$500 For Your Thoughts

Do you have two minutes to do a good deed?  Yes? Okay, then. Please click here to take Cal Broker’s super easy 2021 reader survey. Share your email only if you like, and you’ll be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card. The gift card drawing will coincide with Cal Broker’s 40th anniversary issue later this year. We’d love to hear from you. Please take the survey. Thank you so much!

HEALTH

NAHU’s CapCon Delivers

We had the privilege of attending NAHU’s CapCon event earlier this week and boy was it good! Introduced by Cal Broker’s own associate publisher Naama O. Pozniak, health and mindfulness advocate Deepak Chopra kicked off the event. The author of Total Meditation and The Healing Self (among many other books), Chopra talked about the key pillars of health and especially how important stress reduction and sleep are. We then got to listen in on industry professionals, legislators and researchers discuss key areas of focus for the industry.  Judging from the CapCon discussions, here’s what you should expect to hear a lot about this year:

Transparency — whether it’s transparency in how much you get paid or how much hospitals charge for procedures, 2021 will be all about allowing access to information.

Prescription drugs — Drugs costs have become a huge and ever heavier albatross around the necks of employers and individuals. Look for innovation and more legislation to tackle this problem.

Social determinants of health– Want to reduce health care spend and keep everyone healthy? Those in the know now understand that social determinants of health — access to rides, fresh/healthy food, cooking lessons, movement opportunities and more — can be easier and cheaper to manipulate than we ever thought.

COBRA as Medicare Creditable Coverage- Industry leaders and politicians expressed optimism that legislation can be enacted to finally recognize COBRA as creditable coverage for Medicare eligibility.

NAAIA

Loved NAAIA’s Discussion with Michele Jawando

It’s Black history month and this morning we had the honor of catching some of Michele Jawando’s wisdom as she spoke with The Hartford’s Susan Johnson as part of a webinar series for the National African-American Insurance Association. Jawando is head of U.S. strategic engagement and public policy partnerships at Google. She’s also a wife and the mother of four children. Jawando discussed perseverance and how her child, who is on the autism spectrum, broadened and deepened her perspective on life. We’ve attended a couple of NAAIA events and we can’t stress enough how valuable they are. Access the webinars, free of charge, here.  More info on the organization at NAAIA.org.

COVID

NAIC Releases COVID Report

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners released the third in a series of reports that reviews regulatory actions taken to protect policyholders and safeguard the solvency of the insurance sector.  Highlights of the report include: coordination of state data collection efforts to promote consistency, support for virtual examinations and the use of new technologies, the use of telemedicine for workers’ compensation claims, creation of a searchable database of state actions & best practices, enhanced market analysis & surveillance on COVID-19 impact and much more. Read in good health!

401(k)

Socially Responsible Investing Matters Now

Robert Lawton at Lawton Retirement Plan Consultants has a new post up about why plan sponsors must pay attention to socially responsible investing with 401(ks). Why should you read it? Because 77% of millennials say that it makes a big difference to them. And millennials account for one-third of the global population, my friend.

BRAVO

Lynne Rosenberg Wins Public Service Award

NAIFA-LA and the Society of Financial Service Professionals-LA/Pasadena announced that 36-year member Lynne Rosenberg is the recipient of the 68th annual Will G. Farrell Public Service Award. Rosenberg, the founder and owner of Innovative Solutions Insurance Services, received the award at a recent Zoom gathering that attracted 68 people.

DON’T FORGET

Covered CA Special Enrollment Extends to May 15

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare announced a special enrollment period for Affordable Care Act coverage to help those who lost their health insurance and employer-based coverage during the pandemic. Get the word out that Californians can sign up through May 15 via Covered California special enrollment. Outside of California, sign up may be through the state platform or at Healthcare.gov.

LAAHU DEI Book Club Starts March 8

LAAHU’s DEI book club based on Miles McPherson’s book, The Third Option, starts March 8. LAAHU says the author, who is the founder of The Rock church in San Diego, delivers “just the right message for just the right time.” In the book, McPherson speaks out about the pervasive racial divisions in today’s culture and argues that we must learn to see people not by the color of their skin, but as God sees them—humans created in the image of God. LAAHU’s DEI book club will meet monthly for up to 90 minutes via Zoom and have in-depth discussions of up to three chapters each session. As a grand finale, the group hopes to take a trip to San Diego and personally meet Miles McPherson. The Third Option can be found on Amazon. The book group will meet 2nd Monday of the month starting at 3:45pm PST via Zoom. Register here.

EVENTS

  • NAHU Power Hour, 4th Wednesday of the month from 4-5p.m. Pacific. Members and nonmembers welcome. Register here.
  • CAHU Women’s Leadership Summit, POSTPONED Email questions to info@cahu.org.
  • National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Spring National Meeting, Virtual, April 7-9 and April 12-14. Register here.
  • Save the Date–  IICF International Inclusion in Insurance Forum, June 15-17
    The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation is convening insurance professionals, C-Suite executives, D&I leaders and other innovators from around the globe for the IICF International Inclusion in Insurance Forum, an action-oriented program with a unique focus on an inclusive future for the industry. Registration details will be shared soon.
  • American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance, National Medicare Supplement Insurance Industry Summit, Sept 8-10, Schaumburg Convention Center, Chicago area, info here.

 

About Calbroker Admin 689 Articles
Site Administrator