NMAHU Northlander Notes
November / December 2015
President's Message  by Raquel Paulus

Happy fourth quarter!  It's an insanely busy time for all of us.  Plus we have big news:  President Obama signed the PACE Act to repeal the definition of small employers.  DIFS has also released the Michigan definition of small group as less than 50.  I learned about both of these first from NAHU and MAHU.  Being a member does make a difference!
More exciting news... NMHAU will soon be rolling out a local advertising campaign - radio and print - for members only.  Please be sure to read all about it in this newsletter. 
We continue our quest to make this the best chapter it can be.  If you have comments or suggestions, please let me or any member of the board know.
Thank you for your support of NMAHU!   
 
Raquel
Raquel Paulus
President, NMAHU  
Your 2015-2016 NMAHU Board Members
Raquel Paulus
President (231) 922-7220
Keith L. Wright, ChHC, CLU, REBC, RHU
keith@wrightinsurancegroup.com
Immediate Past President  (231) 922-0191
Brandon Darin
bdarin@grotenhuis.com
Vice President (231) 357-5400
Mark McLane
MarkMcLaneInsurance@gmail.com
President Elect (231)922-0191
Greg Lewis, CLU,CHFC
Treasurer  (231) 632-2135
Nancy McClosky
nancy.mcclosky@priorityhealth.com
Secretary (231) 932-7947
Jay Schripsema
JSchripsema@lighthousegroup.net
Co-Legislative/HUPAC Chair (231) 346-2051

UPCOMING EVENTS
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Holiday Social Gathering - 
Time/Date/Location
- TBA
Upcoming Advertising Campaign

NMAHU is sponsoring a 6 week advertising campaign on WTCM - AM and The Ticker.  The ads will guide those needing assistance in navigating the mirky waters of healthcare during the open enrollment period. The ads will promote our members as experts to lead the way through the confusion of signing up for healthcare. 
If you know of a healthcare agent who would like to be on our referral list, please have them sign up today by  clicking here .
Membership

NMAHU has many benefits for its members. Did you know you can save up to 34% on your shipping with UPS by just being a member. For complete details, click here.


OUR SPONSORS

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Why are you a member of NMAHU?
 
If you've ever asked yourself that question I hope the following helps answer it. Because of your contributions and participation in the organization, we're able to effectuate change that enhances our industry.
 
Exhibit A: The Pace Act. As you know, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stated that the group size definitions would change in 2016. Starting in 2016, small groups would be 100 Full-time-equivalents (FTE) and under and Large Group would be any sized group 101 FTE and larger. This meant that a group that was 51 in size in 2015 and rated as large group, would be considered a small group in 2016. Moving to small group would have meant being confined to packaged metal tier plans, covering the 10 essential health benefits, having a smaller drug list, being member-level rated, and additional taxes and fees. Can you imagine the nightmare of that scenario for groups 51-100 in size? Thankfully, NAHU's lobbying efforts were successful. Because of your contribution to NAHU, the organization was able to tackle this part of the legislation by advocating and putting forth resources for its removal. And the result: The President signed the PACE Act which allows states to define the size of their small-group markets instead of being forced into the single national standard beginning January 2016. And due to the work that our state organization, Michigan Association of Health Underwriters, is doing, the State will in fact define a small group as being 50 and under FTE. This is a win for you, a win for your group clients and a win for State's rights.
 
Again, if you've ever questioned the reasons behind your NAHU membership, I hope that you clearly see that without you Exhibit A would have never happened.
 


A Letter from NAHU's VP of Congressional Affairs:

As you may know, last week NAHU was successful in getting the PACE Act passed by Congress and signed into law by the president. This act allows states to define the size of their small-group markets instead of being forced into the single national standard beginning next year. Our success is directly attributable to our lobbying and grassroots presence on the issue, and I want to thank those of you who contributed during my last appeal for helping to make this possible by sending a clear message to Congress about the devastating impact it could have on over 3.3 million employees and their families.
But our legislative priorities are far from being complete and we continue to fight everyday on behalf of agents and brokers and your employer and individual clients. Congress is currently considering legislation to repeal the ACA's excise/Cadillac tax, which is projected to impact a third of employers when it goes into effect in 2018, and up to 60% just four years later. We have been ramping up our messaging to Congress on this issue and would like your help to continue the conversation.
Please join me today by contributing to HUPAC to help spread the message to Congress. As you have seen with the recent small-group bill, agent and broker contributions can make a huge impact on getting our message across to members of Congress and getting priority legislation passed. If you didn't contribute during my last appeal, can I count on you this time? Your contribution of as little as $12 a month or a onetime contribution of $150 can make a significant impact.
Thank you for your support,
Chris Hartmann
Vice President of Congressional Affairs
National Association of Health Underwriters

HUPAC Contribution Levels
 

email:  info@nmahu.org

 
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