Happy New Year, and welcome to the NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour! On this week’s episode, NABIP’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Marcy M. Buckner is here to review some items that were released over the holidays, including the end-of-year omnibus package, a delay on certain CAA reporting requirements, and a new report on surprise billing.

Welcome to the last podcast of the year – and the last ever NAHU Healthcare Happy Hour, because next time you listen, we will be the NABIP Healthcare Happy Hour, the official podcast of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals! Last week the agencies released a host of relevant regulatory content, including a new Medicare Advantage and Part D proposed rule that would impact independent agents. On this week’s Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy Buckner is back to discuss this proposal as well as several other proposed and final rules impacting the employer-sponsored and individual markets.

Businesses need to find, hire and keep the best employees. They also need to simplify HR processes and make compliance and legal requirements easier. That’s where isolved comes in. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Director of Benefit Services Carla Adams joins us to discuss isolved’s 2022 employee benefit surveys, and provide insight on workplace trends, the changing needs of the workforce and the value benefits play in helping meet employee needs.

Health insurance professionals, particularly those who work on the employer-sponsored end of things, are acutely aware of health reimbursement arrangements, or HRAs. But exactly how many and what types of employers are adopting and utilizing their HRAs? And what about the growth of other types of HRAs, including the relatively new individual coverage HRAs, or ICHRAS? On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guests Mark Mixer and Robin Paoli of the HRA Council to discuss the Council’s inaugural report on growth trends for ICHRA and QSEHRA.

NAHU is happy to announce that a bill has been introduced that would exclude Medicare agents from the recent, burdensome Medicare Advantage marketing requirements. Here to discuss this – as well as to provide a midterm election update – on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is NAHU’s John Greene and Marcy M. Buckner.

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, we are joined by special guests and Long-Term Care Advisory Group members Lori Martin and Steve Cain to discuss LTC in health policy. Lori, president of Envision Benefit Specialists LLC, and Steve, director at LTCI Partners, discuss the importance and execution of long-term care needs for people over 65 during LTC awareness month.

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene and NAHU HUPAC Manager Nathan Makla discuss the midterm elections and how control of the Senate and House has still yet to be determined. They also review the key Senate races which will determine which party holds the chamber in the 118th Congress and what we may expect during the lame duck session.

On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene and NAHU HUPAC Manager Nathan Makla provide a preview of next week’s midterm election discussing the key races that will determine Senate and House party control.

As we are all aware of by now, HHS released the final rule to fix the ACA’s family glitch earlier this month. On the October 14 edition of the Healthcare Happy Hour, NAHU’s Marcy M. Buckner discussed the regulation in detail. On this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, Marcy is back to provide some more information on the final rule after discussions with CCIIO.

CMS released FAQs on Wednesday regarding the Medicare Marketing Rule, providing official written clarification on several questions that NAHU and our members have posed to the agency over the last several months. Additionally, NAHU’s John Greene hosted a panel at Better Medicare Alliance’s 2022 National Medicare Advantage Summit earlier this week. To discuss this and more, on this week’s episode of the Healthcare Happy Hour, is NAHU Vice President of Congressional Affairs John Greene.