vahu news · 2018-11-30 · 2 vahu news • vahu news • 3 nahu needs you to educate freshman...

VAHU News

InsIde:

Get connected with other VAHU members:

Visit Us Onlinewww.vahu.org

Legislative Update 3

President’s Message 4

Chapter Updates 5

Spotlight: Curtis Lawyer 6

Membership Update 7

VIrgInIA AssOcIAtIOnOf HeAltH UnderwrIters

Email: [email protected]: www.vahu.org

Linkedin.com/in/virginia-ahu

Facebook.com/virginiaasociationofhealthunderwriters/

#Virginia_AHU

december 2018

Now accepting ads for the March issue. Ad deadline February 1.

register today for capitol conference!

VAHU needs you at Capitol Conference!

February 25-27, 2019Capitol Hyatt Regency • Washington, DC

Never been before? The Vanguard Fund at NAHU has allocated funds for first-timers. Visit NAHU.org for details.

Gone before? Each of the local chapters has funds allocated for members who want to attend. You must register early - funds are

limited!

All VAHU members attending the Capitol Conference are encouraged and invited to join our Virginia State Dinner

on Monday, February 25 at 6:45pm.

Old Ebbitt Grill675 15th St NW

Washington, DC 20005

Cocktail Hour with 1 Hour Open Bar and Light Appetizers, followed by Dinner - $35 per Person

2 VAHU News • www.vahu.org VAHU News • www.vahu.org 3

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To learn more, contact:

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NAHU needs YOU to Educate Freshman Representatives

VAHU makes sure the decision makers in health care know where we stand on the issues.

Register today to attend our annual state and national events to meet with elected representatives, share our stories, and make a difference in the future of health care in Virginia.

VAHU’s “Day on the Hill” will be held January 30, 2019 in Richmond and will begin at the offices of Sands, Anderson, Marks & Miller at 1111 E. Main Street, Richmond at 7:30 a.m.

NAHU’s Capitol Conference will be held February 25-27, 2019 at the Hyatt Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW.

By attending, VAHU members will have the opportunity to join with hundreds of our colleagues from around the country on Capital Hill, to lobby for health reform changes of importance to us and our clients.

VAHU members will also get to hear from exciting speakers representing Congress, the Administration and other health reform stakeholders, network with other agents and see our Health Underwriters Political Action Committee at work.

Online registration is $535 and attendees may upgrade their registration to CapCon Plus for an additional $99, which provides access to audio recordings, synced to PowerPoint presentations of all breakout sessions & general sessions.

Region II and VAHU Legislative Management Team Calls

Region II calls will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. on a recurring basis.

This call provides legislative chairs and local presidents the opportunity to share feedback regarding ongoing legislative priorities in their respective states. If you wish to be a part of this call or are not receiving correspondence as a chair, please contact Amy Mutter at [email protected].

VAHU Legislative Management Team calls will be held bi-weekly starting in December and weekly in January in preparation for the Virginia legislative season. The Virginia General Assembly will convene beginning in early January.

VAHU will communicate sensitive legislative efforts and items to monitor via email, vahu.org, and social media.

legislative Update

By Amy Mutter

The Virginia Association of Health Underwriters mission is to educate, influence, and inspire insurance professionals and legislators to lead the development of the future health insurance environment for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.Virginia Association

of Health Underwriters

January 30, 2019 Richmond, VA

The role of the broker is more important than ever. Join us to meet with key decision makers and

ensure our voice remains strong in

Richmond.

Join CVAHU after The Hill for lunch and CE credits!

Sponsored by

Register online at vahu.org

For questions, please contactAmy Mutter

(540) 613-8803 [email protected]


Help Team VAHU reach our goal of $10,000!

Help us raise our last $1,000! Every Dream Racer supports sick children in their recovery.

Donations are still being accepted!Contact [email protected] for details!

Message from the PresidentBy Lori Carter

I am pleased to report VAHU continues to thrive.

Membership remains strong, with more than 347 members throughout our five local chapters, all of whom recognize the tremendous value that VAHU offers.

This year we continue to provide outstanding service. This fall we held our first-ever webinar series, presenting five weeks of CEs online. Thank you to our instructors: Lisa Collins of Primepay, Jonathan Lowe of Anthem and Curtis Lawyer of Medcost. And a special thank you to Curtis Lawyer, VAHU Programming Chair, for organizing the series. We had more than 25 people participate and earn valuable CE credits over the five sessions.

VAHU continues to provide regular and ongoing communication to members through monthly e-blasts and quarterly print newsletters (like this one). We are also more active than ever on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, thanks to social media chair Hetal Vora.

All of this is further proof of a diligent and effective board, committees and individual members. If you’ve not yet connected with us, why not?

Our Legislative Management Team, led by Amy Mutter, has served as incredible advocates, having routine conversations with key state leaders about pressing issues

relevant to our members.

This summer, thanks to generous donations from our various members and sponsors, we were pleased to donate a Dreamracer car to St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond. Please visit our website at vahu.org/dreamracer to view pictures and information about the donation ceremony. Thank you to VAHU Past President Heather Kochanowicz and Community Service chair, Ashley Corr, for organizing such a wonderful event. Donations to the Dreamracer are still being accepted. Please consider this meaningful donation to brighten the day of a child.

We have very important events right around the corner in 2019. Don’t miss out:

• January 30: Day on the Hill in Richmond.

• February 25-27: Capitol Conference in Washington, DC.

• June 10-11: The highly anticipated VAHU annual conference in Virginia Beach.

And, speaking of the annual conference, I am pleased to announce that the conference is moving to the beautiful, luxurious Hilton Oceanfront Virginia Beach. We have many exciting changes in store for you – you will not want to miss it!

I’m also pleased to report that many conference sponsors have already committed their involvement. Our Overall Sponsor will be Money Wise. Gold Sponsors, to date, include Allied National, Benefit Indemnity

Group, EaseCentral, OCA, and Serve You Rx; Silver Sponsors include Aetna, Anthem, Cigna and Health Equity; Bronze Sponsors include UnitedHealthcare. Many sponsorship levels are still available. Please contact us at [email protected] or 908-789-0700 for more information.

Check the VAHU website for the newly-updated agenda with more CEs and exhibitor time than ever before. Virginia Beach will be the place to be in June, 2019.

VAHU is the backbone of this industry. It is the only organization that aims to protect broker jobs and ensure a long, sustainable career for all of us. Please consider getting more involved. We would love your help as we take VAHU to even greater heights in 2019. VAHU is served by dedicated volunteers on our committees, fueling new members, strong communications both internally and externally and an effective voice in the halls of Richmond.

I look forward to speaking with you during the holiday season about ways in which we can work smarter to advance the goals of our industry in the coming year.

Happy holidays to you and your family. Thank you for being part of this spectacular team.


Eastern ChapterPresident: Brenda Cutting

Last month, the Eastern Chapter gained some in-depth knowledge on self-funded health plans, courtesy of Curtis Lawyer of MedCost. “Thank you to Curtis for an engaging and instructive presentation,” Eastern Chapter President Brenda Cutting said. “It is wonderful to see so many people

come out for our meetings and I hope to see more new faces at our next event.”

In November, the Eastern Chapter also hosted a “Live from NAHU” webinar with NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein. The attendees enjoyed Janet’s breakdown of the impact of the midterm elections while earning CE credit.

Please visit vahu.org for information on upcoming chapter meetings and events.

Central ChapterPresident: Dottie Allen

In November, the Central Chapter continued its support of the Evelyn D. Reinhardt House in Richmond, preparing dinner for the guests. The facility, on the campus of St. Mary’s Hospital, offers 16 guest rooms for families. It is the ideal place for respite, as loved ones are

being treated at the hospital.

The Chapter will volunteer again on Wednesday, December 12 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. To attend, please register at vahu.org.

Join the Central Chapter for its Holiday Party on Friday, December 11 from 5 – 8 p.m. at Tang and Biscuit in Richmond. There will be beer, wine, snacks and finger food along with shuffleboard, table tennis and more games. The event is generously sponsored by Aetna, MedCost, Paylocity, and UnitedHealthcare.

“We would love to have all of our members there to celebrate the holidays and enjoy time with friends,” Central Chapter President Dottie Allen said. “Please bring a friend and show the value of VAHU to your colleagues.”

The next CVAHU board meeting will be Friday, December 11 from 3-4 p.m. at the River Cross Group in Richmond. And, save the date for the next CVAHU general meeting on Wednesday, January 8 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Please check vahu.org for meeting details.

Piedmont/Southwest ChaptersPresidents: Lori Carter & Amy Mutter

The Piedmont and Southwest Chapters came together last month in Lynchburg for a “Giving Thanks Holiday Social” and CE. Attendees enjoyed a fun afternoon of learning, laughs and libations including 3 CEs. Jonathan Lowe of Anthem presented two informative CEs on Medicare and members and guests enjoyed the Janet Trautwein Webinar, “Live from NAHU! Congressional Election Update.”

Everyone who came to the meeting participated in a community service project, bringing canned goods for our community

food drive. It was so exciting that the Chapter was able to help those less fortunate in our community. Congratulations to Karen Kite who won $25 off her annual conference registration for participating by bringing canned food.

“It was wonderful to bring our two chapters together for such a fantastic event,” Chapter Presidents Lori Carter and Amy Mutter said, in a joint statement. “We look forward to more opportunities to work together in 2019!”

Northern ChapterPast President: Heather Kochanowicz

The Northern Chapter will hold its annual holiday networking mixer on Monday, December 12 at 6 p.m. at BlackFinn Ameripub in Vienna, VA. This event is co-sponsored by NAIFA Northern Virginia and always boasts a great turnout! This holiday party will also be

a “Fill the Board” event for NVAHU because we are currently in need of board members to keep the Chapter going. There are several volunteer opportunities available and this will be the perfect time to find out more about them.

This holiday event is a great time to catch up with old friends and colleagues, as well as network with new ones! The cost for the event is $20 for members; $30 for non-members, and includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a drink ticket.

The Northern Chapter will be collecting winter coats for Cornerstones Winter Coat Closet. Coats can be new or gently used for men, women, kids, toddlers and babies! Anyone who brings two coats will get an extra drink ticket. Please check vahu.org for more information or to register.

chapter Updates VIR G IN IA V A H U

SW• VAHU

P• VAHU

NVAHH

E• VAHU

C• VAHU

The Virginia Association of Health Underwriters mission is to educate, influence, and inspire insurance professionals and legislators to lead the development of the future health insurance environment for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.Virginia Association

of Health Underwriters


spotlight Curtis LawyerThis month we are pleased to feature

Curtis Lawyer, Professional Development Chair for VAHU. Curtis was born and raised in Richmond where he currently lives with his wife and step-daughter.

When asked how he got started in this industry, Curtis had a story to tell.

“I was 21 years old and working in a warehouse and knew I wanted to do something else,” Curtis said. “One of my older colleagues suggested that I look into positions in insurance. I sent out resumes to every insurance company and really any business where employees wore suits.”

He added: “I received seven calls back which led to my first insurance job, with MassMutual. My early clients were mostly friends of friends.”

In 2000, Curtis said he had a “calcifying experience.”

“I was working with my first good-sized account, 60 employees, and their benefit plan was extremely outdated,” he said. “I was able to find them a plan with better benefits and lower premiums which then doubled their participation. It felt so good to have positively affected so many lives, giving people health insurance who had never been able to afford it.

“This job is perpetually inspiring.”

Most recently, Curtis joined MedCost in October 2017. He serves as Business Development Executive. “I joined MedCost because they have a strong care approach,” Curtis said. “Every conversation includes the member/patient, not just the symptoms – claims and premiums.”

When asked what motivated him to get involved in VAHU, Curtis said: “Although many of us may be competitors, it is our responsibility to work together to contribute to the industry as a whole. VAHU is the way to do that.”

“By coming together, we ensure the value and viability of our careers,” he added. “It also provides important networking and education. The education provided by VAHU helps me to better serve my clients.”

Curtis is in his second year with Professional Development for the Central Chapter, as this year’s Chair; he also now serves in that role for the state. His goal for VAHU is “to increase relevant and accessible learning content for our members.”

To young brokers out there just getting started, Curtis said, “When somebody more experienced says, ‘I wish I had,’ I wish I could have,’ or ‘I wish I didn’t,’ make sure you listen. Pay attention to their valuable experiences.”

So what don’t we know about Curtis?

Curtis has an identical twin brother. “My brother owns a gym in Scott’s Addition,” Curtis said. “If you think you see me there and I do not say hello, it’s probably not me; so say ‘hi’ to Chris.”


The membership team has warmly welcomed 11 new members this fall. That’s 11 savvy professionals who will now be taking advantage of all that

VAHU membership has to offer!

Each chapter membership team has been hard at work, reaching out to new members and getting them involved in great events each month. The team continues to strengthen communication with our current members to ensure they take full advantage of VAHU’s value.

Whether you’re a new or longstanding member, challenge us to help you experience the value and get everything from the membership you desire. Take advantage of the tools offered by our organization and don’t be surprised when our members, vendors, sponsors and other friends want to help you grow your business.

Keep in mind that your investment in VAHU is just a little more than $1 a day – a nominal amount quickly offset by your attendance at the many meetings, CE courses, webinars and events that we provide all-year statewide. Every registration fee is slanted substantially so that members benefit financially as an added value of membership. The tremendous resources available include education material and legislative advocacy, as we work together to protect our role in the future of employee benefits.

But there’s more – your low VAHU membership will actually SAVE you money!

• Attend the VAHU Webinar Series and save $50!

• Attend the VAHU annual conference in Virginia

Beach, and save another $40!

• Attend the various chapter meetings throughout the state and save $10-$30!

At VAHU’s Day on the Hill, coming up on January 30, members have a chance to speak to local legislators about important issues affecting our careers. Membership in VAHU literally gives you a seat at that table. What are you waiting for?

The Membership Committee asks for your continued support in recruiting members. Our team of dedicated professionals, representing all state chapters, lends its time and energy to this campaign and many other membership initiatives. Please join us in our efforts as often as possible; membership recruitment is truly the lifeblood of our organization.

Bottom line: Without you, there would be no VAHU. And without VAHU, the role of the health insurance broker in Virginia is at-risk.

Thank you for working together to ensure that our industry is healthy and vibrant.

Membership Update

By Laurel Doten

Peggy Arthur

Alexander Balasco

david grant

sherelyn Hammett

Anthony Hurst

Joseph Kelleher

grace Patterson

christine Pegram

Kim setzer

chris sill

wylesia williams

we welcome the following new members who joined since October 1:

SERVE YOU Rx

Find out if Serve You Rx might be a fit for you and your clients. Contact our Virginia-based Sales Executive, Lou DiCello at 414-410-8175.

Having been in business for over 30 years, we’ve mastered a smart, disciplined, transparent, service-focused approach to providing effective pharmacy solutions. We call it Valueplus.

plus

PROVEN PROCESS. We listen, gauge the need for change, and provide solutions that meet client goals and match benefit philosophies.

LEADING SERVICE. As a full-service solution, we can do what all PBMs do. What sets us apart is how we do it. Our highly qualified staff delivers personal service and welcomes accountability.

UNAMBIGUOUS PRICING. Regardless of the pricing model, pass-through or traditional, we are honest about where dollars are going.

STABILITY. Serve You Rx has three decades of experience and despite the ever-changing PBM landscape, we remain a steadfast, full-service PBM option.

Overall Conference Sponsor

June 10-11, 2019 • Hilton Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, VAAgenda subject to change - Questions? Call 908-789-0700 or email [email protected]

Thank you sponsors!

VAHU News • www.vahu.orgProduced by Jaffe Communications · www.JaffeCom.com

Bronze

Sponsors

• exciting new luxury oceanfront location!

don’t miss out - sponsorships still available!

• 4 hours of dedicated exhibit time!

• top sponsors get to present a ce session!

• new! sensational casino night networking event!

Gold

Sponsors Silver

Sponsors

Sunday, June 9, 2019

8 - 10 p.m. Sponsored Hospitality Suite Open

Monday, June 10, 2019

8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Attendee Registration

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Exhibitor Check-in & Setup

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 3 CE Credits

12 - 1 p.m. Lunch in Exhibit Hall

1 - 4 p.m. General Session incl. Keynote Speaker and 2 CE credits

4 - 5:30 p.m. Break

5:30 - 6 p.m. Dinner

6 - 9 p.m. Casino Night in Exhibit Hall

8:30 - 11 p.m. Sponsored Hospitality Suite Open

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

8 - 9 a.m. Breakfast

9 - 9:45 a.m. Legislation, Laughs & Libations with Rejuvenation Station

9:50 - 11:50 a.m. 2 CE Credits

11:50 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lunch in Exhibit Hall

1 - 2:50 p.m. 2 CE Credits

vahu news · 2018-11-30 · 2 vahu news • vahu news • 3 nahu needs you to educate freshman...

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