August 2016 
Message from CCAHU President Heidi Sterner
Welcome to the Clark County Association of Health Underwriters! We are a volunteer organization representing the hundreds of licensed health insurance professionals in Southern Nevada and throughout the state who are committed to professional development, advocating on behalf of our industry and the clients we serve, networking with other industry professionals, and supporting the role of licensed health insurance agents.
The next year we intend to focus on continued legislative advocacy for health insurance professionals and our clients at the state and federal levels of government, advanced education on relevant topics and regulatory compliance changes and updates, continued collaboration with members of NAIFA and the Big I in common interest areas, and continued professional networking to expand upon best practices.
I strongly believe that Nevada consumers are best served by licensed agents who regularly invest in their professional development and continuing education. In the 20 years that I have held an insurance license, my membership with NAHU is the best investment I have made in my career. I am honored to serve as President of the Clark County Association of Health Underwriters and give back to the association that has given me so much.
This newsletter covers many topics from industry updates to Medicare and our upcoming events.
Be sure to Save the Date of upcoming meetings and other events through September.
Welcome!
~~ Heidi
Upcoming Events
August 25 & 26 - Region VIII Leadership Conference - Garden Grove, CA
September 13 - 11:30am - CCAHU Luncheon - Sierra Gold @ 215 & S Jones
September 22 - CCAHU Annual Golf Tournament
September 26 - 1st Presidential Debate - Wright State University in Dayton OH
October 4 - Vice Presidential Debate - Longwood University in Farmville VA
October 9 - 2nd Presidential Debate - Washington University in St Louis MO
October 19 - 3rd Presidential Debate - UNLV in Las Vegas NV
NAHU News
Compliance Cornered: "To Fee or Not to Fee" — Considerations and Concerns
Head over to the Compliance Cornered blog to check out our latest post: "To Fee or Not to Fee" — Considerations and Concerns. Brokers have been buffeted by the myriad changes occurring at record pace over these past few years. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has had a dramatic impact on the types of health insurance products available, the scope of benefits offered and how brokers are compensated for the valuable services they provide... Read More
New NAHU Issue Statement on HRA Legislation
Earlier this summer, the House passed H.R 5447, the Small Business Health Care Relief Act, on a voice vote. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Charles Boustany (R-LA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) and is an updated version of H.R. 2911. It would eliminate the federal prohibition on standalone health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), also known as health reimbursement accounts, as a vehicle for employers to use tax-advantaged funding to provide health insurance to their employees and assist with out-of-pocket and related medical costs... Read More
Regulatory Roundup: NAHU Submits Comments on DOL Interim Final Rule Increasing Employer Fines
NAHU submitted comments on the Department of Labor's (DOL) interim final rule titled Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Catch-Up Adjustments. The DOL interim final rule proposes increases in the civil monetary penalties administered by the Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) for noncompliance with ERISA. NAHU believes these increases would negatively impact employers and their ability to offer group health insurance benefits... Read More
NAHU Submits Comments on Expat Coverage, Indemnity and Short-Term Plans
NAHU submitted comments to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury on the proposed rule released in June relating to the implementation of the Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act of 2014 (EHCCA), excepted benefits, short-term plans, special enrollment periods (SEPs), and other issues. Our comments addressed proposed requirements concerning the expatriate law, which NAHU supported, as well as supplemental, travel and fixed indemnity coverage, and limited-duration health insurance policies. We suggested that the Administration consider deferring some of its rulemaking to the states, particularly in regards to where the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is developing model legislation and regulation, and also seek flexibility in implementing these regulations at the federal level. Read Letter Here
Industry News
Judge sets December trial date in Aetna-Humana antitrust case
A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday set a December trial for Aetna’s proposed $37 billion acquisition of Humana, a decision that effectively denied the health insurance companies’ push to resolve their deal by the end of the year. Read More
DOJ says it's open to settlement offer in Anthem-CIGNA case
A Justice Department lawyer told the judge in the antitrust case over Anthem Inc.'s $48 billion takeover of Cigna Corp. that the government was willing to hear settlement offers from the companies. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington said that the trial would probably begin in mid- to late November. She also said that she couldn’t rule on the case before the end of the year. Read More
HHS Report on Individual Market Risk Pool
The Department of Health and Human Services released a new report showing how the Affordable Care Act's individual market risk pool evolved between 2014 and 2015. The report shows that per-enrollee medical costs in the ACA individual market were essentially flat, even as costs in the broader insurance market continued to rise... Read More
What to do before, during and after an ACA audit
2016 is the first year that the IRS will be conducting ACA audits. Much like the English were back in 1775, the IRS is armed to the teeth — but in this case with a new multi-million dollar electronic filing system called “AIRS” that’s feeding data into their computerized audit program. It’s not an invasion — but it’s still a very real threat to your organization’s financial and legal well-being. Read More
Employers scramble over skyrocketing specialty drug costs
Large employers are expecting healthcare costs to remain steady going into 2017, but many are looking to take a number of cost-controlling measures to combat increasing specialty pharma costs. For the first time in NBGH’s annual survey, a majority of employers are considering specialty pharma to be the highest driver in health costs, even though specialty pharma only affects 2%- 4% of the population. .Read More
Healthcare strategies that can save employers money
Rising healthcare costs are eroding revenue unlike any other element within a business. Government regulations and rising premiums are also affecting cash flow which can impact all areas of business operations. However, as the paradigm shift of healthcare strategies gains momentum, sustainable solutions are becoming clearer. Read More
Nevada Health Link & Other Exchange News
Renew Your Marketplace Certification for the Low Price of $57.99
NAHU's federal marketplace training for agents and brokers is now open and this year NAHU members are able to renew their marketplace certification for the low price of $57.99. This option is available for anyone who completed training and certification on any platform last year—including through CMS directly. NAHU's training offers CE credits filed in 50 states, access to our live help desk and technical support team by phone and email, and is the only agent/broker association to operate as a CMS vendor for the federal marketplace agent and broker training program for plan year 2017. Click here to register... Read More
New Agent/Broker Resources From CCIIO
The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight released new resources for agents and brokers to use for the upcoming exchange open enrollment period... Read More
Medicare News
Medicare Update
CMS has proposed a change to how physicians are reimbursed for prescribing outpatient drugs (covered under Medicare Part B) that are administered in their offices, typically received by injection or infusion. CMS is proposing to lower the reimbursement from 6% over retail price to 2% plus a flat fee of $16.50 per drug per day. The intent is to incentivize physicians to prescribe lower cost medications that demonstrate the same clinical effectiveness as costlier drugs.
Under CMS’s Medicare proposal, numerous physicians would face acquisition costs that exceed the Medicare payment amount for certain drugs. This policy will make it harder for patients to receive the drugs they depend upon.
A bi-partisan letter from 242 members of the House of Representatives was sent to CMS requesting that CMS withdraw their proposed rule. A signed copy of the letter can be found HERE.
HUPAC Roundup
The question so far on the minds of many in the political chattering class is "How much of a drag will Republican nominee Donald Trump be on down ballot races?" So far, the evidence is slim that Trump will have a major effect on House races. While the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is citing internal polls showing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with massive leads in seven swing districts currently held by Republicans, they failed to release actual congressional ballot tests to show that the current members holding these seats are being dragged down... Read More
NAHU Member Benefit Spotlight
Errors & Omissions (E&O) coverage from Mercer specifically written to cover the practices of health insurance professionals.
As a licensed health insurance agent, broker or consultant, you risk the possibility of a claim or lawsuit every time you perform your professional services. And even if you have some type of coverage in place, it may not adequately protect you.
You can trust Mercer Consumer to custom-tailor an individual policy to meet your needs. Mercer Consumer has an outstanding reputation for offering superior products, quality services and expertise in the professional liability marketplace. They have been helping NAHU members understand their need for E&O coverage since 1999.
Let us help you understand your needs and get the right coverage in place for you today. Click here to learn more.
2016 Election Update
Full list of Clark County Candidates can be found here
President:
- Democrat: Hillary Clinton
- Republican: Donald Trump
- Libertarian: Gary Johnson
- Green Party: Jill Stein
Nevada Senate:
- Democrat: Catherine Cortez-Masto
- Republican: Dr. Joe Heck
Nevada House of Representatives:
- CD 1: Incumbent: Dina Titus (D);
- Republican: Mary Perry
- CD 2: Incumbent:Mark Amodei (R)
- Democrat: H.D. Chip Evans
- CD 3: Democrat: Jacklyn Rosen
- Republican: Danny Tarkanian,
- CD 4: Incumbent: Cresent Hardy (R)
- Democrat: Ruben Kihuen
