2011-2012 OAHU OFFICERS

The following members were sworn in as officers for the 2011-2012 Year 

Randy Klein, President

Matthew Steven Bodnar, Vice President

Kathy Lee, Secretary/Treasurer

Robert Lackey, Immediate Past President

2011-2012 INCOMING PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

IN THIS ISSUE

PUBLIC AFFAIRS & MEDIA RELATIONS INITIATIVE

KATHY LEE - NEW OAHU SECRETARY/TREASURER

2011 LPRT QUALIFIERS

OAHU ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

2011 CAPITAL CONFERENCE

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

OAHU IS WORKING HARD ON YOUR BEHALF

AROUND THE STATE

MEMBERSHIP CONTEST RESULTS

NAHU CHAPTER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

CRUISE THE NAHU WEBSITE

OAHU SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

State chapters that achieve at least Silver Certification along with ALL of its local chapters are recognized with the Blue Ribbon of Excellence.  OAHU is one of 7 chapters nationwide to achieve this status and one of 2 to achieve bothBlue Ribbon and Gold Certification.

QUICK LINKS

SAVE THE DATE!

June 26th-29th

NAHU Annual Convention

San Antonio, TX

 

2011 OAHU Calendar

Board meetings and Legislative Concil meetings are held the third Thursday of every month either by conference call or at Benefit Mall in Worthington from September through April

OAHU Executive Committee

Robert Lackey... President
 rlackey@fpfc.net 

Randy Klein...President Elect
 rklain@dormanfarrellbenefits.com

 Kevin Conrad, RHU...Vice President
 kconrad@rbgofohio.com

 Matthew Bodnar...Sec'y/Treas
 mattandjulie@roadrunner.com

 Stephen C. Brubaker...Past President
stephencbrubaker@msn.com

 Denny Recker...Legislative Chair
 drecker@unitedinsuranceservice.com

PUBLIC AFFAIRS & MEDIA RELATIONS INITIATIVE

By Randy Klein, Incoming OAHU President

I would like to start this article with a quote from Lee Nathans, who is the incoming chairperson of OAHU's Public Relations Committee.  "As health care reform progresses from legislation to implementation, our membership is at the nexus of change.  The traditional role of health insurance brokers is under stress from legislators, regulators, insurance companies, employer groups and consumers.  With the advent of a State Health Insurance Exchange scheduled for January 1, 2014, our Association needs to gain a stronger position with each of the above mentioned groups."

I am very pleased and excited to announce that OAHU has entered into a contract with Pierce Communications, a public relations firm located in Columbus.  Pierce Communications will be helping our Association strengthen our position with all of the players that Lee Nathans listed above.

Pierce Communications will be assisting OAHU enhance its day-to-day lobbying efforts to protect OAHU and its members' interest in Ohio legislation or regulatory actions that implement provisions of the new federal health care reform law.  It is OAHU's goal to ensure that health insurance agents are at the forefront of selling and servicing the health insurance products in an Ohio-based exchange.

Simultaneously, OAHU will start and implement a "branding" process which will focus on how our Association is perceived by legislators, insurance companies, our clients and the general public which we all serve.

More information on this public affairs and media relations initiative will be forthcoming in the August edition of OAHU Healthlines.

KATHY LEE - NEW OAHU SECRETARY/TREASURER 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the delegates of OAHU for voting me in as your new Secretary/Treasurer. I am looking forward to a great year working with a great team led by Randy Klein and representing our members on the executive board. This is an organization that I have learned a great deal from in the past few years. I started as a local membership chair and then became the State Membership chair last year. During this time we have increased our membership within our state but we have a long ways to go.

OAHU has 700 members statewide and represents one of the largest state memberships behind California, Florida, Texas and North Carolina. I was able to attend the National Convention the last two years and had the opportunity to meet many people dedicated to this organization with their commitment and passion. I have much to learn and welcome the opportunity to contribute to this organization and to be apart of it.

I want to thank all the new members and all our current members and encourage all of you to get involved and stay active in your local chapter. I look forward to meeting new people and having a productive year in my new position.

2011 LPRT QUALIFIERS

OAHU JOB CENTRAL 

OAHU ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Mike Embry, Region 3 Vice President, was the guest speaker for the 2011 Annual Meeting. Mike provided an update of the NAHU Board Of Trustees activities regarding legislation, professional development and the strategic plan.
 

Kathy Lee was sworn in as the new OAHU Secretary/Treasurer on May 19, 2011.  

She joined the insurance industry in 2001 focusing on the individual health market. Kathy was an independent agent prior to joining Talus Brokerage Services in 2003. She specialized in the individual market and the Senior market. She serves the agents in NW Ohio with Carriers such as Medical Mutual of Ohio, Aetna, Humana and many more. Kathy received the Most Valuable Person Award in 2007 and has received outstanding sales achievement award for 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
 

Kathy resides in Maumee Ohio and has two children, Kristin, age 17, and Lee, age 19, and has a dog name Roxie.  She is active with her children's sports activities and an active member of the Boosters. She enjoys playing poker, golfing and traveling.

Past President Steven Brubaker was awarded the Community Service Award.  Below is the nomination from Carol Conway, OAHU Past President and Steve's fellow CAHU member.

"I would like to nominate Steve Brubaker for OAHU's Community Service award. In addition to Steve's dedication to OAHU and supporting legislative efforts in Ohio and Washington,  he gives numerous hours to his church community, including participating in a summer missionary travel to China, working with their young children and teens in the most impoverished areas of the country.  Steve has taken three of these trips, giving up time with his own children to spend 2 - 3 weeks with those in need.

Another of Steve's dedications is Charity Newsies.  Every December, you will find Steve on the corner of Main and McNaughten collecting money for underprivileged children of Columbus - providing them with winter coats, hats, and backpacks.

Steve's unselfish dedication to the less fortunate here and abroad merits his receipt of this award!!!!!"

2011 CAPITAL CONFERENCE

NAHU Capital Conference - February 14-16, 2011

OAHU Members Who Attended    

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

By Dennis Recker

Chair, OAHU Legislative Committee  

On the federal level, implementation of PPACA continues to move forward.  The department of Health and Human Services continues to work on writing the regulations that would put the various components of PPACA into actionable rules.  This activity continues despite PPACA having been declared unconstitutional in two separate jurisdictions of the federal court system.  Three other federal courts have upheld PPACA.  All those decisions are being appealed to US Circuit Courts of Appeal with the fate of PPACA finally being determined by the US Supreme Court.  However, the earliest that the US Supreme Court would probably take the case is late in 2012 or early 2013.  Since neither of the courts that have ruled PPACA unconstitutional have placed a stay on the federal government's activities involving implementation of PPACA, the federal government agencies involved in implementing PPACA can continue to move forward as they are doing.

The new Republican majority in the US House of Representatives is following through with campaign promises to repeal PPACA or otherwise derail its implementation.  However, so far, all such measures passed in the House including full repeal of PPACA have been defeated in the US Senate, thus stalling efforts to repeal or defund PPACA.  Still, certain onerous provisions of PPACA like the 1099 reporting to all vendors with whom a business spends $600 or more in a year have been tempered or removed from the law.  Similarly the W-2 reporting of health insurance costs has been postponed one year for businesses with more than 250 W-2 reports and postponed indefinitely for those businesses with 250 or less W-2 reports.  The CLASS ACT long term care program is also on hold.

The real action on health reform now moves to the states where Ohio looks to begin work perhaps later this year on enabling legislation that would create an Ohio Exchange.  Ohio has chosen to travel the two rail system in regard to PPACA.  First of all, under the new administration elected last November, Ohio has joined with 23 other states in the legal battle to challenge the constitutionality of PPACA in the courts.  Meanwhile, Ohio will begin work to create the Exchange in the event that the US Supreme Court ultimately does not declare PPACA unconstitutional.  Ohio will need to show the federal government by January 2013 that it is well on its way to establishing a state exchange or the federal government will set up the exchange for Ohio - either through one Federal Exchange or through a Regional Exchange.  It is the opinion of OAHU that it would be far better for Ohio to establish its own exchange rather than letting the federal government run the exchange for Ohio if PPACA is allowed to move forward through the courts or not repealed as a result of the outcome of the November 2012 national election.  Carrie Haughawout is a new Assistant Director at the Ohio Department of Insurance and will be heading the administration's efforts in establishing an Exchange for Ohio.  OAHU looks forward to working with Ms. Haughawout and other stakeholders on this important piece of PPACA.  OAHU will keep members apprised of legislative activity involving the Exchange as it begins to move forward.

Most other healthcare and health insurance issues are taking a back seat to PPACA at this point.  Not much else is moving forward until the outcome of the implementation of PPACA is more certain.  However, there is one important issue in the current budget bill that caught our attention.  The budget bill again explores the possibility of pooling all public entities-this time all public entities, not just schools-for the purchase of health insurance.  Although the governor's budget did propose to dissolve the School Employees Health Care Board, thus killing the school pooling issue, the governor's budget proposal did ask to empower the Department of Administrative Services to consider the feasibility of one state or several regional pools from which all public entities would be required to purchase group health insurance.  In the proposed budget, the DAS would have had the final say as to whether or not pooling would, in fact, be implemented.  As the House worked on and eventually passed its version of the budget, the House provided for a study of pooling to be conducted and reported to the General Assembly by June 1 of 2012.  However, any action by the DAS to implement pooling would require legislative action and approval.  OAHU worked hard to bring this pooling issue back to the legislature for final action.  The Ohio Senate is currently working on its version of the budget.  We do expect the budget bill to be passed and signed by governor Kasich by the July 1 deadline.   

OAHU IS WORKING HARD ON YOUR BEHALF

Please help if asked!

By Dennis J. Recker

Chair OAHU Legislative Committee

You may sometimes ask how OAHU is working, and what OAHU is doing to promote the role of the health insurance agent and broker in this busy legislative/regulatory environment.  OAHU, through its Legislative Committee and its government affairs lobbying firm, McGough and Associates, is working hard on many fronts to promote your interests with legislators and government regulators.  The following is a summary of how OAHU is currently strongly engaged.

Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) - The MLR fight is going forward on two fronts right now.  One is in the U. S. House of Representatives in the form of H.R. 1206, the MLR bill that would remove agent commissions from the calculation of the MLR percentages. The sponsors of the bill, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), have been joined by 85 co-sponsors to the bill.  This includes five congressmen from Ohio who have joined as co-sponsors due to OAHU's recent drive and NAHU's Operation Shout.  The five representatives are Steve Austria (R-Springfield), Bill Johnson (R-Poland), Robert Latta (R-Bowling Green), Steve Stivers (R-Columbus), and Pat Tiberi (R-Galena).  It is not too late for you to contact your member of Congress to encourage them to sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1206.

The second front of the MLR fight is seeking endorsement of H.R. 1206 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).  We have made a number of contacts with the Ohio Department of Insurance to encourage Director/Lt. Governor Mary Taylor to vote in favor of the NAIC endorsing the passage of H.R. 1206.

Earlier in 2011, OAHU conducted a survey of its members in regard to the effect of decreased commissions on members' insurance practices.  These reductions in commissions did come about as a result of MLR and have already resulted in the loss of 5% of the jobs in Ohio's health insurance agent and broker arena.

Pooling of Public Entities in Ohio for the purpose of purchasing health insurance The Kasich Administration's original biennial budget proposal for the State of Ohio included a provision authorizing the Ohio Department of Administrative Services to research statewide and regional pooling of health insurance for public entities and to implement the creation of regional or statewide pools without further legislative approval.  OAHU's government affairs professionals were successful in working with others to change the pooling language in the House version of the budget to implement a study on the effectiveness and consequences of pooling with a report due to the Legislature by June of 2012 after which pooling could only move forward by an act of the Legislature.  Debate on this proposal is continuing in the Ohio Senate.

Meetings with Legislators in their districts

In the past two months, OAHU has begun conducting meetings with members of the Legislature in their districts to discuss the agent's role in the purchase and servicing of health insurance products as health reform moves forward with the creation of state-based Exchanges.  OAHU expects enabling legislation for Ohio's Exchange to be introduced in the Legislature later this year with action completed by mid-2012.  OAHU's in-district meetings have helped educate legislators on what an Exchange is and how it should be crafted to best meet the needs of consumers while maintaining the present marketing system using agents and brokers.  The current system is very efficient and should not be altered, much less destroyed.  These meetings have been a great opportunity to promote the role of the agent and broker in the distribution of health insurance products and services.

Collecting data on the value that agents and brokers bring to the health insurance consumer

OAHU is also working to collect data from our members on the value they bring to their customers.  This value is evident in a variety of ways: from negotiating rate increases to a more acceptable level at renewal, to developing new approaches to funding health care costs or fixing a claim situation or pre-certification problem.  We will need these types of examples as we work not only with legislators and regulators but with consumer groups as well.

You can see that OAHU is on the front lines fighting to save a viable role for the agent and broker in the world of health care reform.  OAHU state and local board members and state and local legislative chairs and committees are working tirelessly to promote the value of the agent and broker.  All they ask is your help when needed.  Please step forward and volunteer to serve on your legislative or political action committees.  We need everyone to get involved and fully engaged in this important battle.

AROUND THE STATE

Northeast

by Dan Feiwell, President

dfeiwell@siriusbenefits.com

Pulled from the June 2011

NEOHUA Newsletter:

This is my last letter as president of the Northeast Ohio Health Underwriters Association.  I could not be prouder of the board of trustees I was blessed with this year.  I could not think of a better group of people to work with on a regular basis.  The new trustees coming in will do an excellent job as well.  The last year has been complete with great accomplishments along with a few setbacks.

Our March Benefits Forum was the largest in our history and the feedback we received on the event was tremendous.  NEOHUA also sponsored and produced a one-hour weekly radio show that allowed us to meet one of our goals of educating consumers.  The Stakeholders event was also well received with two United States Congressmen in attendance, insurance company presidents and the president of COSE and a hospital system.  OAHU is in the process of trying to duplicate our success.  We conducted a wellness certification class and also just completed another successful golf outing.  We've also implemented some accounting changes to further enhance the transparency of the organization.

On the downside, membership continues to be a challenge.  The latest numbers we've heard is licensed agents in Ohio have decreased by about 5% in the last year.  With individual and small group plans potentially disappearing into the exchanges, it is not surprising to see the shift.  Never mind the commission haircuts brokers are taking on a regular basis.  Obtaining sponsors also is getting more difficult due to MLR limits.  Quality programming is always a challenge.

But now more than ever, we need your help and in reality, you need our help.  NEOHUA, OAHU (Ohio) and NAHU (National) are on the front lines working with state and national politicians to impact the rules being written for PPACA and the Ohio Exchange.  The carriers are fighting for their own survival and we as a group are fighting for yours.  For a small annual investment, you will have access to membership and its benefits, state and national politicians, PAC participation to ensure your voice is heard and at least 16 hours of CE per year.  Whether you work for a large agency or a smaller shop, everyone is affected by PPACA.  You can choose to remain on the sidelines or get in the game.  I hope you choose to support the incoming board and become a star player.

Thank you to all who have made this a tremendous year.

MEMBERSHIP CONTEST RESULTS

The OAHU 2011 Membership Contest was held from February 1st through April 30th. In order to qualify for the prize, each local was required to recruit a minimum number of new members, based on the size of their chapter. The local that brought in the most new members and with the highest percentage increase above the minimum level was declared the winner. Minimums were: Cincinnati- 4, Northeast- 8, Columbus- 8, Northwest- 4, Western Reserve- 2.

Below are the contest results:

Cincinnati -2 new members

Northeast -8 new members

Columbus -9 new members

Northwest -3 new members

Western Reserve -0 new members

Congratulations go to Columbus as this year's winner!

One lucky Columbus member will now be able to attend this year's National Convention in San Antonio, Texas and OAHU will pay the registration cost, which is valued at approximately $575. 

NAHU CHAPTER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

NAHU's Chapter Certification program has grown! Two new tiers and four more criteria were added to the program. The new tiers are Gold and Platinum. Qualifying for Silver Certification remains the same; chapters will have to satisfy six of the 14 criteria. Gold Certification requires that nine criteria be satisfied and Platinum Certification requires that all 14 of the stated criteria be satisfied. State chapters that are at least Silver Certified during the same 12-month period as all of their local chapters will receive the Blue Ribbon of Excellence. Certification is voluntary and based on a rolling 12-month calendar. Questions should be directed to Dagmar Byrnes at dbyrnes@nahu.org.

Congratulations to all the OAHU Chapters for achieving Gold or Silver Certification!

Items to be completed now:

Forward your chapter's IRS Form 990, 990N or 990EZ now to satisfy this requirement for 2011

Complete the 2011-2012 Chapter Leadership Roster Form as soon as your elections are over.  It is very important for the state to be kept up to date on your officers, committee chairs, etc. and this also satisfies a chapter certification criterion.

The Current Directors & Officers Insurance document was sent to NAHU on June 7, 2011, This submission satisfies the D&O requirement for all chapters.

CRUISE THE NAHU WEBSITE

NAHU has created a health reform research page to assist members with making sense of the many reforms and changes brought about by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.    This page can be found on the NAHU website, Legislative Advocacy, Resources on Health Reform.  Read the pertinent items without the burden of sifting through the 1,000 pages of legislation!

And while you are on the NAHU web site, please take a moment to visit the Membership & Chapter Resources section.  Select Access chapter resources here.  Here you will find tools and resources to help all chapter leaders with administrative tasks.

A contest for everyone!

GAIN contest (Get Agents Involved Now) rewards members, chapters and regions that excel at recruitment and retention.

Time Period: May 1, 2011 - April 30, 2012

Who is Eligible: Local chapters, state chapters & regions.

Visit Contest Guidelines

The GAIN Contest Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at the Annual Convention in 2012.  Will your name be on the list????

OAHU SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Wouldn't you like to have your company name advertised to your fellow OAHU members?  OAHU has the following opportunities for you to be in front of the membership on a regular basis. 
 

Or does your company have an affiliate opportunity that you would like to present to OAHU?  Just give us a call TODAY!

·         Gongwer News Service ($150 month) --distributed DAILY to nearly 700 agents
        (Next issue available isn't until January 2012)

·         HealthLines Business Card ad - distribution to nearly 700 agents quarterly - $50 per issue

·         Website Tower Ad with a link to your website - $75 per month

·         Job vacancy listing - website Job Bank $100 per month

·         One set of OAHU membership labels for promotion mailing $150

Interested in learning more about this opportunity? 

 Contact the OAHU office at 330.273.5756
 jackie@ohioahu.org; www.ohioahu.org

OAHU MEMBER BENEFIT - BEST BENEFITS CLUB