LAAHU Times July/August 2017

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PAC & HUPAC

This is a reminder from your PAC chair Naama to remember to make your 2017 PAC & HUPAC contribution. You can

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questions. Your contribution

will be appreciated

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you Everywhere"

~ Albert Einstein

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5 Reasons All Advisers Should Pay Attention to the Single-Payer Debate

By Amy Evans, HIP

President, Colibri Insurance Services

Two of the most populous and legislatively influential states in the nation - California and New York - currently have single-payer healthcare systems under serious consideration.

If enacted, these measures would eliminate the private health insurance industry in those states, including health insurance carriers, brokers and employer-sponsored health benefits, and replace them with state-run programs.

Read rest of article

T his article was co-authored with
Christine Roberts of Mullen & Henzell, LLP and originally appeared on Employee Benefit Adviser .

Digital Sales Tips

Since Email Marketing is one of the most effective online marketing tools to help grow your business, we are focusing this Digital Sales Tip on Email Marketing again! Last time we talked about a free Email Marketing program you can use called Mailchimp. You can have up to 2,000 email subscribers before having to pay a dime to use MailChimp. This year, Mailchimp added Email Automation for free too!

What is Email Automation? Email Automation enables you to send out messages to your clients and prospects at designated times. One of the most common automation action is the ability to send out a welcome email or a valuable piece of content as soon as a subscriber joins your email list. This way your new subscriber gets the info they want right away and you have everything automated so it saves you time!

Be sure to visit and follow LAAHU on whichever social media you prefer, see links at the bottom!

Hope you enjoyed this month's #DigitalSalesTip

CAHU Health Care Retreat

September 11-13

Pala Casino Spa Resort

The industry's largest conference for health insurance agents

This year's CAHU Health Care Retreat is worth the travel!

It's important to invest the same attention into your career as your personal life and we feel this retreat is just the answer to give you some of both.

Here is your chance to hear from Nelson Griswold!

See full schedule

I mportant updates on current legislative issues locally and at the federal level, as well as our annual awards ceremony. We are going to throw in some wellness activities in the mornings and networking in the evenings.

Breakfast and lunch will be served both Tuesday and Wednesday and appetizers will be available at the evening events Monday and Tuesday.

So easy, just refer your colleagues and make your PAC donations

Click here to learn more!

Click above to apply and receive special discounts!

Contact Information:

LAAHU

2520 Venture Oaks Way,

Suite 150

Sacramento, CA 95833

800-676-1628

info@laahu.org

Budget & Financials available upon request. Click Here

July/August 2017

President's Message

Hello Fellow LAAHU Members,

The 2016-2017 Board Year just ended - what a year!

Very special thanks go to Dawn McFarland, LAAHU's Immediate Past President. Dawn worked tirelessly and devoted many hours leading our Association this year - with a hand in so many areas and new initiatives. We had a fantastic year and she has left us with a very strong foundation and great morale - directly due to Dawn's leadership and huge heart!

Dawn will continue to be involved in LAAHU, serving on the LAAHU Board heading the Recruiting & Mentoring Committee, and she is now also serving as the CAHU Vice President of Communications.

We owe Dawn many thanks and have such respect for all she has given, accomplished, and set in motion. Please join us in thanking Dawn next time you see her and celebrate all the ways she contributed to the strength and character of this chapter. We are so fortunate to have had her!

And now I'd like to introduce you to the 2017-2018 Board of Directors:

(see list below)

We are all honored to represent the Los Angeles Association of Health Underwriters and will work many hours to provide you with quality programs and events, educational opportunities, business growth training and strategies, and the opportunity to make a difference in our communities.

The delivery and financing of healthcare has never been so fast-changing and hotly debated as it is right now. To have a marked impact we must stand together with the more than 100,000 other members of NAHU - our Association has earned the respect of the White House, Senate and House, and also CMS and HHS. But we need you!

I urge and invite you to be involved in this Association, more so now than ever.

We need your voice, your financial commitment, and your expertise!

It's key to keep in mind that the California Single Payor bill SB562 isn't dead - only delayed. It will be back, likely as a ballot initiative.

So get involved and hold on - it's going to be quite a ride!

Best regards,

Bobbi Kaelin

LAAHU President 2017-2018

Colleagues and friends,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead our Mighty LAAHU for the last year. AND thank you to the board members that served with me. Please thank each and every one of them the next time you see them in person. It has been wonderful to get to know so many of you better, and to continue to grow relationships with the "best of the best" in our industry. I know our industry has been through extraordinary change and we continue to face uncertainty - it is inspiring that, in the midst of it all, we continue to strengthen and strive for success in new and creative ways.

I feel so proud as our new leadership takes hold; with similar goals of helping us to grow by ensuring what we do and plan adds value for existing and new members. Looking forward to a fantastic year under Bobbi's leadership.

P.S. If you want to be involved let us know, I would be surprised if you didn't LOVE it!

Warmest Regards,

Dawn McFarland, Past President

LAAHU JOINS VICA

We are excited to announce that LAAHU has joined VICA. The intended purpose of this membership is to increase our reach and influence legislatively. As members, we are able to have you added to the VICA newsletter that is sent weekly. You can view the newsletters here .

If you would like to be added to the VICA weekly newsletter, please let us know with an email to info@laahu.org.

***Please note, all direct communication to VICA must go through the LAAHU Executive Board. If you have questions or would like additional information please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@laahu.org.***

LAAHU's Board

2017-2018

President	Bobbi	Kaelin
President-Elect	Neil	Booth
Past-Pres. / Recruiting & Mentoring	Dawn	McFarland
Treasurer	Ross	Pendergraft
Secretary	Casey	Allen
Executive Director	Nathan	Carlson
Awards Chair	Allison	Kritz
Communications Chair	Juliet	Lucero
Community Outreach Chair	Kerry	Wright
Legislative Chair	Elizabeth	Underhill
Media Relations Chair	Dede	Kennedy-Simington
Member at Large	Joan	Bumgarner
Member at Large	May	Jung
Member at Large	Barry	Sikov
Member at Large	Donald	Weiss
Membership Chair	Steven	Crane
PAC Chair	Naama	Pozniak
Professional Development Chair	Cindy	Jones
Retention Chair	David	Benson
Vanguard Chair	Gus	Altuzarra

The New Board year means No better time to get involved!!!

Email info@laahu.org for more information on ways you can join the board and we promise,

You will get more than you give!

"MightyLAAHU" -- LAAHU Sweeped the annual convention with 7 Awards

2017 NAHU Annual
Convention Orlando, FL

The Annual convention was held in Orlando, Florida June 25-28, 2017. During the awards ceremony, LAAHU was able to pick up 7 awards in the combination of Chapter and Individual Awards. We would like to showcase the hard work and dedication from the 2016-2017 LAAHU Board.

Congratulations on a fantastic year!

Individual Awards Received:

Presidential Citation-- Dawn McFarland

Emerging Leader -- Gus Altuzarra

Emerging Leader -- Neil Booth

Emerging Leader -- Elizabeth Underhill

Chapter Awards Received:

Pacesetter

Media Relations

Membership Retention

How Medicare works with other insurance

By Greg Dill

If your family is anything like mine, everyone has a certain specialty or role in keeping the household running.

Since I wash dishes faster than anyone, I'm the family dishwashing expert. I'm also the point man for paying medical bills. My wife and I have separate health coverage, so I have to make sure our providers have the up-to-date information they need to accurately bill our respective insurance plans.

If you have Medicare as well as other insurance, always be sure to tell your doctor, hospital, and pharmacy. This is important because it determines whether your medical bills are paid correctly and on time.

When there's more than one insurance payer, certain rules determine which one pays first. These rules are called "coordination of benefits."

The "primary payer" pays what it owes on your bills first -- and then sends the balance to the "secondary payer" to pay. In some cases, there may also be a third payer.

Medicare is the primary payer for beneficiaries who aren't covered by other types of health insurance.

The primary payer pays up to the limits of its coverage. The secondary payer only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn't cover.

But keep in mind that the secondary payer (which may be Medicare) may not pay all of the uncovered costs.

If you currently have employer insurance and it's the secondary payer, you may need to enroll in Medicare Part B before your job-based coverage will pay. (Most people who sign up for Part B for the first time this year will pay a monthly premium of $134.)

Here's who pays first in various situations when you have Medicare and some other type of insurance as well:

If you have retiree insurance (coverage from a former job), Medicare pays first.

If you're 65 or older, have group coverage based on your or your spouse's current employment, and the employer has 20 or more workers, your group plan pays first. (If the company has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare pays first.)

Your group plan also pays first when you're under 65 and disabled, have group coverage based on your or a family member's current employment, and the employer has 100 or more employees. (Medicare pays first if the company has fewer than 100 employees.)

If you have Medicare because of end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure), your group plan pays first for the first 30 months after you become eligible for Medicare. Medicare pays first after this 30-month period.

Medicare may pay second if you're in an accident or have a workers' compensation case in which other insurance covers your injury or you're suing another entity for medical expenses.

In such situations you or your lawyer should tell Medicare as soon as possible. The following types of insurance usually pay first for services related to each type:

No-fault insurance (including automobile insurance);

Liability (including automobile and self-insurance);

Black lung benefits;

Workers' compensation.

Medicaid and TRICARE (the healthcare program for U.S. armed service members, retirees, and their families) never pay first for services that are covered by Medicare. They only pay after Medicare, employer plans, and/or Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) have paid.

For more information, read the booklet "Medicare and Other Health Benefits: Your Guide to Who Pays First." You can find it online at:

https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/02179.pdf

Or call us toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask for a copy to be mailed to you. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

If you have questions about who pays first, or if your coverage changes, call the Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center toll-free at 1-855-798-2627. TTY users should call 1-855-797-2627.

You can also contact your employer or union benefits administrator. You may need to give your Medicare number to your other insurers so your bills are paid correctly and on time.

Greg Dill is Medicare's regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).