|
As our community moves into Thanksgiving and the end of year celebrations, CAHIP is looking forward to the future.
Our industry faces a lot of challenges right now. Cost of care is under continual upward pressure, and subsequently insurance costs continue to increase. Technology creates hopeful healthcare opportunities, but drives cost. We have an aging population, and in California we live in a state with over a third of our population in Medi-Cal. That means that we live where governmental programs, which generally pay under-market rates, ratchet costs in the commercial market upward. Meanwhile, consolidation that has driven Medical costs has also come to the insurance brokerage side, with Private Equity funding leading to consolidation of the independent agency.
CAHIP believes in the independent agent and the value they bring to the Marketplace. We believe in the NABIP Health Care Bill of Rights, which focuses on transparency and the ability of the individual to drive health care decisions. We think the best way to combat costs is to empower individuals with information to help them make the best decisions on costs and effectiveness.
The role of the CAHIP Foundation (as well as the NABIP Foundation) is to help in these areas, specifically with agency workforce development and educating consumers on the best ways to be a smart purchaser and user of health insurance. Insurance agents' average age is around 60 years old. We need new people to enter the business. Locally, the CAHIP Foundation is working to develop programs to assist future leaders of the association, as well as to work with California colleges to help bring individuals into our business. On a national basis, the NABIP Board of Trustees has asked the membership department to develop a membership level for students and newly licensed agents who want to participate in our association. These will be significantly reduced rates that are hopefully affordable for interested participants.
The Professional Development department at NABIP is working to revamp our certifications with a focus on developing a group school, for new entries into the field. This is an exciting development that will allow CAHIP and NABIP to bring quality education to the marketplace on a national basis.
The NABIP Foundation is moving forward with educational materials for consumers on two major points - how to purchase and how to use health care. These will be directed towards individuals with the goal of helping people undergoing courses of specific treatments utilize the best ways of navigating the health care system with a focus on managing the payment end. For example, our Mental Health module already in place on the NABIP site gives consumers information about how to navigate the various obstacles in the insurance world that those undergoing treatment face.
Of course we work as fast as our resources all us to. You can donate to the NABIP foundation here: https://nabipfoundation.org/donate, or the CAHIP foundation by emailing info@CAHIP.com
| 
