. https://nabip.org/media/6281/051421-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 14 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The Treasury Department and IRS released long-anticipated guidance regarding the full subsidization of COBRA premiums that was included in the American Rescue Plan Act. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, our friends from Compliance Corner -- COO & Compliance Officer of Kirby Employee Benefits Carol Taylor and CEO of MZQ Consulting Jennifer Berman – join us to provide an overview of this new notice and what you and your clients need to know. https://nabip.org/media/6320/052121-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 21 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last month, NAHU began publishing the State Update, a member-exclusive newsletter highlighting all the relevant political and regulatory health insurance news at the state level. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Husni Abdelaziz, NAHU’s director of government affairs. Husni monitors legislative and regulatory issues in 30 states, and works closely with NAHU’s Northeast, Midwest and Southwest chapters and their lobbyists. We discuss why NAHU is publishing the State Update and all of the pertinent legislative issues we are seeing at the state level throughout the country. https://nabip.org/media/6331/052821-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 28 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour we are revisiting an issue that we have not discussed in detail in some time – balance billing, also known as surprise billing. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, passed at the end of 2020, included a ban on surprise billing, with much of the implementation left up to regulatory bodies. NAHU submitted a letter this week to the relevant federal agencies with comments and concerns about the implementation of this law, and Marcy M. Buckner is here to review. https://nabip.org/media/6341/060421-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 04 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On last week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we discussed NAHU’s letter to federal agencies regarding concerns about the implementation of the surprise billing provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This week, Marcy M. Buckner is back to talk about another comment letter we submitted last week – this one concerning the hot-button issue of broker compensation disclosure. We review the law that passed at the end of 2020 that made these disclosure requirements, what NAHU is doing to ensure it is implemented fairly, and more. https://nabip.org/media/6353/061121-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The Supreme Court finally issued a long-awaited decision in California v. Texas case, the case that could have struck down the entirety of the ACA. Ultimately the Court ruled 7 to 2 to effectively uphold the ACA as law of the land. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the ruling and its implications moving forward. https://nabip.org/media/6379/061821-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 18 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NAHU allies in Congress introduced bills that would address the three-day stay requirement for Medicare beneficiaries who are considered to be under observation status while being hospitalized. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Vice President of Congressional Affairs and resident Medicare policy expert John Greene discusses these new bills and how they seek to resolve this issue. https://nabip.org/media/6407/062521-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Brian Luciani, partner at Blueprint Benefit Advisors and vice chair of the Board of Directors at United Benefit Advisors. We discuss UBA, Brian's experience during the pandemic at UBA and his personal business, their Annual Health Plan Survey, and more. https://nabip.org/media/6434/070921-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 09 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Federal agencies recently released “Part 1” of the highly anticipated regulation regarding the ban on surprise billing included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The 2,000-plus-page CAA encompassed many provisions, including a ban on surprise billing referred to as the No Surprises Act. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner reviews what is included in this first round of regulatory language regarding the No Surprises Act. https://nabip.org/media/6467/071621-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last week we discussed the balance-billing ban included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed at the end of 2020. This week, we’re discussing another provision that was included in the CAA – a request for information regarding reporting on pharmacy benefits and prescription-drug costs. Marcy M. Buckner explains the RFI and our response to it, as well as some upcoming comment letters that NAHU will be submitting. https://nabip.org/media/6477/72321-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com With August recess rapidly approaching, the Senate voted to move forward Wednesday on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal with over $550 billion in new spending. Meanwhile, Democrats internally debate provisions of their own package, expected to top $3 trillion, which they plan to pass via the reconciliation process. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s vice presidents of congressional affairs, Chris Hartmann and John Greene, discuss the details of these bills and what they’re hearing on Capitol Hill https://nabip.org/media/6503/073021-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 30 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com August recess has already begun for the House and is poised to begin this weekend for the Senate. Now is the time to get on the calendars of your representative and senators to talk with them about NAHU’s legislative priorities. What are those priorities? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner is here to discuss them. https://nabip.org/media/6525/080621-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Did you know that NAHU has a brand-new Medicare and Medicare Advantage certification course? If you are looking for a new way to complete your annual Medicare Advantage training, NAHU should be your first stop. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s senior vice president of education Farren Baer is here to discuss the course and the value it can bring. https://nabip.org/media/6530/081321-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The coronavirus pandemic has obviously altered many aspects of our society, but one in particular has been the way in which consumers think about healthcare and receive healthcare services. With millions of healthcare consumers looking for a way to see their physician without needing to leave their home, telemedicine has become a crucial conversation. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer at Summus Global, Dr. Mary Mulcare, joins us to discuss the importance of telehealth moving forward https://nabip.org/media/6531/082021-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Late last week, the Department of Labor released new guidance regarding the implementation of the Transparency in Coverage final rule and sections of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, or CAA. The guidance, a series of FAQs, provides an updated timeline for when these policies will go in to place, just as NAHU requested. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner reviews these FAQs and what they mean for you and your clients. https://nabip.org/media/6558/082721-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 27 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Federal agencies recently released an interim final rule, “Part One” of the highly anticipated regulation regarding the ban on surprise billing included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This week, NAHU submitted comments to the administration with our thoughts and concerns about the rule. If you want to hear a detailed analysis of what’s included in this interim final rule, you can listen to the July 16 edition of the podcast. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are focusing specifically on our response to the interim final rule, with Marcy M. Buckner joining us once again to review those comments. https://nabip.org/media/6560/90321-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As August recess comes to an end, Congress will be back to work on the two major legislative packages that NAHU has discussed for the past few months – the $1 trillion bipartisan INVEST in America Act, and Democrats’ $3.5 trillion dollar reconciliation package. On the July 30 edition of the podcast, we discussed the status of these packages prior to August recess. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s vice presidents of congressional affairs, Chris Hartmann and John Greene, return to discuss what the timeline looks like for passage of these bills and what may be encompassed in the reconciliation package – including potentially lowering the Medicare eligibility age. https://nabip.org/media/6586/091021-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This week HHS published a proposed rule regarding requirements created by the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This much-anticipated proposed rule deals with broker compensation transparency requirements for individual and short-term limited duration plans as well as information regarding surprise billing of air ambulances. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s senior vice president of government affairs Marcy M. Buckner is here to discuss the proposed rule, what it means for you, and where we go from here. https://nabip.org/media/6612/091721-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 17 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Late last week HHS and the Treasury Department released a final rule on the 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, or NBPP, updating several areas and finalizing standards for issuers, marketplaces and navigators for the 2022 plan year. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses what changes this final rule makes. Additionally, we will also discuss a comment letter that NAHU just submitted on electronic-filing requirements for certain IRS documents that employers need to submit. https://nabip.org/media/6632/92421-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 24 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NAHU allies in the House introduced H.R. 5318 last week, better known as the Commonsense Reporting Act. This bill deals with ACA employer reporting requirements under section 6055 and 6056. In addition, things are heating up on Capitol Hill as Democrats continue infighting regarding what to include in their reconciliation package. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Vice President of Congressional Affairs Chris Hartmann and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy Bucker are here to discuss the status of reconciliation talks, in addition to the specifics of the employer reporting bill. https://nabip.org/media/6640/10121-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last week federal agencies published an interim final rule regarding requirements related to surprise billing. This much-anticipated IFR, considered “Part 2” of the administration’s surprise billing ban regulations, deals with the process to settle out-of-network payment disputes that will arise between providers and payers in addition to outlining requirements for healthcare cost estimates for uninsured, or self-paying, individuals. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner is here to discuss the IFR, how exactly this dispute resolution process works, and how this is a victory for NAHU. https://nabip.org/media/6648/100821-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Michelle Barki, Senior Legal Counsel at Medcom Benefit Solutions, and member of NAHU’s Compliance Corner committee. As some listeners may know, Medcom is an NAHU affinity partner. We discuss what sorts of benefit solutions Medcom offers their clients, how folks can leverage NAHU’s partnership with Medcom for some tremendous resources, in addition to a conversation around a few compliance areas relevant to you. https://nabip.org/media/6653/101521-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last month, federal agencies published a proposed rule regarding requirements created by the No Surprises Act, a section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. That proposed rule deals with broker-compensation transparency requirements for individual and short-term limited duration plans as well as information regarding surprise billing of air ambulances. This proposed rule did not deal with compensation disclosure in the group market, so what is happening there? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses how NAHU is handling the group-market disclosure requirements ahead of potential regulations and what sort of questions we were able to pose in a meeting with the Department of Labor this week. https://nabip.org/media/6676/102221-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 22 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The White House released a new framework for Democrats’ reconciliation package this week that cuts back many of the health insurance provisions initially included in early House versions of the bill. What is still included? What has been cut? How does this framework relate to what will be included in the final version of the Build Back Better Act? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s vice presidents of congressional affairs Chris Hartmann and John Greene discuss all the new information on what may, or may not, be included in the reconciliation bill. In addition, they discuss recent congressional hearings that NAHU was able to submit written testimony for. https://nabip.org/media/6694/102921-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Back in September, HHS released a set of proposed rules dealing with broker compensation disclosure in the individual and short-term limited duration markets, as well as surprise billing requirements for air ambulance providers. As we do with all relevant proposed regulations, NAHU submitted comments to the Administration with our questions and concerns. In addition, CMS and OSHA issued interim final rules regarding national COVID-19 vaccine requirements. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses what we included in our comments and what is included in the new vaccine mandate guidance. https://nabip.org/media/6706/110521-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 05 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The House of Representatives passed the INVEST in America Act last Friday, the $1 trillion bipartisan legislative package that is comprised of “pure” infrastructure provisions. Since the Senate already passed the package in August the bill is ready to be signed into law by President Biden, which is expected to occur next week. This bill is separate from the Build Back Better Act, Democrats’ reconciliation package that continues to undergo changes. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Chris Hartmann and John Greene are here to discuss the passage of the INVEST Act and provide updates on the Build Back Better bill. Additionally, Marcy Buckner is also here to discuss a very important webinar that NAHU hosted earlier this week. https://nabip.org/media/6730/111221-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The Healthcare Happy Hour and Washington Update will be taking a break next week as we get together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. In light of the holiday, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner, John Greene and Chris Hartmann review everything that we at NAHU have been thankful for so far this year, between certain COVID-19 relief, a historic Capitol Conference, surprise-billing rules and everything in between. https://nabip.org/media/6772/111921-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Welcome back to the podcast everyone! We hope you had a safe and fun Thanksgiving with your friends and family. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are catching you up on several things that transpired over the break, including a new IRS notice that impacts ACA reporting requirements, the status of OSHA and CMS vaccine mandates, and an update on the Build Back Better Act reconciliation package. https://nabip.org/media/6785/120321-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 03 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com While the Senate continues deliberation on the Build Back Better Act and lawmakers await decisions from the parliamentarian on what can be included in the reconciliation package, we are taking a break from that conversation to discuss public polling and Medicare for All with very special guests from the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, I’m joined by Lauren Crawford Shaver and Phillip Morris from the Partnership to discuss some recent polling numbers and to see what most Americans really want to see in health insurance reform moving forward. https://nabip.org/media/6811/121021-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Surprise billing is the focus on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, as NAHU submitted comments to the Biden administration last week with our commentary on the latest surprise-billing interim final rule. This much-anticipated IFR, considered “Part 2” of the administration’s surprise-billing-ban regulations, was published in October. In addition to discussing some of NAHU’s comments on this IFR, we discuss some recent legal challenges to the regulation and the impact they may have moving forward. https://nabip.org/media/6867/121721-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 17 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Happy New Year! We hope you had a fun and safe holiday season and we’re happy to be back in your feed wherever you listen to podcasts. As you all know, the Consolidated Appropriations Act’s broker compensation disclosure requirements apply to contracts entered or renewed on December 27, 2021. Late last week, the Department of Labor finally issued guidance, in which they announced a new temporary good-faith enforcement policy in addition to answering several questions that you all have posed over the last several months. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner is here to tell you everything you need to know about this recent guidance. https://nabip.org/media/6888/01722-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein sits down for a discussion with Managing Director of Business Consulting at The Alera Group Perry Braun. This is the fourth annual conversation between the two. They discuss health insurance industry trends of the last year as well as potential trends to watch in 2022, including challenges that employers, employees, and families are facing as the pandemic continues to impact the industry at large. https://nabip.org/media/6909/011422-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NAHU’s 32nd annual Capitol Conference is going to be held in-person once again, from February 27 to March 2 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill here in the nation’s capital. This unique and inspiring meeting has the potential to be a game-changer this year. We’re sure you have plenty of questions before you register, so on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner is here to discuss all things Capitol Conference. https://nabip.org/media/6936/012122-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced this week that he will be retiring, setting the stage for President Biden to make the first Supreme Court nomination of his term. What does Breyer’s retirement mean for the Supreme Court moving forward? In addition to that piece of news, NAHU submitted comments to CMS this week regarding the proposed Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters for the 2023 plan year. Here to discuss all of this – as always – is NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner. https://nabip.org/media/6946/012822-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com January 31 was the last day for the California Assembly to pass bills introduced in 2021, including AB 1400 – a bill that would have established a single-payer healthcare system for all California residents… had it passed. Thankfully that bill did not pass, due in large part to the efforts of our guests this week. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by the legislative chair of our California statewide chapter, Dawn McFarland, along with legislative advocate and chapter lobbyist Faith Borges, to discuss the bill and how the initiative was successfully defeated https://nabip.org/media/6954/020422-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 04 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We are just a little over two weeks away from NAHU’s 32nd annual Capitol Conference, where health insurance professionals from across the country will be able to meet with their legislators, in-person and virtually, to advocate on behalf of our industry. Recently, NAHU’s government affairs staff learned of a new potential threat to the employer exclusion, a tax benefit that serves a crucial role in employer-sponsored health insurance. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s vice presidents of congressional affairs, John Greene and Chris Hartmann, discuss employer exclusion, along with a general overview of legislative developments ahead of our Capitol Conference. https://nabip.org/media/6957/021122-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Calling all Capitol Conference attendees and those curious about this year’s event: In just a little over one week, NAHU members from across the country will attend NAHU’s premier legislative event, both in-person and virtually. On this week’s episode, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner is here to preview this year’s conference. We break down the agenda and the can’t-miss speakers, provide a preview of the breakout sessions, and share tips for making the most of your visit. You won’t want to miss this episode for essential info ahead of your trip to the nation’s capital, especially amidst pandemic uncertainties. Stay tuned for the second part of our Capitol Conference discussion where we will discuss NAHU’s legislative talking points for the event. That episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour will be released on Tuesday, February 22. https://nabip.org/media/6999/021822-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This past Friday, NAHU senior vice president of government affairs Marcy M. Buckner reviewed everything you need to know about our 32nd annual Capitol Conference before you go. Today, as promised, we are discussing our tailored legislative talking points – the list of legislative priorities and why we support or oppose them - that you will utilize in meetings with your lawmakers. Returning to discuss the talking is points is Marcy Buckner, joined this time by our vice presidents of congressional affairs John Greene and Chris Hartmann. https://nabip.org/media/7021/022222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This week’s episode was recorded at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill during the last day of NAHU’s annual Capitol Conference, where hundreds of agents, brokers and health insurance professionals showed up both in-person and virtually to make their voices heard. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy Buckner is joined by Legislative Council Vice Chair Misty Baker, who also served as this year’s Cap Con chairperson, to discuss the event. https://nabip.org/media/7057/030222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Following Capitol Conference, we are taking a break from policy and politics to talk about the importance of finding the right products and vendors for your agency. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by our friends Kelsey Rosauer and Steve Ogden from NAHU partner and agency management company AgencyBloc to discuss AgencyBloc’s vendor vetting services and more. https://nabip.org/media/7084/031822-agencybloc-hhh-dp-v2.mp3 Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com While NAHU staff handle certain crucial duties, NAHU is ultimately a member-driven organization. That means that what we do relies on NAHU members such as you volunteering in various capacities and helping make our association what it is. Did you know that NAHU has a wide array of volunteer committees covering a large swath of areas, from legislative matters to professional development to membership and our Leading Producers Round Table? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Chief Experience Officer Farren Baer, Vice President of Leadership Services Brooke Willson, Senior Vice President of Public Relations Kelly Loussedes and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner join the podcast to discuss the committees and how you can participate in one. https://nabip.org/media/7099/032522-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NAHU’s legislative advocacy work takes many forms, one of which is the process of submitting written testimony to Congress. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner and Vice Presidents of Congressional Affairs John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss two pieces of testimony we submitted this week as well as the overall importance of submitting testimony for the record. https://nabip.org/media/7109/040122-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced the release of a proposed rule to fix the “family glitch,” an inconsistency in current ACA regulations. Fixing the family glitch has been a legislative priority of NAHU for several years now. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner explains the family glitch and what this proposed rule would do to fix it. https://nabip.org/media/7145/040822-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been officially confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States – but she has not been sworn in quite yet. Judge Jackson was confirmed by the Senate last Thursday, April 7, cementing her place in history as the first Black woman to be a member of the nation’s highest court. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses Jackson’s appointment, when Jackson will be sworn in, and what it could mean for healthcare moving forward. https://nabip.org/media/7168/041522-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 15 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com For several plan years now, NAHU has had the opportunity to submit comments and suggested edits to CMS regarding the next plan year edition of the “Medicare & You” handbook. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, president of The Brokerage Inc. and chair of the Medicare Advisory Group Mike Smith and NAHU’s John Greene join us to discuss the handbook and our suggestions. https://nabip.org/media/7191/042222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Earlier this week, CMS released a proposed rule aimed at minimizing gaps in coverage for Medicare beneficiaries and the Medicare-eligible population. The proposed regulation would implement a few policy changes that were a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, most notably new special enrollment periods that would be triggered in certain situations. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner and John Greene are here to discuss the proposed rule. https://nabip.org/media/7213/042922-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 29 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Law now requires that agent, broker and consultant compensation be disclosed for arrangements entered into, renewed or extended on or after December 27, 2021. But the nature of compensation in our industry, both direct and indirect, can be complex, making compliance with broker-compensation disclosure difficult. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Brand Manager Kelsey Rosauer and Product Manager Kayleen Homewood from NAHU partner and agency-management company AgencyBloc join us to discuss broker-compensation disclosure and how their tools and services can assist you. https://nabip.org/media/7221/050622-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 06 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com For self-funded employers, navigating the world of health insurance can be complex and often overwhelming. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guest Mark Lawrence, president of HM Insurance Group, to discuss the challenges that self-insured employers face, specifically regarding large, unpredictable claims and how stop-loss coverage can help them. https://nabip.org/media/7254/hmig-hhh-51322-dp.mp3 Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last week, NAHU spoke with CMS officials from the Division of Surveillance, Compliance and Marketing about a recently finalized rule from the agency regarding marketing requirements that are set to begin in October. Additionally, the Commonsense Reporting Act of 2021 was introduced in the House early this week, mirroring the language included in the Senate bill. Here to discuss these items on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour are NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner and John Greene. https://nabip.org/media/7277/052022-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The 2022 midterm elections are just around the corner, and important primary elections have taken place across the country over the last few weeks. Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alaska, Minnesota, Georgia and Alabama held various primary elections for federal and gubernatorial offices. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Chris Hartmann and John Greene discuss a few of these election results and their potential impacts come November. https://nabip.org/media/7287/052722-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 27 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Thomas J. McInerney is president and CEO of Genworth Financial, a leading company in the long-term care and mortgage insurance industries. If you work in the long-term care space, you know Genworth and the role that they have played in the industry. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Noel Evans and Lori Martin, members of NAHU’s Long-Term Care Advisory Group, sit down with Tom McInerney for an in-depth discussion on what drew Tom to Genworth and long-term care, new Genworth products, a recent cost of care survey, and more. https://nabip.org/media/7299/genworth-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 03 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Hopefully, you all saw in your inbox on Tuesday that NAHU, and all individual market brokers, had a major regulatory victory this week. A new FAQ from CMS has made a vital clarification regarding broker compensation during special enrollment periods. In addition, discussions around the Build Back Better reconciliation package have resumed, and several important primary elections took place earlier this week. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Chris Hartmann and John Greene review all these items and what you need to know. https://nabip.org/media/7306/061022-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last week, NAHU submitted comments on the Biden administration’s proposed rule to fix the ACA family glitch, where we noted our questions, concerns and suggestions for the Treasury Department to consider before the rule is finalized. Additionally, NAHU’s Annual Convention in Austin, Texas, is right around the corner. For those of you who are attending in-person, there is a legislative track of professional development breakout sessions that you absolutely must hear about. Here to discuss all of this on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour is NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner. https://nabip.org/media/7316/061722-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 17 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com It’s almost time for NAHU’s Annual Convention! But, before we see your bright smiling faces in Austin, there is some regulatory news to discuss! This week, NAHU submitted comments to CMS in response to a proposed rule released in April that makes policy changes to the Medicare enrollment process, among other important changes. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s John Greene discusses our comment letter to the administration. Additionally, we discuss how you can complete your Medicare Advantage training with NAHU. https://nabip.org/media/7347/062422-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 24 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We hope everyone had an excellent Fourth of July weekend, and we hope all those who attended NAHU’s Annual Convention enjoyed themselves! On June 24, the Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, effectively overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey’s previously established constitutional right to abortion access. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the implications of the Dobbs decision on ERISA, employee benefits, state laws and more. https://nabip.org/media/7355/070822-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 08 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The House will begin its annual August Recess on August 1, with the Senate joining them one week later on August 8. Throughout the month of August, members of Congress are back in their home states and districts. That makes August the perfect time to schedule a meeting with your legislator! On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU lobbyists John Greene and Chris Hartmann discuss August recess appointments and our Summer 2022 talking points that will assist you in those meetings. https://nabip.org/media/7387/071522-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The Build Back Better Act, the reconciliation package that Democrats have been trying to piece together for the better part of a year, may finally have legs – and may end up containing only a few, specific healthcare provisions, both of which are relevant to NAHU. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Vice Presidents of Congressional Affairs Chris Hartmann and John Greene are back on the pod to discuss the most recent developments in Build Back Better and its new possibility of passage. https://nabip.org/media/7398/072222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 22 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com There is a new legal challenge to the ACA in Texas. No, you’re not having déjà vu – there is another legal challenge coming out of Texas, specifically challenging the ACA’s preventative care mandate. HHS also released a proposed rule this week that would revise Section 1557 of the ACA – the nondiscrimination portion of the healthcare law. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner is back to discuss these legal and regulatory developments. https://nabip.org/media/7403/072922-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 29 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We are now less than 100 days until the 2022 midterm elections in November. With every House seat contested and some key Senate seats contested, this year’s midterms are as important as ever. In June we discussed a host of primary elections that helped shape what November’s elections will look like. This week, there were more primaries across six states. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy Buckner and Chris Hartmann are here to break down the most competitive primary results and provide an overview of what could happen come November. https://nabip.org/media/7426/080522-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 05 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com After over a year of deliberation, Senate Democrats’ reconciliation bill – now titled the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 – passed the Senate last weekend 51-50, with every Democrat on board and Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU lobbyists John Greene and Chris Hartmann are here to discuss the version of the bill that passed the Senate (and is now being considered by the House), how NAHU was successful in ensuring a number of harmful provisions did not make it into that last version, and where we go from here. https://nabip.org/media/7442/081222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 12 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The president signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law earlier this week. We covered the relevant provisions of this new law on last week’s edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour, so if you are interested in learning more about the healthcare components included in that package, please listen to last week’s episode! On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guest Heather Meade, principal at Washington Council Ernest and Young and adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, to raise a topic that we have yet to discuss on the podcast – site-neutral payment reform. https://nabip.org/media/7458/081922-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com The Biden administration issued a new final rule regarding the implementation of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 – specifically the law’s surprise-billing ban, as well as certain transparency provisions. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which passed almost two years ago now, banned the practice of balance billing and put into place consumer protections so that patients are no longer saddled with a surprise bill. However, the implementation of this law and specifically the independent dispute resolution process that deals with out-of-network bills, has been subject to scrutiny and provider-backed lawsuits. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the new rule and what it means moving forward. https://nabip.org/media/7468/082622-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 26 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NAHU responded to a request for information from CMS this week regarding the Medicare Advantage program. Specifically, CMS is seeking comments on how the agency can strengthen Medicare Advantage in ways that align with CMS’ strategic plan. We submitted two responses to this RFI – one earlier this month focused solely on the new Medicare marketing rule and one focused on other aspects of Medicare and Medicare Advantage. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner talks about our responses and how youcan help us delay implementation of the marketing rule! https://nabip.org/media/7471/090222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner touches upon a few topics: a recent district court ruling out of Texas saying that the ACA preventive care mandate violates religious freedoms, a new letter that NAHU has sent to CMS regarding the new Medicare marketing rule, and a new request for information from the agency. https://nabip.org/media/7488/090922-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7522/091622-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7551/092322-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 23 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7565/093022-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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! https://nabip.org/media/7573/100722-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7610/101422-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7640/102122-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7648/102822-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7653/hhh-11422-final.mp3 Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7682/hhh-111122.mp3 Fri, 11 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7703/hhh_111822.mp3 Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7714/120222-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 02 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7746/120922-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 09 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7808/121622-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/7895/122322-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 23 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/8008/010623-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 06 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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! https://nabip.org/media/8030/011323-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 13 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/8061/012023-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 20 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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 https://nabip.org/media/8076/012723-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 27 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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! https://nabip.org/media/8084/020323-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com 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. https://nabip.org/media/8110/021023-hhh-2.mp3 Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We hope you’re looking forward to NABIP’s Capitol Conference from February 26 through March 1! We will cover everything you need to know before you go on next week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour. But today we have another topic to discuss: At the end of December, we discussed a new proposed rule on policy and technical changes to the Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs. There were a few provisions in this draft regulation that directly impacted independent Medicare agents. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner returns to talk about the comment letter we just submitted to the administration with our questions and concerns with this proposed rule. https://nabip.org/media/8131/021723-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NABIP’s Capitol Conference is just a few days away! Will you be attending this year? We certainly hope you are. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP’s Husni Abdelaziz and Dan Parker review what you need to know about the event before you go. If you are interested in learning more about our federal talking points, please listen to the February 10 edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour. https://nabip.org/media/8152/022423-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour was recording live at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, on the last day of NABIP’s 2023 Capitol Conference, where hundreds of insurance professionals showed to make their voices heard! In our official Cap Con recap, NABIP's Marcy M. Buckner and Dan Parker are joined by Legislative Council Vice Chair Greg Stancil - who also served as this year’s Cap Con chairperson - to discuss the event. https://nabip.org/media/8156/030323-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As we talked about during last week’s Capitol Conference recap with Greg Stancil, NABIP had some amazing speakers at this year’s conference. Many of them took questions, but unfortunately time constraints prevented us from asking those questions. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner reviews some of the questions that we were not able to get to. https://nabip.org/media/8171/31023-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Under Section 204 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, employer-based health plans must submit certain information about prescription drugs and healthcare spending. This data submission is known as RxDC reporting. During yesterday’s Compliance Corner webinar, NABIP Compliance Corner members Barb Gerken and Samantha Malovrh discussed RxDC reporting, who is responsible for this reporting, and how to maintain compliance. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are providing a snippet of the 60-minute webinar! But RxDC reporting is not the only topic that the compliance gurus covered - we are just a couple of short months away from the official end of the public health emergency that was prompted by the pandemic. What happens when the emergency period ends? Watch the rest of the webinar to find out at www.nabip.org! https://nabip.org/media/8214/031723-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Do you own your agency or business? Have you thought about succession planning – even if you are young? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Rick Israel – principal of South Florida Affiliated Health Insurers, Medicare adviser and NABIP member – to talk about the perpetuation of his father's business (now his business). Rick’s story serves as a poignant reminder to all independent agents on the importance of having a plan for your business in the unfortunate event that something happens to you. https://nabip.org/media/8249/032423-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 24 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Do you own your agency? Are you interested in selling your business, or is there a potential acquisition in your future? Last week, Rick Israel joined us to discuss the importance of succession planning in your business. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by NABIP Past President Beth Ashmore, whose agency in Lubbock, Texas, was acquired not too long ago. She is on the podcast this week to discuss the acquisition and important factors to consider before selling. https://nabip.org/media/8305/033123-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On Wednesday evening, CMS released the 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule, which contains several provisions that are directly relevant to our Medicare members. We discussed the regulation back when it was just a proposed rule in late December and – on this week’s Healthcare Happy Hour – NABIP’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner is back to discuss the final rule and what you need to know! https://nabip.org/media/8341/040723-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 07 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com President Biden signed a resolution on Monday ending the COVID-19 national emergency earlier than scheduled… but the public health emergency is still set to expire on May 11. What’s the difference? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Vice Presidents of Congressional Affairs John Greene and Michael Andel review what the end of the national emergency means, in addition to reviewing some NABIP-supported legislation that we need your help getting passed. https://nabip.org/media/8364/041423-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As we have discussed a few times on the podcast, we are amid what is being referred to as the “Medicaid Unwinding,” where tens of millions of Medicaid beneficiaries are having their eligibility redetermined. CMS estimates that nearly 15 million individuals are poised to lose coverage over the next 12 months following the end of a major public health emergency flexibility, and many of those beneficiaries will be looking for new health coverage in the individual market. On this week’s Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guest and member of NABIP’s Legislative Council Joshua Brooker to talk about the unwinding period from the agent’s perspective. https://nabip.org/media/8389/042123-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 21 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com North of 175 million Americans receive their health coverage through their employer, among a host of related benefits. Agents, brokers and other insurance professionals who work in the employer market understand how important it is – for both the employer and employee – that a company can provide top-tier health benefits. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guests Elizabeth Hodges and Derreck Smith from Nonstop Administration and Insurance Services to discuss how benefits can be recession-proof, how you can be a more trusted advisor to your clients, and what Nonstop Health can do for you. This week's episode is sponsored by Nonstop. https://nabip.org/media/8410/042823-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Did you know that NABIP regularly submits written testimony to Congress ahead of relevant healthcare hearings? From small-business tax credits to Association Health Plans to mental health network adequacy, NABIP submits statements to Congressional committees when they are debating policy that impacts our members. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner is back to review our latest testimony. https://nabip.org/media/8442/050523-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 05 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com May 11 was the official end date of the public health emergency that has been in place for over three years. There are several temporary health policies and flexibilities impacting Medicare, group and individual plans that were put into place during the pandemic. Do you know which ones are affected by the national emergency as opposed to the public health emergency? Do you know which flexibilities will expire when? In this excerpt from NABIP’s April 20 Compliance Corner webinar, NABIP Legislative Council Manager and CEO of MZQ Consulting Jennifer Berman discussed the end of the emergency periods in detail. Watch the webinar in full on NABIP.org! https://nabip.org/media/8462/051223-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 12 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Earlier this week, a federal appeals court issued a stay on a lower court ruling that struck down provisions of the ACA’s preventive care mandate while it reviews the case. Meanwhile, NABIP submitted more written testimony to Congressional committees on a variety of topics – including direct primary care and hospital consolidation. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses the ACA case and its implications, along with the details of our statements for the Congressional Record. https://nabip.org/media/8513/051923-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 19 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In a recent benefits survey, 92 percent of respondents said that benefits were important to their overall happiness on the job. In today’s world, that means offering benefits that go beyond health insurance. For those that work in the group market know that employers are always looking for interesting and useful supplementary benefits to attract the best and brightest employees. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by Heidi Sirota and Andee Gravitt from Nationwide along with Adam Sheehan from AccuRisk Solutions, to discuss how to best leverage employee benefits portfolios to optimize employee retention. Sponsored by Nationwide *Nationwide has received the DALBAR Plan Participant Service Award from 2014-2022. This recording is educational in nature and is not designed or intended to provide financial, tax, legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Nationwide and its representatives do not give legal or tax advice. An attorney or tax advisor should be consulted for answers to specific questions. Investing involves market risk, including possible loss of principal, and there is no guarantee that investment objectives will be achieved. Guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Nationwide and AccuRisk Solutions are separate and non-affiliated companies. Retirement Resource Group includes Retirement Specialists and Personal Retirement Counselors.  Retirement Specialists are registered representatives of Nationwide Investment Services Corporation (NISC), member FINRA, Columbus, OH.  The information they provide is for educational purposes only and is not legal, tax or investment advice.  Personal Retirement Counselors are registered representatives of Nationwide Securities, LLC., member FINRA, SIPC. DBA Nationwide Advisory Services, LLC. in AR, CA, FL, NY, TX, and WY. Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Nationwide Securities, LLC, member FINRA, SIPC, and a Registered Investment Advisor. DBA Nationwide Advisory Services, LLC in AR, CA, FL, NY, TX and WY. Representative of Nationwide Life Insurance Company, affiliated companies and other companies. Nationwide Investment Services Corporation (NISC), member FINRA, Columbus, Ohio. Nationwide Retirement Institute is a division of NISC. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, Nationwide Retirement Institute and Retirement Resource Group are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company © 2023. https://nabip.org/media/8532/052623-hhh-dp-2.mp3 Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NABIP’s Annual Convention is rapidly approaching – our first Convention as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals! We hope that all our listeners are planning on attending Convention, which will be held June 24 through 27 in New Orleans, Louisiana. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dan is joined by NABIP Chief Information Officer Illana Maze to discuss the Convention and all the great speakers and sessions that come with it! Register for Convention at https://www.nabip.org. The deadline to register online is June 16. On-site registration will be available but will increase by $50. https://nabip.org/media/8539/060223-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Earlier this week, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Employer Reporting Improvement Act which will simplify employer reporting on health insurance coverage. This is a priority that NABIP has long advocated on behalf of. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy M. Buckner discusses what this big win means, along with details of what’s included in the bill and future steps. https://nabip.org/media/8548/hhh_6923.mp3 Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This week is Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner’s last here at the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals. For several years, Marcy has been one of the premier voices on the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast – but that has just been a small piece of her duties at NABIP. After over 11 years, Marcy has left a substantial legacy and everyone, from staff to members, are sad to see her go. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene and Marcy review some legislative and regulatory successes that NABIP has had during her tenure, as well as some fun and emotional personal anecdotes. https://nabip.org/media/8565/061623-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On Wednesday, the House passed the Employer Reporting Improvement Act (H.R. 3801), a bill that provides much-needed relief for employers by easing certain aspects of the reporting requirements under Section 6055 and 6056 of the ACA. This has been an issue that NABIP has been active in for several years now, and for employer-reporting legislation to make it this far is truly exciting. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP lobbyists John Greene and Michael Andel are here to discuss the bill. https://nabip.org/media/8602/062323-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We hope you enjoyed our Annual Convention in New Orleans at the end of June, and we hope you had an excellent Fourth of July. We did not host an episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast last week, but that’s because we’ve been busy with our brand-new State Legislative Tracking Tool, available now on NABIP.org. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Senior Director of Government Affairs Husni Abdelaziz is here to discuss the tool and how you can leverage it to stay informed and engaged with the legislative process in your state and region. https://nabip.org/media/8628/070723-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As you saw in last week’s Washington Update, the administration released a proposed regulation that touches on short-term limited duration plans, fixed indemnity plans and level-funded plans. On the Congressional side, NABIP is looking at the PATIENT Act of 2023, a transparency bill that includes many provisions we support. In addition to these items, NABIP submitted a comment letter to the NAIC earlier this week regarding some proposed privacy provisions. To discuss all of this on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour are our very own John Greene and Michael Andel. https://nabip.org/media/8637/071423-hhh-final.mp3 Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As of June 18, agents and brokers who operate in states with a federally facilitated marketplace must obtain documentation that consumers they are working with have reviewed their eligibility for applying for coverage. Agents and brokers must also obtain documentation that the consumer consents to work with them when enrolling in advance payments of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reduction payments. NABIP will be providing a model form over the coming weeks for our membership to utilize. In the meantime, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dan is joined by AgencyBloc product director Sara Brammer and Engagement Manager Neal Price, to discuss the new rule and what steps you can take to ensure compliance. Sponsored by AgencyBloc https://nabip.org/media/8648/072123-agencybloc-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com August Recess is underway! Every year, the House and Senate adjourn for the annual Congressional summer recess. This year, the House will be on recess until September 12 and the Senate will reconvene on September 4. This is a prime time to meet with your federal legislators about NABIP’s talking points, which this year is focused on getting the Employer Reporting Improvement Act across the finish line. In addition to August Recess, a mental health parity proposed rule and technical release was issued by the tri-agencies early last week. To discuss these items, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is NABIP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs John Greene and Vice President of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel. https://nabip.org/media/8673/080323-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 04 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Welcome back to the Healthcare Happy Hour! Even though we are in the midst of August recess, a new bill that would resolve one of our Medicare issues has been introduced in the House. NABIP is calling on all members to contact their federal legislators and urge them to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation that would address this important issue. In addition to that, our listeners who work in the individual market will be delighted to hear that our model consent form for those in federally facilitated marketplace states is finally available. To discuss this and more, on this week’s episode of the podcast, is NABIP’s John Greene and Michael Andel. https://nabip.org/media/8677/081823-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com It’s September 1, which means it’s officially fourth quarter – though we probably didn’t actually need to tell you that. September 1 also means that we are just a couple of days away from the end of August recess. If you met with your lawmakers over the summer, please log those appointments using a link on NABIP.org, under Advocacy, then Legislative Issues. With that said, we have plenty to discuss this week, most of which is at the regulatory level – between ACA affordability changes and proposed Medicare regulations. To discuss all of this and more on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour are none other than NABIP’s John Greene and Michael Andel. https://nabip.org/media/8735/090123-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NABIP submitted a comment letter earlier this week in response to a proposed rule by the Treasury Department, DOL, and HHS on short-term plans, fixed indemnity plans and excepted benefits coverage. The proposed rule also included a request for information on level-funded plans, broadly. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, your favorite NABIP staff members John Greene and Michael Andel review the proposed rule and our comments. Read this comment letter, and all of our regulatory comments and written testimony, on NABIP.org - specifically under "Advocacy," under "Policy Documents." https://nabip.org/media/8743/090823-hhh-dp-final.mp3 Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Health insurance professionals who in the employer market are acutely aware of health reimbursement arrangements, commonly shortened to HRAs, and how they work. However, the world of individual coverage HRAs, or ICHRAs, is a relatively new form coverage that employers and brokers alike are still learning how to utilize effectively. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by Remodel Health, NABIP’s Dan Parker is joined by Justin Clemets co-founder and chief ICHRA officer, Travis Hall, VP of marketing, and John Staub, director of outreach, to discuss how ALEs can utilize ICHRAs, tailoring ICHRAs for various employee classes, broader potential of ICHRAs for different types of reimbursements, and how the Family Glitch fits into all this. Sponsored by Remodel Health https://nabip.org/media/8772/091523-hhh-remodel-final.mp3 Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Over the course of the past decade, the industry has seen a tremendous increase in the sophistication and costs of medical treatment options, including enhanced care of newborns, groundbreaking cancer treatments and pharmaceutical advancements like gene and cell therapies. These have created potentially big wins for patients with challenging diagnoses, but also brought about a continued trend in rising claim costs. As the costs have grown, so has the need to ensure appropriate coverage is in place with a carrier that has the right knowledge, experience and financial stability to help protect each client’s bottom line. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by HM Insurance Group, Dan Parker is joined by president of HM Insurance Group’s Mark Lawrence and Eric Berg to discuss the importance of stop-loss coverage amidst this continued trend in rising claim costs. Sponsored by HM Insurance Group. https://nabip.org/media/8821/092223-hhh-hmig-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NABIP submitted a comment letter in response to a proposed rule on mental health parity. Mental health parity and network adequacy in the mental health space has been a prime issue for employers across the country, and NABIP, for several years now. This new proposed rule was issued in early August. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs John Greene is back on the pod to discuss the proposed rule and our comments. Today’s podcast episode covers a portion of our comments. If you are interested in learning more, please read the executive summary and full comment letter on NABIP.org! https://nabip.org/media/8837/092923-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Since its passage well over a decade ago, the Affordable Care Act has fundamentally transformed health insurance and employee benefits – and every year there seems to be more regulation and legislation building on the landmark law. To best serve your clients, you need to be up to speed on all things ACA and beyond. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NABIP’s Dan Parker is joined by Paul Roberts, senior director of education and market development at Word & Brown and instructor of one of NABIP’s best professional development courses – “ACA and Beyond: A Modern Look at Employee Benefits.” Listen to the whole podcast episode to hear a special code you can use to get 20% off our ACA and Beyond course! The code expires October 13. https://nabip.org/media/8852/100623-hhh-dp1.mp3 Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Last week, Kevin McCarthy became the first speaker of the House in United States history to be ousted from the position via vote. This week, the House has scrambled to replace McCarthy. While the chamber has a temporary speaker in place, his powers are limited and the GOP majority must choose a permanent leader before anything can be considered on the floor. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, John Greene and Michael Andel discuss what they’re seeing on the Hill. Additionally, the Medicare AEP is about to begin, so we’ll discuss some resources for our members to help with all the requirements for agents. https://nabip.org/media/8877/101323-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 13 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com On September 1, the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals welcomed new Chief Executive Officer Jessica Brooks-Woods. Prior to NABIP, Jessica served as president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Dan Parker is joined by Jessica to discuss what led her to NABIP, what her goals are for the association, and everything else you might have questions about! https://nabip.org/media/8938/102723-hhh-dp1.mp3 Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As I’m sure all of our listeners are aware, the open enrollment period is underway! Running from November 1 through January 15 (although consumers will actually get one additional day to enroll this year as January 15 falls on a federal holiday), the OEP is an opportunity for millions to get covered, especially those who have lost coverage during the Medicaid unwinding. In addition to the OEP, we have exciting news about one of our oldest legislative priorities – employer reporting relief! On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, John Greene and Michael Andel return to discuss. https://nabip.org/media/8946/110323-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 03 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Did you know that November is Long-Term Care Insurance Awareness Month? NABIP was the driving force behind the 2001 proclamation that established LTCI Awareness Month. LTCI is an area that grows more important every day, with over 10,000 individuals turning 65 daily and about 70 percent seniors requiring some form of long-term care. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, LTC Advisory Group members Lori Martin and Steve Cain sit down with Jamala Arland, senior vice president of LTC Inforce at Genworth. Genworth has the largest bloc of private LTCI business, covering over 1 million Americans. The trio discuss LTCI legislation (from Washington state’s program to California’s task force considering future legislation) as well as what listeners can do for their LTCI clients. https://nabip.org/media/8987/hhh-genworth-111723-final.mp3 Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. As our Medicare agents are aware through our communications over the last few weeks, CMS recently issued a new Medicare Advantage proposed rule for the contract year 2025. Included in the draft regulation are provisions related to broker compensation and “administrative fees,” as well as proposed regulations impacting field marketing organizations, more commonly known as FMOs. Additionally, we’re looking at what Congress is doing and what we can expect from the chambers before the end of the year. https://nabip.org/media/9009/120123-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Welcome back to NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour podcast! Earlier this week, NABIP submitted a response to a request for information, or RFI, from the tri-agencies on coverage of over-the-counter preventive services. But in addition to that, NABIP Director of State Affairs Max Karlin is making his official podcast debut to discuss his experience at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, more commonly known as NAIC, last week. https://nabip.org/media/9023/120823-hhh-dp-1.mp3 Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Happy New Year! We hope you all enjoyed the holidays after a long fourth quarter and OEP. We’re going to kick the year off today by discussing the comments that NABIP submitted to CMS regarding the recent, alarming, proposed regulations relevant to FMOs and Medicare agent compensation. We also saw a hotly anticipated proposed rule come out on Association Health Plans over the holidays, so we will be reviewing that as well. Additionally, we’ll look at what to expect from Congress in early 2024. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, to discuss all of this, are none other than John Greene and Michael Andel. https://nabip.org/media/9071/010524-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com As our listeners are aware, NABIP’s 34th Capitol Conference is just around the corner, from February 25-28, 2024, here in Washington D.C. If for some reason you haven’t registered yet, we’re positive you’ll be clamoring to be registered as soon as this episode ends! We have the privilege this week of welcoming a very special guest: Amy Walter - the keynote speaker at this year’s Capitol Conference. Amy Walter is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, where she offers in-depth analysis of the issues, trends, and events that are shaping the political environment. Known for her objective and insightful commentary, Amy has earned her place as one of Washington's Most Powerful Women. Get a sneak peek of what Amy will be discussing in this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, where she provides her take on the 2024 elections thus far. https://nabip.org/media/9116/hhh-amy-walter-020224.mp3 Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this special edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we take you inside the halls of the 34th Annual Capitol Conference, held in Washington D.C. from February 25th to 28th, 2024. This episode, recorded live amidst the buzz and excitement of Cap Con, offers an unparalleled glimpse into the heart of healthcare policy discussions and developments that are shaping the future. Join NABIP's very own Dan Parker and John Greene, along with esteemed Legislative Council Vice Chair and Conference Chair Jennifer Berman, and the charismatic CAHIP president and Cap Con emcee, Tim Kanter, as they dissect and discuss the pivotal moments of this year's conference. https://nabip.org/media/9210/030824-hhh.mp3 Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Welcome back, one and all, to NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour podcast. Earlier this week, the association submitted our response to a Request for Information, or RFI, from the House Education and Workforce Committee. The RFI focused on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (much more commonly referred to as ERISA). In light of the law’s 50th anniversary, the committee issued this RFI to stakeholders to see what areas surrounding ERISA that may benefit from new legislation to reflect how healthcare is delivered today, so it is crucial that NABIP be a part of this conversation. Additionally, this will be the final episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour hosted and produced by NABIP’s Dan Parker. We will all miss “the Voice of NABIP,” who has been a staple of the podcast for the last few years – but we are also excited about what the future holds for the Happy Hour! https://nabip.org/media/9298/032224-hhh-dp.mp3 Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, our new host, David Saltzman, interviews Sarah Ann Flaherty and Adam Sheehan from AccuRisk about the differences between fully insured and self-insured health plans. They discuss the benefits and risks of each type of plan, as well as the role of stop-loss insurance in self-funded plans. They also explore the flexibility and cost-saving potential of self-funded plans, as well as the importance of data analysis and employee engagement in making informed decisions. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the inclusion of ancillary benefits in self-funded plans. https://nabip.org/media/9407/050224-hhh-nationwide.mp3 Thu, 02 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com This episode of NABIP’s Healthcare Happy Hour is a deep dive into the recent changes surrounding short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI). It explores concerns surrounding STLDI’s impact on risk pools and the ACA market. Join OneDigital’s Scott Wham and host David Saltzman for a conversation that addresses the new rule, marketing practices of STLDI plans and the challenges faced by employers in offering minimum essential coverage. It also touches on the potential spillover effects on other plans, such as hospital indemnity plans. The conversation also looks at future trends, like the focus on prescription drug costs and the possibility of repeal and replace efforts. https://nabip.org/media/9440/hhh-scott-wham-20240510.mp3 Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com We all know it’s an election year, and Congressional action has been limited. Join host David Saltzman and NABIP lobbyists John Greene and Michael Andel to discuss several key topics related to healthcare legislation, including employer reporting and the challenges faced by employers in complying with the reporting requirements. They also discuss the status of legislation related to telehealth expansion, COBRA bills and the need for a one-time open enrollment for seniors transitioning to Medicare. https://nabip.org/media/9468/hhh-post-cap-conf-leg-update-20240521.mp3 Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Join us for a special episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast, sponsored by our Premier Affinity Partner, AgencyBloc,  an agency management system that helps health and life insurance agents manage their information, leads, policies, and communications with clients. Alongside our host, David Saltzman, they discuss their AMS, along with additional solutions like marketing tools, a commissions module, and a small group quoting and enrollment tool called QuotePlus. QuotePlus is designed for the small group side and can quote ACA products, community rated products, underwritten products, and self-funded products. Agency Bloc helps advisors differentiate themselves by offering a consolidated quoting tool that allows them to view all available products in the market. They also help advisors automate time-consuming processes, manage paperwork, and streamline workflows. The core agency management software helps advisors manage their leads, prospects, marketing communications, renewals, and commissions. https://nabip.org/media/9483/h3_agencybloc_20240521.mp3 Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Alicia Riedl, the new national president of NABIP, shares her journey in the insurance industry and discusses the issues and initiatives that NABIP is focusing on. She emphasizes the importance of creating a healthcare system centered around the consumer and highlights NABIP's efforts to advocate for a better healthcare system. Riedl also discusses the challenges faced by advisors in the industry, such as restrictive rebating laws and the need for transparency. She shares her views on leadership and the qualities that make a good leader. The conversation also touches on the role of technology, chapter development, and membership changes within NABIP. https://nabip.org/media/9614/alyciareidlhhh.mp3 Tue, 23 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NABIP’s Vice President of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel and Tiber Creek Group’s Andrew McKechnie discuss setting meetings with your federal legislators during August recess and how to get the most out of these meeting. NABIP has released August talking points for all members to use and is encouraging all members to meet with their federal legislators while they are in their district offices for the entirety of the month of August. https://nabip.org/media/9651/indistrictlobbying20240805.m4a Fri, 09 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com NABIP Membership Chair Leslie Shelton discusses her journey into the insurance business and her passion for membership. She emphasizes the importance of making new members feel welcome and supported, and shares strategies for improving the member experience. Shelton also highlights the social aspect of NABIP and the value of networking and building relationships within the industry. She encourages members to spread the word about NABIP and offers tips for approaching potential new members. Shelton concludes by discussing upcoming events and the future of NABIP. https://nabip.org/media/9666/leslie_membership_hhh_2024.mp3 Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews Bianca Saul, the chair of the NABIP Employer Working Group. They discuss Saul's background in the industry and the role of the working group in advocating for employer-provided health coverage. They also touch on topics such as employer reporting, fiduciary responsibility, transparency, mental health parity, and the potential impact of the upcoming election on health policy. The working group aims to address these issues and make an impact through NABIP's advocacy efforts. https://nabip.org/media/9673/bianca-saul-hhh.m4a Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour podcast, host David Saltzman interviews Danielle Roberts, the chair of the NABIP Medicare Advisory Group. They discuss Danielle's background in insurance and how she transitioned her business to focus solely on Medicare. They also talk about the role of the Medicare Advisory Group and their current initiatives, including lobbying CMS to remove agents from the third-party marketing organization definition and advocating for changes in Part D coverage. Danielle emphasizes the importance of staying informed and encourages Medicare advisors to join the NABIP Broker to Broker community for support and guidance. https://nabip.org/media/9729/final-danielle-roberts-mag.mp3 Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman speaks with Andy Bonner, co-founder, president and CEO of Healthcare2U, about his personal journey into the healthcare industry after a misdiagnosis led to a cancer diagnosis. Andy discusses the creation of Healthcare2U, a direct primary care model that aims to provide affordable healthcare solutions to underserved populations. The conversation explores the patient experience, the importance of board-certified care, and the challenges of addressing care deserts in the healthcare system. https://nabip.org/media/9736/andy-bonner-healthcare2u.m4a Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews NABIP PAC Chair Joshua Haberman to discuss the importance of political action committees (PACs) in the health insurance industry. Haberman shares his journey into the insurance business and his involvement with NABIP. They explain what a PAC is and how NABIP PAC works to support legislative priorities related to access and affordability in healthcare. They also discuss the role of PACs in building relationships with elected representatives and the impact of PAC contributions on policy outcomes. https://nabip.org/media/9753/joshua-haberman-podcast.m4a Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by RxBenefits, host David Saltzman speaks with John Jasinski, senior vice president at CalSurance, about the complexities of Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance, particularly in the context of the evolving landscape of self-funded plans. They discuss the various risks associated with professional liability, the importance of effective communication and documentation, and strategies for advisors to protect themselves from potential claims. The conversation also touches on compliance issues and the tailored coverage options available for different types of professionals in the insurance industry. https://nabip.org/media/9793/calsurance-hhh.mp3 Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by RxBenefits, host David Saltzman discusses the recent decision by Centene Corporation, through its subsidiary WellCare, to stop paying commissions to agents and brokers for enrolling Medicare beneficiaries in standalone Part D drug plans. Nicole LePetri, director of public policy & advocacy at NABIP, explains the implications of this decision for agents, brokers, and consumers, and discusses NABIP's advocacy efforts in response to these changes. The conversation also touches on the future outlook for NABIP members and the importance of feedback from agents and beneficiaries. https://nabip.org/media/9807/nicole-lepetri-rxbenefits.m4a Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by RxBenefits, host David Saltzman speaks with KC Armstrong, director of business development at RxBenefits, about the evolution of the pharmacy industry, the complexities of drug pricing in the U.S., and strategies for self-funded plans. KC shares insights on how RxBenefits has adapted to the rapidly changing landscape of healthcare and pharmacy, the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), and the various factors influencing medication costs. The discussion also highlights the importance of data-driven strategies for employers looking to manage their pharmacy spend effectively. https://nabip.org/media/9818/kc-armstrong-final.m4a Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman speaks with NABIP Long-Term Care Working Group Chair Lori Martin and Steve Cain, director at LTCI Partners, about the current state of long-term care insurance. They discuss the resurgence of the market, driven by demographic shifts and state initiatives like the Washington CARES Fund. The conversation highlights the importance of worksite benefits, the variety of products available, and the role of NABIP in advocating for long-term care solutions. The episode emphasizes the need for education and awareness among employers and benefit professionals regarding long-term care planning. https://nabip.org/media/9857/h3-ltc-working-group.mp3 Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman and NABIP Vice President of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel discuss two new healthcare bills that are set to impact employer reporting. They delve into the legislative process, the significance of the bills, and the future of healthcare under the new administration. The conversation highlights the importance of advocacy and the ongoing efforts to improve healthcare legislation. https://nabip.org/media/9918/andel-aca-reporting-12182024.m4a Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman speaks with Vinay Patel, founder of MakoRx, about the evolving role of community pharmacies in the healthcare landscape. They discuss the challenges faced by these local pharmacies as they compete with big box competition, the importance of transparency in drug pricing, and innovative models like subscription services that aim to improve access and affordability. The conversation also touches on the potential for legislative reform to create a more equitable healthcare system. https://nabip.org/media/9953/riverside_vinay_-david-_-jan-23-2025-002_nabip_hhh-2024.mp3 Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews Chris Cillizza, a prominent political commentator, about the current state of healthcare legislation under the Trump administration. They discuss the priorities of the Republican party, the implications of government reduction, and the potential impact of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on healthcare policy. The conversation also touches on the challenges posed by Big Pharma and the effectiveness of executive orders versus legislation in enacting healthcare reform. https://nabip.org/media/9991/chris-cilizza-final.m4a Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews Jói Sigurdsson, founder and CEO of Crankwheel, about the innovative screen sharing platform designed to enhance communication, particularly for less tech-savvy users. They discuss the origins of Crankwheel, its unique features such as e-signature capabilities, recording functionalities, and tools for client engagement. Jói explains how Crankwheel simplifies the presentation process, making it accessible for agents working with older clients. The conversation also touches on the future of the platform and its commitment to user-friendly design. https://nabip.org/media/10130/joi-final-final-with-pre-and-mid-rolls.m4a Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews Connie Podesta, a renowned speaker known for her unique blend of psychology and humor. They discuss Connie's journey from being a talkative student to a successful speaker, the importance of understanding the 'why' behind actions, and how COVID has changed personal and professional dynamics. Connie emphasizes the need for flexibility in goal-setting and the significance of self-awareness in communication. She also shares insights on her upcoming speech at the NABIP Annual Convention, focusing on the challenges of dealing with others. https://nabip.org/media/10345/connie-podesta-hhh.mp3 Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews Vani Hari, known as the Food Babe, who shares her journey from a childhood filled with processed foods to becoming a leading food activist. Vani discusses her health struggles, the pivotal moment that led her to change her diet, and her efforts to expose the truth about food ingredients and advocate for healthier options. She highlights her experience with Chick-fil-A, the challenges of navigating advocacy without being polarizing, and the importance of understanding food labels. Vani also addresses the dangers of glyphosate and offers advice for building a purpose-driven movement in today's digital landscape. https://nabip.org/media/10363/final-hhh-vani-hari-20250520.m4a Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by RxBenefits, host David Saltzman speaks with Whitney Reboulet, Senior Vice President of Account Management at RxBenefits. They discuss Whitney's journey into the pharmacy benefits management space, the challenges of pricing transparency, the importance of data in decision-making, and the impact of specialty drugs like GLP-1s. The conversation also covers formulary design, pharmacy network options, and the ongoing legislative trends affecting the industry. https://nabip.org/media/10367/hhh-rxbenefits-06122025.mp3 Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews AbsenceSoft founder Seth Turner about the growing role of leave as a core employee benefit. Paid leave is no longer just a nice-to-have. It’s a deciding factor for job seekers and a loyalty builder for current staff. Seth shares new data on the types of leave employees value most, how poor leave experiences drive turnover, and why delivering the right leave benefits with the right process can improve retention, morale, and compliance. HR and benefits leaders will walk away with practical strategies to support today’s workforce more effectively, without adding to their administrative load. https://nabip.org/media/10429/hhh_absencesoft-07242025.m4a Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by AffirmedRx, David Saltzman speaks with Mike Stancil, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at AffirmedRx, about the unique structure of public benefit corporations in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing patient care over profits. They discuss the need for transparency in pharmacy benefits, the growing awareness among employers regarding their options, and the complexities surrounding specialty medications. The conversation highlights the innovative approaches AffirmedRx is taking to ensure better healthcare outcomes while maintaining ethical standards. https://nabip.org/media/10485/final_affirmedrx-nabip-hhh-2025.m4a Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman speaks with Jessica Altman, Executive Director of Covered California, about the implications of the recent public law, often referred to as the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' They discuss its significant provisions affecting healthcare markets, particularly focusing on affordability, Medicaid changes, plan design, and the potential impact on consumers and providers. The conversation also touches on the likelihood of Congress extending enhanced premium tax credits and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for healthcare coverage in the United States. https://nabip.org/media/10490/hhh-jessica-altman.m4a Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman and Steve Cain, director, sales & business development leader, at LTCI Partners, discuss the evolving landscape of long-term care insurance. They explore the current state of the market, the impact of demographic shifts, and the role of public programs in shaping private insurance conversations. The discussion highlights the importance of long-term care planning and the need for financial advisors to engage clients in these critical discussions. Looking ahead, they anticipate continued growth and demand for long-term care solutions as awareness increases. https://nabip.org/media/10499/hhh-ltc-steve-cain.m4a Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by RxBenefits, host David Saltzman and Rick Israel, partner at Life Line Insurance Consultants, discuss the significance of in-district meetings with legislators for healthcare professionals. They explore strategies for scheduling these meetings, the importance of preparation, and how to build lasting relationships with legislators. The conversation also covers the engagement with state legislators and effective follow-up strategies to ensure ongoing communication and advocacy. https://nabip.org/media/10515/hhh-rick-israel-in-district-meetings.mp3 Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman interviews Ray Seaver, CEO of Zizzl Health, discussing the innovative Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) model. They explore how ICHRAs provide employers with a flexible way to offer health insurance, addressing key pain points such as affordability and employee satisfaction. The conversation delves into the employee experience, the importance of decision support tools, and the unique advantages of Zizzl Health's approach. They also touch on regulatory challenges, compensation models for advisors, and future trends in the ICHRA landscape. https://nabip.org/media/10600/hhh-zizzl-ichra.m4a Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, sponsored by EyeMed, David Saltzman discusses the importance of vision benefits with Jason Rome, chief commercial officer, and Dr. John Lahr, senior medical director, from EyeMed. They explore how eye exams can play a crucial role in early detection of medical conditions, the impact of eye health on overall well-being and productivity, and how vision benefits can enhance employee satisfaction and retention in a competitive job market. The conversation emphasizes the need for brokers to effectively communicate the value of vision care to employers and the broader implications for healthcare costs. https://nabip.org/media/10653/hhh-eyemed-20251016.m4a Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman speaks with Pat Kelly, executive director and CEO of Your Health Idaho. They discuss the evolution of the health exchange since its inception in 2013, the critical role of agents and brokers in the enrollment process, and how a private sector mindset has enhanced customer experience. Pat shares insights on maintaining a competitive insurance market in Idaho, operational efficiency, and the impact of local agents in rural areas. They also address the potential implications of post-COVID subsidies and future innovations for sustainability. https://nabip.org/media/10667/hhh-pat-kelly.m4a Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman discusses the importance of supplemental health benefits with Diana Steinhoff, president and CEO, and John Feeney, vice president of group sales and market development, from Renaissance Life and Health. They explore the rising healthcare costs and how supplemental benefits can help cover out-of-pocket expenses for employees. The conversation highlights the perspectives of employers and employees regarding these benefits, the role of brokers in offering them, and emerging trends in the industry. https://nabip.org/media/10695/hhh-renaissance-11-10-2025.m4a Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman engages with NABIP President Susan Rider to discuss the evolving landscape of the benefits and insurance industry. They explore the fragmentation within the industry, the importance of member engagement, and the integration of technology and AI to enhance member services. Susan shares insights on professional development, the significance of designations, and the association's efforts to modernize its brand. The conversation also highlights the need for academic partnerships and the establishment of a rapid response media team to strengthen community engagement and advocacy efforts. https://nabip.org/media/10708/hhh-susan_rider-final.m4a Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman speaks with Dr. Darwin Hale, founder and CEO of Advocate Health Advisors, about the critical role of brokers in the healthcare system, particularly in Medicare Advantage. Dr. Hale shares his personal journey that led him to establish his company, emphasizing the importance of localized connections and trust in helping seniors navigate their healthcare options. The conversation also explores the distinction between advocacy and sales, the value of Medicare Advantage plans, and the future of healthcare innovation. https://nabip.org/media/10756/hhh-advocate-health.mp3 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com Employers and health plans continue to face rising healthcare costs driven by chronic conditions, fragmented care delivery, and delayed access to services. In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman speaks with Jon O’Toole, chief revenue officer of Recuro Health, about how integrated virtual care models—connecting primary care, urgent care, and behavioral health—are emerging as a response to these pressures. Drawing from industry data, case study insights, and market trends, the conversation explores how coordinated virtual care delivery can improve care quality while generating measurable cost savings across populations. https://nabip.org/media/10762/hhh-recuro-health.mp3 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman interviews Craig Gussin, president & CEO of Auerbach & Gussin. Craig shares his journey from starting in life and disability insurance to becoming a trusted media resource in health insurance. He discusses the importance of proactive media engagement, building relationships with media outlets, and effectively communicating with the public. Craig emphasizes the need for insurance professionals to position themselves as resources for consumers and the media, providing valuable insights and education. He also offers advice for aspiring media experts in the industry. https://nabip.org/media/10769/hhh-craig-gussin-2026.mp3 Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman interviews Lena Chaihorsky, co-founder and senior vice president of Payer Innovation at Alva10, discussing the concept of precision medicine and its implications for healthcare delivery. They explore the importance of pharmacogenomics, the role of brokers in implementing precision medicine, and the need for education among employers regarding these innovative healthcare solutions. Lena emphasizes the significance of drug efficacy and the financial implications of non-optimized medications, while also highlighting real-world applications and future directions for the NABIP's Precision Medicine Task Force. https://nabip.org/media/10801/hhh_lena_chaihorsk.mp3 Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman sits down with Joshua Brooker, co-founder and chief visionary officer of SnapHealth and chair of NABIP’s Individual Market Working Group, to break down NABIP’s 28-page comment letter to CMS on the proposed 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP). Drawing on the Working Group’s expertise and insights, they explore key implications for the ACA market, including the impact on brokers, consumers, and carriers, as well as the revisions and proposals that could shape its future. https://nabip.org/media/10859/final-josh-iwg-nbpp.m4a Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman sits down with Jennifer Berman, chief legal officer of Lumelight, to break down the key provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2026. The discussion focuses on expanded transparency requirements, including new prescription drug reporting and significant changes to compensation disclosure rules impacting brokers, TPAs, and other health plan vendors. Jennifer also explores the growing fiduciary responsibilities for plan sponsors, increased litigation risk, and the need for structured governance and documentation. The conversation highlights both the challenges and opportunities these evolving regulations present for plan sponsors, vendors, and advisors. https://nabip.org/media/10874/hhh-jen-berman-caa26.mp3 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, David Saltzman sits down with Will Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Gyde Health, to discuss how AI and modern technology are transforming the insurance broker industry. They explore the historical underinvestment in brokers despite their role as the front door to the healthcare system, and how AI can automate administrative work to free up capacity for growth and client engagement. Will also shares his vision for the future of advisors as comprehensive, technology-enabled guides who support consumers across insurance, health, and financial decisions. https://nabip.org/media/10876/hhh-gyde-health-2026.mp3 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this timely episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman sits down with NABIP Medicare Advisory Group Chair Chalen Jackson for an in-depth discussion on the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule, released last week. They break down key policy changes, including updates to Star Ratings and Part D provisions, and what they mean for both beneficiaries and advisors. The conversation also explores evolving market dynamics, expected pressure on plan benefits, and new flexibilities for agents that can improve workflow and client engagement. Chalen highlights how ongoing advocacy efforts helped shape many of these changes and offers practical guidance on how advisors can prepare for another challenging enrollment season. https://nabip.org/media/10881/hhh_chalen-jackson-4-13-2026.mp3 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman sits down with Lunna Lopez, senior survey manager at the Kaiser Family Foundation, to examine how rising healthcare costs are affecting consumers’ insurance decisions and overall financial well-being. Drawing on recent KFF survey data, they explore how increases in premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs are forcing many marketplace enrollees to make difficult trade-offs—such as cutting back on basic household expenses or dropping coverage altogether. The conversation highlights the emotional toll of navigating coverage decisions, including widespread feelings of stress, confusion, and frustration, and discusses how affordability challenges may influence consumer behavior, market stability, and broader policy and voting dynamics. https://nabip.org/media/10899/hhh-lunna-lopes-kff.mp3 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman sits down with Chris Orestis, president of Retirement Genius, to explore the critical gaps in retirement planning—particularly when it comes to healthcare and long-term care costs. Chris explains how a lack of financial literacy and avoidance of difficult conversations leave many Americans unprepared for the realities of aging, often leading to crisis-driven decisions. The discussion highlights the growing importance of income planning, managing debt, and understanding longevity risk, as well as the significant financial and emotional impact of long-term care on individuals and families. Chris also outlines practical strategies for both consumers and advisors, emphasizing the need for early planning, diversified financial tools, and a more holistic, solution-oriented approach to retirement readiness in this first installment of a two-part series. https://nabip.org/media/10923/chrisorestis-part1of2.mp3 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT nahumediabase@gmail.com In this episode of Healthcare Happy Hour, host David Saltzman continues his conversation with Chris Orestis, president of Retirement Genius, shifting the focus from retirement planning to the intersection of healthcare policy, advocacy, and politics. Drawing on his experience in Washington, D.C., Chris reflects on how healthcare and insurance policy are shaped over time and why persistence, member engagement, and in-district advocacy are essential to driving change. The discussion explores the role benefits professionals can play in shaping policy, the importance of political participation and PAC support, and the major funding and entitlement debates likely to impact Medicare, Social Security, and the broader benefits landscape in the years ahead. Chris emphasizes that advisors who stay informed and engaged will be better positioned to serve their clients and help influence the future of the industry. https://nabip.org/media/10924/chrisorestis-part2.mp3 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT