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September 2007 | Volume 6, Number 8
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I N T H I S I S S U E...
* President’s Message
* Healthy Access Plan for Affordable and Responsible Health Care Reform
* Moore's Film Irksome in Canada
* Doucment, Document, Document!
*Triple Crown Program
* Six Essentials for Networking
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Welcome New Members!
Robert L. Frechette
Peoples Health NetworkTerri Glasser Guardian Life Insurance
Gina Murrillo Thomas J. Schoen & Associatesand THANK YOU to the members who recruited them: Cindy Osborne Kenny Collins Have you recruited a new member lately?Click here for a Membership Application
| September Meeting
Wednesday, September 19th
Salvatore's Ristorante
8am Registration
8:30 Meeting Begins
3 Myths of the Single Payer Health Care Delivery System
presented by Denny Ebersole, NAHU Region VI Vice-President
This is an important presentation you won't want to miss! Come learn how to educate clients, friends and family about why we don't want the government controlling our health care!
Cilch here to register or pay online
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Light the Night Walk
Food, Drinks, Entertainment & Lots of Fun for the whole family!
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
Registration begins 5:30pm
Walk begins 7pm
Zephyr Stadium
Benefiting
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
If you are interested in participating in the walk, please email info@noahu.org
Click Here to make a donation on a secured site.
Help us reach our goal of $1000!!
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Adopting an Angel
Sponsorship Opportunity!
Make a $100.00 donation to Angels’ Place by adopting one of these 40 angels which will be a centerpiece on each table during the “Under Angels’ Wings” Gala Auction and Fashion Show (featuring the Saintsations) on October 23, 2007 at Sheraton Hotel Grand Ballroom. Your business card will be displayed on the angel, as well as included in the event’s program.
If you are interested in "Adopting an Angel," click here or contact Carmen Waring 832-5877, Debbie Stagni 832-5856, or Jennifer Toups 837-0110.
or
simply send a check made payable to Angels' Place for $100 along with 10 business cards to
NOAHU, PO Box 8765 Metairie, LA 70010.
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
NOAHU continues our quest to increase recognition of our association and the great job that agents and insurance professionals do for the American consumer every day. It is so important that we are aware of negative media attacks on our industry so we can do what we can to combat them.
Below, you can read both a piece that appeared in Gambit Weekly by one of their regular columnists and our Letter to the Editor that was printed in response. As a reminder, if you happen to see an article in any local publication promoting universal coverage or single-payer health care, please bring it to my attention – jennifer@noahu.org.
Not all of our media push will be focused on combating single payer issues. We were fortunate enough to be contacted by CityBusiness magazine to provide input into an article about trends in small business employee benefit plans. This should appear in an issue at the end of this month, but we will email you when it is released to let you know.
Your Board of Directors has also voted to move forward in changing our media strategy with our membership ads. Each member is listed in an advertisement we run twice a year. Last year, we ran in CityBusiness. However, since their rates have increased, we have decided to try the Gambit Weekly. In addition, we will utilize their online advertising option to increase awareness of our association and our members.
Since this is a CE renewal year, we will be having several CE seminar opportunities – in addition to our regular meetings. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like to hear about, please let us know!
I encourage you to consider attending Wednesday’s NOAHU Membership meeting at our new location- Salvatore’s. The presentation will be made by Denny Ebersole. As a member of the NAHU national Board of Trustees and our Region VI Vice President, he has particular insight on the push that NAHU has planned for this upcoming presidential election and more! We will be having some special prizes for attendees and all members who bring a guest will be entered to win a gift card! Candidates for the Louisiana House of Representatives will also be at the meeting to introduce themselves. Don’t miss it!
Jennifer Toups
President
Just Another Sicko Day
By Andrei Codrescu
Original Column in Gambit Weekly- 7/24/07
I went to my pharmacy to get another prescription filled, an act that's become so routine for most of us that we go through the drive-in window to get our pills. Only this time, things were different. My health-provider's card, which used to assure me a generally reasonable price, was rejected. I either had to pay full price, which was so outrageous I could hardly believe my eyes, or straighten it out with my provider, which quit doing business the usual way two days earlier. If I paid full price, the pills cost 10 times more, I kid you not. A $10 drug suddenly cost more than $100, so I decided to straighten it out with my health provider.
After going through two rounds of voicemail hell I got a human who told me that the provider had spun off its drug prescriptions to another company that should have sent me a card that would insure that I got my usual medication at the covered price. The human was good enough to give me a number for this new drug company, and after several rounds of voicemail hell "due," quote, "to an unusual heavy volume of calls," unquote -- yeah, I bet -- I got through to another human who informed me that my card should have been sent weeks before. The trouble was, it had been sent to an old address that I had changed on every form I could think of, including that of my health provider. Well, that's easy, I said, change the address and send me a new one. That's not possible, the human said, you have to have your provider send us your new address. But, I said feebly, I have just given you all the information that proves that I am me: my SSN, my HMO number, my birth date, my mother's maiden name. That may be, he said, but we must receive your address change from your provider. Go to round five of voicemail hell back to my provider where, after a good half-hour, I punched into my cell phone everything a robot asked about me: my SSN, my HMO number, my birth date, my mother's maiden name. When the robot was satisfied, I had only three more circles of hell to go through before I found a human, who asked me the exact same information the robot had. After ascertaining that I was really me, she listened to my problem and said that she couldn't possibly change my address, because such a change had to come on a form provided by the employment benefits office of my workplace.
At this point I said, not so feebly: Why can't you just move your cursor to the top of the page and enter my new address and forward this address to your spin-off company so I can get my frigging drug at the price you guarantee because I pay a whole lot of frigging money every month for that discount? Well, that was when I heard the click of the abyss and the HMO human shoved me off the edges of her consciousness.
Determined to keep my cool, I called my place of work and was directed through hell -- a more familiar hell, I must admit -- to the Human Resources Office, where a taped message informed me that the holder of that office was not going to be there on such and such dates, which had already passed, but if I left a message he'd get back to me. And then I got another message, which was that his message box was full and unable to take any more messages. At this point, homicidal Luddite urges -- also familiar, I must admit -- started racing through my barely contained cool. Had this man's message box not been full, God only knows what colorful expletives I might have invented to inform him of my feelings. Luckily, he wasn't there and his box was full, so I'm using my expletive-making machine in a fictional story that should earn me enough money to pay for the difference between my covered drug benefit and what I actually paid.
This story could go on forever, and there wouldn't be one American in this vast country who wouldn't agree with me. I decided that instead of lowering myself deeper and deeper into the bureaucratic muck they call health care in this country, I'd go through unorthodox channels and beg someone in a nearby office to find this "benefits" representative for me and have him respond. I succeeded in having him found -- thank you, Stacy, you're a dear -- and when found, he emailed me a hugely nonsensical form full of inexplicable language that I was supposed to sign, mail back to him, after which he'd forward my address change to my health provider so that they could forward it to their spin-off drug company so that they could send me a card so that I could pay for my drug what I was supposed to pay in the first place. Not to mention the fact that this workplace "benefits" guy should have done this months before, when I entered my change of address in every official document.
All I can say is, God bless Michael Moore and Stacy, vote for Hillary Clinton and take your Xanax like good boys and girls.
It Could Make Us Sicker
(Our response published in the Gambit Weekly)
Andrei Codrescu's article "Just another Sicko Day," (Pennypost, July 24) is a tirade on how a recent negative encounter with an insurance provider and the author's Human Resources Department at work is emblematic of America 's health-care system. While many of us can relate to Codrescu's dilemma and understand his frustrations, the single-payer system he is advocating by supporting Michael Moore would only make the problems he experienced even more common.
If a single-payer system were to be implemented, Codrescu might have had no choice but to pay the full price for his prescription. Under a single-payer system, which is often mistakenly equated with universal coverage, the government would hold a monopoly over health-care coverage, offering one insurance plan option with no alternatives. That means that if the government decides to reduce funding for prescriptions determined to be too costly, the individual would have to forgo those potentially life-saving treatments or finance them out-of-pocket.
By observing other countries that already have this system in place, we know that under a government-run system, bureaucratic inefficiencies replace free-market systems, and the result is an overburdened, under-funded system that is more cumbersome to navigate than our free-market structure.
Codrescu was clearly mistreated, and the hoops he was made to jump through quite unfair, but we need to seek alternative health-care improvement solutions, such as free-market competition, and not make the gross assumption that single-payer health care is the answer to anything other than movie ticket sales.
Jennifer Toups
President New Orleans Association of Health Underwriters
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Louisiana Health Agents Political Action Committee
Health Agents PAC is the Louisiana association's newly established PAC. HAPAC will provide campaign contributions to candidates running for state legislative positions, governor and insurance commissioner. Membership into HAPAC is an annual contribution of $100. While donations of any amount are accepted, a minimum of $100 donation earns you full membership with right to vote on the PAC Board of Directors.
Getting things done requires commitment on the state and national level. Because the national PAC is limited to contributing to national races, the state PAC was established. PAC contributions gain us access to the people who have the most impact on our industry.
Recently local members of HAPAC were provided an opportunity to provide input into which candidates HAPAC would support in our area. The HAPAC board has inititally decided to contribute $500 to the following local candidates:
State Representative:
- Natalie Tatje - District 57 (NOAHU Member)
- Colleen Hawley - District 77
- John Illg - District 78
- George Branigan -District 79 (NOAHU Member)
- Joseph LaPinto - District 80
- Cameron Henry - District 82
- Terrell Harris - District 87
- Karen Carter - District 93
- Ernest Wooton - District 105
State Senator:
- Jack Donahue- District 11
Additional donations to other races will most likely be made before the run-off election. In some races additional research was needed or multiple candidates that we could support. With a good portion of the legislature being term limited out of office, it is important for us to start building new relationships with legislators that can help our industry!
Some candidates will be on hand at our meeting Wednesday to introduce themselves to our members. Henry, Illg, LaPinto and Branigan are among the tentative attendees.
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Blood Donors Needed for Leukemia Patient
On August 8, 2007, little Kendall was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML). This very rare form of leukemia causes mutation of the cells in bone marrow that will become white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. With JMML, chemotherapy can only be used as a means of treating symptoms of the disease until the necessary Stem Cell Transplant can be performed. Multiple blood transfusions as well as infusions of platelets have been and will continue to be necessary throughout treatment.
If you were unable to attend our blood drive, please take minute and go to the Blood Center in Metairie at 3400 16th St (887-2833) and tell them that you are there to donate replacement blood for Kendall Springman and he will receive the credit for the donation.
This is exactly the reason that our association supports events like the Light the Night walk. It's a fun event- but the purpose is to raise money so that area families can receive reimbursements for co-pays and travel expenses for treatment and so that money goes back into research to help future patients who are afflicted with blood cancers and other dread diseases.
Donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and helps us raise $1000!
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Healthy Access Plan for Affordable and Responsible Health Care Reform
The members of NAHU believe the time is right for a solution that controls medical spending and guarantees access to affordable coverage for all Americans. We believe this can be accomplished without limiting the people's ability to choose the health plan that best fits their needs and ensures them continued access to the services of independent state-licensed counselors and advocates. NAHU's Health Access plan is a comprehensive approach to meeting this challenge, and a yardstick for evaluating other proposals.
Constraining Medical Costs
Comprehensive health reform plans need to address the true underlying problem with our existing system: the cost of medical care.
Access For All
All Americans should have access to affordable health care coverage. As important as affordability, however, is choice. There needs to be choice of providers, choice of payers and choice of benefits, with many price and coverage options. The reality is that we are a diverse nation with diverse needs. One size does not fit all when it comes to health care.
Financing Access
many of the Health Access recommendations, particularly those concerning controlling our nation's rising health care costs, will actually save both state and federal health care dollars. Despite these substantial savings, eliminating public-program cost-shifting and ensuring access to affordable private health insurance will likely result in the need for increased public funds. NAHU feels such funds should generally be derived from assessments on activities that drive health costs higher. Assessments that encourge healthy and cost-effective behaviors while discouraging unhealty and cost-ineffective ones will result in both additional funds and healthier citizens.
Please visit NAHU's website to read the full 10 page Healthy Access Plan.
http://nahu.org/legislative/healthyaccess/plan.pdf
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Moore's Film Irksome In Canada
Despite Michael Moore's lauding of Canada's health care system in his movie "Sicko," there's good reason why many Canadians with the money use either the services of a booming industry of illegal private clinics, or come to America to take advantage of the health care that Moore denounces.
In 2006, the average wait time from seeing a primary-care doctor to getting treatment by a specialist was over four months. Out of a population of 32 million, there are about 3.2 million Canadians trying to get a primary-care doctor. Today, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada ranks 24th out of 28 countries in "doctor-per-thousand people."
Unfortunately, Moore is more concerned with promoting an anti-free-market agenda than getting his facts straight. He blasts U.S. providers for putting profit before patients, saying the former has no place in health care. "But Moore is ignoring a major point," says Pipes. Some 85% of hospital beds in the United Sates are in nonprofit hospitals. Almost half of U.S. citizens with private plans get insurance from nonprofit providers. Moreover, Kaiser Permanete (a health care provider), which Moore demonizes, is also a nonprofit.
What's really amazing is that even the intended beneficiaries of Moore's propagandizing don't support his claims. The Supreme Court of Canada declared in June 2005 that the government health care monopoly in Quebec is a violation of basic humn rights.
Source; Sally C. Pipes. "Michael Moore's New Film in Canada," Providance Journal/Korea Times, August. As published in HIU, September 2007
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Document, Document, Document!
The top two Errors and Ommissions claims are: failure to provide the proper coverage and failure to place coverage.
Once a claim is filed, the insurance company sends a representative to review your files to determine whether the claim has any merit. A high percentage of claims result in no payment IF there is proper documentation in the agents' files.
Let's say you are faced with a claim from one of your clients for failure to recommend a health plan that includes dental beenfits. Let's also suppose you discussed dental coverage with the clients, but he indicated he couldn't afford it.
If you did not document this conversation and an E&O claim pops up, it's your word against your client's - and there's a chance you'll lose. However, if you have a signed checklist in the file that shows the client was offered the coverage, but chose not to buy it, you've got a good defense.
Phone logs, documentation of face-to-face conversations and checklist offering the rejected coverages, are simple procedures you can make a difernce. As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is work a pound of cure. That especially applies to E&O claims.
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Triple Crown Program
NAHU created the President's Triple Crown Program to recognize those members whose individual contributions to NAHU help advance the association's mission. Like baseball's Triple Crown, it recognizes accomplishments in three key areas. However, while baseball's Triple Crown hasn't been won since 1967, NAHU's Triple Crown can be won every year by hundreds of our members.
We never want to take these efforts for granted because, without you, we would suffer the fate experienced by countless other nonprofit associations: declining numbers, shaky finances and a demoralized membership.
NAHU has 20,000 members across the country; you are the reason we exist. Your participation in lobbying and advocacy is the reason we've become a force in Washington and in state houses across the country. Your recruitment efforts are why membership is up 33% over the past five years. Your contribution of your time and talents is why we have over 200 chapters across the country.
To qualify for the Triple Crown, within the calendar year (01/01-12/31), a member must:
HUPAC: Participate in $10 x 12 draft program or contribute $150 total
Donate to HUPAC
Membership: Recruit two or more new members
Membership Application
Advocacy: Use Operation Shout to send three or more messages
Use Operation Shout
One, two, three -- it's that simple! While members have one year to complete the requirements, winners will be announced quarterly.
Members who meet these criteria will be recognized in a variety of ways, including a unique "President's Triple Crown" lapel pin, special ribbons at Capitol Conference and Annual Convention, and recognition in HIU, on NAHU's website and through press releases sent to qualifiers' local newspapers.
Individually, the Triple Crown accomplishments are not difficult to do, but together they help reinforce NAHU's position as America's premier association for health and employee benefits professionals. Many NAHU members qualified in 2006, and we look forward to recognizing many more in 2007!
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Six Essentials for Networking
Networking is about creating an extended family. It's about developing connections, caring about people, increasing the size of your "tribe." Most of all, networking is not the awkward social ritual many of us think it is--networking is actually FUN!
Here are my top six networking essentials to rock your career and your life.
1. Practice "Palm Up" Networking. When you network, are you giving, or grasping? Palm up networking embodies the spirit of service, of giving and wanting nothing in return. When you network "palm down" you're grasping for personal gain. Palm up = heart-oriented interaction. Palm down = greedy grasping. Which attitude results in building relationships, providing value, and ultimately bestows benefits on both parties? You guessed it. The universe has a perfect accounting system. Give to others, it'll all come back to you in time.
2. Do Daily Appreciation. Appreciate at least one person daily. Sometimes I do this via e-mail so I can be thorough. And often, to my delight, the recipient will tell me that they are saving the message for when they need a pick-me-up. You can also express appreciation over the phone or in person. Simply tell someone how much you appreciate who they are, what they do, whatever about them moves you. They'll be flattered and you'll feel great.
3. Equalize Yourself with Others. I believe we all have one unit of worth, no more, no less. No one can add to it, no one can take it away. We're all equal. Just because someone is powerful, rich, famous doesn't mean they are better than you. Practice equalizing yourself with others--this will enable you to more comfortably interact with others, and to reach out to people of all walks of life.
4. Rolodex Dip. This is a fun practice when you want to connect with someone but aren't sure who. Flip through your contact database and pick a name. Then think of all the things you like about them. Now call them up to see how they are doing. They'll be surprised and delighted.
5. Pick a "Sensei of the Day": Each day I pick a sensei, a teacher. This is someone who has taught me a lesson or reminded me of something important in life. Your sensei can be a person, a pet, a plant, it doesn't matter. The important thing is to acknowledge that there is much to learn and you are being offered valuable lessons constantly.
6. Do the Drive-By Schmooze. Parties, conventions, groups of all sorts are great opportunities to network, but sometimes you'll be tired, not in the mood, or have too many events in one evening (like during holiday season!). This is when you'll want to use the Drive-By Schmooze. Here's how:
a. Timebox your networking. Decide that in 30 minutes you'll do a check-in to determine if you need to stay any longer.
b. Set your goal. Determine the number of new connections you want to establish. Remember, your goal is meaningful connections, not simply contacts.
c. Let your intuition guide you. OK, this may sound flaky, but it works! Stand near the door, in a corner, out of the way. Stop your thoughts. Internally ask to be guided to the people you need to connect with. Then start walking. You'll be amazed at who you meet.
d. Connect. You'll always resonate with someone at an event. When you do, ask questions about them, such as: How did you get started in your field? What's your ideal customer? We all love to talk about ourselves, and these questions will not only help you form a connection with this person, but will also tell you how to help them.
e. Offer help and follow through. If you can provide help, jot down ideas on the back of their business card, commit to follow up, and then do it. If you've had a fruitful conversation and want to take it further, offer to meet for lunch or coffee. People say life is 90% about showing up. Nonsense! Life is 90% about following through!
www.RulesForRenegades.com.
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