Past Event Details
September 2004 through September 2007

Speaker: Dannette Coleman, Vice President, Medica, Public Policy & Government Relations

Coleman’s presentation will review the major health care legislation of 2007 and look ahead to the 2008 legislative session. The presentation will focus on a number of issues that directly affect brokers, including changes to the commercial lines of business and a more in-depth look at the “connector” concept that was introduced in 2007, which is expected to come back in 2008. She will also highlight the various health care reform groups meeting during the interim and provide an update on their status. Finally, she will make some predictions on the future of health care reform in Minnesota.

Learning Objectives:

• Review of legislation passed in 2007 that affects the health care market
• Review of pending legislation that has the potential to affect how health care policies are bought and sold in Minnesota (Connector concept)
• Provide an update on the various health care reform groups and how to influence the work of these groups
• Predict legislation that may be introduced in 2008 affecting the health care market.

Group Insurance Enrollment Solutions

Speakers: TJ Gibb
KMG America

Key learning outcomes: At the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to:

• Provide ways for insurance producers and brokers to communicate and enroll group insurance programs to employees of an Employer group
• Establish reasons why the communication of benefits is so important to the insurance industry in general

About the Speaker: TJ Gibb

• Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration – Financial Management from the University of St. Thomas in 1989.
• Began employee benefits insurance career over 15 years ago as a group sales representative with ING Employee Benefits (formerly ReliaStar and Northwestern National Life Insurance Company).
• Sales representative for nearly 7 years in Southern California. Sold a wide array of products: medical, dental, stop loss, vision, life, AD&D, STD, LTD, flexible benefits, EAP, worksite marketing voluntary benefits and retirement plans.
• In 1999, promoted to National Sales Manager of ING Employee Benefits’ Worksite Marketing division. In 2001, assumed responsibility for the Association (Affinity) sales team.
• In 2005, joined KMG America Corporation, parent company of Kanawha Insurance Company. TJ is currently the Senior Vice President of Marketing. This role is responsible for product development, corporate communications, advertising, branding, public relations, electronic enrollment platforms and corporate web sites.
• On the Board of Directors of the Mass Marketing Insurance Institute (MI2) since 2004. MI2 is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit association for employee benefit professionals. MI2 focuses on providing education about voluntary benefits to its members. Currently serve as the Treasurer.

Medication Therapy Management: The Next Generation of Pharmacy Benefit Management

Speaker: Nikki White
Fairview Pharmacy Services

Key learning objectives:

• National healthcare expenditure forecasts, and how healthcare dollars are currently spent.
• What is Medication Therapy Management?
• Current pharmacy benefit management cost management strategies and the importance of turning the focus on value management strategies.
• How Medication Therapy Management works, and how to initiate discussions with clients on implementation.

Update on Health and Medical Management

Speaker: N. Marcus Thygeson, MD
Vice President and Associate Medical Director
Consumer Health Solutions
HealthPartners

Dr. Thygeson will review current challenges in the U.S. healthcare system relevant to health and medical management, and will then discuss new approaches or results in three specific areas: wellness and disease prevention; disease management; and decision support. Key learning outcomes: At the end of the presentation, attendees will:

• understand the business case for wellness and disease management programs
• recognize the value and characteristics of effective disease management programs
• be able to describe the role, and importance, of decision support in health management

About the Speaker:

As Vice President and Associate Medical Director for Consumer Health Solutions, Marcus Thygeson, is responsible for providing medical direction in sales, marketing and product development as well as executive leadership for our worksite health programs. Marcus works closely in partnership with the leadership of Sales and Account Services, Customer Service and Product Development, as well as Health, Medical, and Network Management, to help translate key account trends and requirements into product, service and other solutions.

Prior to joining HealthPartners, Marcus served as the Medical Director for Definity Health; he was responsible for Personal Care Support strategy and operations, and supporting Consumer Activation, Network Strategy and Provider Relations. Prior to joining Definity Health, Marcus was the Chief Medical Officer of Mywayhealth, another consumer driven health care benefit plan. Before Mywayhealth, Marcus held a number of medical management positions at Alta Bates Medical Center, in Berkeley, California, and served from 1996 to 2000 as the Medical Director from Alta Bates Medical Group, an award winning California IPA. Marcus is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Marcus received his B.S. summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis, and is a graduate of Harvard Medical School. He received his medical training at Virginia Mason Hospital, where he was Chief Medical Resident, and at the University of California San Francisco.

We would like to thank all of the individuals who contributed time
to making this a successful Sales Congress.

Dan Perrin spoke on the issue of "Why Health Care Cost in this Global Economy is so Important for our Future Competitiveness and Welfare"

Stuart Browning as he speaks on the question "Is a Single-Payer System, Like Canada’s, the Prescription for U.S. Health Care Woes?"

The 2007 MAHU Sales Congress brought a record 57 sponsors and exhibitors. This years sponsorship chairs
were David Kuschel and Dan Burns.

The 2007 MAHU Sales Congress was one of the
most well-attended in recent years.

The 2007 President's Dinner was celebrated on January 31. Many past presidents of MAHU were in attendance to the annual dinner.

Providing Consumer Choice through Transparency

Speaker: MaryAnn Stump Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota President, Consumer Aware

The healthcare delivery model is evolving from one of blind acceptance to an engaging model where consumers and healthcare providers are exposing the layer of information in order to see the full picture and take smarter actions. To be successful in peeling through the layers, the devil is in the details. Meaningful, collaborative and useful systems need to evolve to combine and translate information that has not traditionally been shared. When done correctly, a more holistic approach can be provided in terms of health care delivery. Learning Objectives: As a result of attending this course, agents will be able to:

• Describe the “transparency” backdrop.
  Healthcare has been a fractured layered system that is confusing and difficult.
• Use the appropriate Framework.
  Connecting the layers in the system can allow consumers to make better healthcare choices.
• Put examples into action.
  Having the luxury of “reading the label”, i.e. knowing all the ingredients, can help consumers understand what to do next. Healthcarefacts.org is an example of this.

About the Speaker:

MaryAnn Stump, RN, senior vice president and chief innovation officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and president, Consumer Aware, is a recognized leader in health care consumerism, inviting health care providers and stakeholders to work collaboratively toward providing consumers with the information they need to make intelligent health care decisions. A passionate advocate for health care reform, she has engaged employers, health care providers and policy makers in viewing health care from the consumer’s perspective and encouraging innovations in the delivery of high-quality, affordable health care.

Ms. Stump led the development of Healthcare Facts®, which has attracted national attention for its consumer-friendly “nutrition label” approach to comparing hospitals and health care providers. Additional information tools and technologies are under development to engage consumers in “best fit” health care options, based on individual needs and preferences.

A former cardiac critical care nurse, Ms. Stump was the lead architect of the Blue Cross Cardiac Center of Excellence Program, as well as Minnesota’s first community-based residential treatment facility for eating disorders. She serves on the Blue Cross Foundation Board, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Advisory Board and the Yale College of Nursing Advisory Board. Additionally, she is past president of Minnesota Healthcare Quality Professionals and is actively involved in statewide and national health care quality, patient safety and consumer health information initiatives.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A not-for-profit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering nearly 2.7 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Visit www.bluecrossmn.com.

Long Term Disability Market Overview

Speaker: John Roberts, Assurant

As president of the Disability Reinsurance Management Services, Inc, John Roberts is responsible for the operational management of Disability RMS.

John has almost 25 years of experience in disability, life and special risk businesses. Prior to joining Disability RMS, he held a variety of top positions at Unum and UnumProvident Corporation in the areas of group insurance operations and long-term disability products. His extensive experience in managing underwriting, claims, product and systems development, and marketing areas has contributed to market-leading sales results year after year.

John was the past chairman of the Health Insurance Association of America's Disability Subcommittee and received his bachelor's degree in economics from Bowdoin College. He currently serves on the board of directors at the Portland Museum of Art and is also on the board of the Westbrook Chapter of the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce.

Key Challenges for Minnesota Healthcare Organizations

Speaker: Allan Baumgarten

Course Description: Managed care in Minnesota is not what it used to be and health plans, providers and purchasers are trying to imagine a much different future. Yet the fundamental challenges of ensuring affordable access to high quality health care and coverage are still unsolved here. Allan Baumgarten will discuss the key challenges faced by health plans, providers and purchasers and the approaches they are taking.

Learning Objectives: As a result of attending this course, agents will be able to:

• Understand important trends for health insurance and provider systems in the state and compare Minnesota with other key states.
• Analyze who, between health plans and hospitals, has the economic upper hand.
• Project the likely impact of changes in benefit design (including high deductible plans) on providers, purchasers and consumers.
• Identify factors that will affect future economic relationships between providers, health plans and purchasers.

What are important trends for health insurance and provider systems in the state? How does Minnesota compare with other key states? Between health plans and hospitals, who has the economic upper hand? What is the likely impact of changes in benefit design (including high deductible plans) on providers, purchasers and consumers? What factors will affect future economic relationships between providers, health plans and purchasers?

Presenter:

Allan Baumgarten is an independent research consultant whose work focuses on health care policy, finance and local market strategies. He is the author of Minnesota Managed Care Review, a nationally recognized annual reports analyzing key trends and issues in that market. He also publishes annual Managed Care Reviews in eight other states: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. The California HealthCare Foundation sponsors his California report and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has awarded a grant for him to prepare a report and searchable data sets about health markets in that state.

He works with a variety of organizations to help them analyze the market competition and policy issues they face and to develop business strategies to meet the challenges of dynamic markets and health reform. His clients include health plans, provider organizations, government agencies and manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and other health products and services.

He has presented his research to numerous local and national meetings, including Academy Health, the Association of Health Care Journalists, National Managed Health Care Congress, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and IIR and Global Business Research seminars. He is also the author of recent articles in Minnesota Medicine, Health System Leader and Managed Care Quarterly. These articles have analyzed tiered network strategies for HMOs and providers, direct contracting between employers and providers, the usefulness of health plan report cards and the debate over for-profit versus nonprofit ownership of America’s health systems.

From 1988 to 1993, Mr. Baumgarten was Associate Director of the Citizens League, a nonprofit public policy research, education and advocacy organization in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He directed the League’s unique program of citizen-based research, developed special research reports of several topics and helped craft and implement the League’s legislative strategies.

From 1979 to 1988, he was Staff Attorney and Program Evaluation Coordinator for the Legislative Auditor’ Office in St. Paul. He directed studies of state agencies and their programs, examining programs such as highway maintenance, Medicaid funded services for persons with disabilities, AFDC, state computer systems and regulation of HMOs.

He received his J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and an M.A. from the University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

He is a member of the Executive Committee of United Jewish Communities and chairs its Public Policy and Legislation Committee. In 2005 he was named chairman of the Jewish Community Foundation of Minneapolis. He was an at-large delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. Other past community activities include serving as vice-president for local planning and allocations of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and secretary of Neighborhood Health Care Network.

Preparing Agents for the Revolution in Health Care Reform

Speaker: Gregory Dattilo, CFP, CEBS

Course Description: This course contrasts and compares health care system options, presents data to use in evaluating system options, and shows outcomes of those options.

Learning Objectives: As a result of attending this course, agents will be able to:

• Assist the public and their clients in making intelligent and informed decisions about health insurance products in light of rapid changes brought about as a result of health care reform.
• Evaluate trends in an evolving US health care system so as to better communicate with clients and venders, and help to ensure that clients continue to receive high quality, affordable health care.

What is happening in U.S health care? How are agents going to get their arms around health insurance premium costs? What is the debate about, and more importantly, what are the facts, and what is important for agents to know?

The authors of Your Health Matters: What You Need to know about U.S. Health Care, take you on tour of the system, outlining the facts, destroying the myths and resolving the misconceptions. Prepare for the trip at http://www.yourhealthmattersbook.com.

Presenter: Greg Dattilo, CEBS, CFP, has more than 30 years experience as an employee benefits consultant. He was awarded his CEBS designation by the Wharton School of Business in 1993 and was named a Fellow of the IFCEBS two years later. He became a CFP in 1984.

Dattilo is the CEO of Dattilo Consulting, Inc. and ClientServ, LLC, in Minneapolis and his book, Your Health Matters, co-authored by Twin Cities writer Dave Racer, was published by Alethos Press LLC. This revealing book is recommended by NAHU President Janet Trautwein and has strong endorsements from health and life agents across the country.

Building Employee Health Management Programs that Maximize Impact

Speaker: Kris Haugen, MPH, Park Nicollet HealthSource / Health Services

With the last several years of high health care cost trends, health plans have been manipulated and re-designed as much as possible to minimize cost increases to employers while maintaining viable benefit plans for employees. In the mix of solutions, employee health management programs are recently receiving more press as a key method to keep health care costs below trend. What does it take to create a program that can reduce health risks over time and show positive impact to the organization in terms of cost, productivity and morale?

In this presentation, Kris Haugen, a 24 year veteran in worksite health promotion, shares her insights about the elements needed to build and sustain a comprehensive employee health management program that shows impact and results. She will cover best practices in the field, and share practical experiences from the Park Nicollet Health Services employee program she currently manages.

Download the PowerPoint presentation from this event.

Please note that the presentation Kris gave described the internal health promotion program at Park Nicollet Health Services. The HealthSource division she works in also provides these services to upper Midwest employers and can be a valuable resource for MAHU members. For more information call Florence Fadell at 952-993-3534 or visit www.parknicollet.com/healthsource. Download the PowerPoint presentation from this event

How to Design the Right Disability Income Plan for Your Client

Speaker: Dale Forsythe

Dale Forsythe will discuss the need for disability income insurance and how it fills a key role in financial planning. Both the intricacies of disability income policies and how to design the right DI plan that fits the needs of your client will be discussed. Dale's background as a DI underwriter and more recently his sales experience in the brokerage market gives him a unique insight that you won't want to miss.

Speaker: Steven Lacher, Discovery Financial Brokerage

Selling life insurance is not easy, taking several steps in the process can alleviate headaches, levy expectations, build trust and knowledge to advance your sales in life insurance with your current and potential clients. Expand your revenue and grow your life insurance sales.

About the speaker:

Steven started in the insurance industry in 1989 working for Northwestern National Life, which was later re-named ReliaStar Life and finally ING-ReliaStar. In 1993 Steven left ReliaStar’s home office to pursue field sales with The Prudential, returning to ReliaStar’s home office in 1996 where he held an internal audit position until 1997. In 1997, as Operations Manager, Steven was asked to implement an internal sales operation targeting consumers who were paid a death claim. This area quickly grew to the 5th largest regional sales area in the country for ReliaStar’s individual sales division.

Steven then accepted a position to build and maintain the first ever consumer database for ReliaStar where they analyzed purchasers of life insurance products for the entire national clientele of ReliaStar Life. This led to his position as Director of Business Development for ReliaStar. There Steven utilized his database knowledge, audit experience, individual sales experience, and knowledge of organizational business strategies to work with the individual field sales representatives. He guided them in developing their businesses through sales ideas, marketing techniques, targeted campaigns and implementation of tactical sales strategies to increase sales by 26%.

Since 2002, Steven has been an independent life insurance national broker, representing roughly 60 life insurance carriers. Steven uses his skills to support a national distribution of independent agents where he helps independent agents with case design, carrier access and marketing ideas to build the agents organizations and expand Discovery Financial Brokerage’s life insurance sales.

Trends show that people like receiving their insurance benefits through work, yet employers are scaling back the benefits they can afford to offer employees. The result is a convergence of previously separate marketplaces: group, worksite, and individual. A benefits producer today is leaving opportunity and income behind by not talking to employer groups about their full range of options that are available to them. Unplanned health care costs account for over 40% of bankruptcies today in America. And once a health care crisis arises, options and doors close quickly in terms of current and future choices. People can not afford to be shut out of needed health care financing solutions. Exploring worksite and individual options is an important avenue for all involved.

Speaker: Margaret LeClair, PhD, President, LeClair Corporation

Dr. Margaret LeClair has a track record of creating opportunity, embracing challenges, and keeping a global outlook. As a third generation LeClair to be running the LeClair Corporation, Margaret has continued to build on the foundation that was there before her. Believing that access to information for insurance producers is key, she has developed the LeClair eStrategy Center, an industry leading on-line technology and marketing platform that allows insurance producers to gain access to information in real time, so that producers can do their jobs with greater efficiency and more certainty than ever before.

Despite being a LeClair, Margaret didn't walk into her current position without precedent. For 13 years, Margaret has built a career that has included both the private sector and academia. Before joining the LeClair Corporation, Margaret was the Chief Operating Officer of Expand Beyond Corporation, a Chicago based software company with operations in the US, Europe, and Asia. Before that, she launched her business career in the Corporate Finance department of Ladenburg, Thalman & Co., a New York investment bank.

Margaret has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a PhD in economics from Fordham University in New York. She has taught economics at Manhattan College, the State University of New York, and at the University of Port Elizabeth in South Africa. Today, Margaret's interests focus on the US health care system, specifically the topic of providing affordable access for all Americans and providing education on the various paths that are available for Americans today to protect their financial wealth from unplanned health care costs.

The annual Sales Congress will include exhibits, continental breakfast, a keynote speaker, workshops and presentations throughout the day, a luncheon ceremony, and an evening social hour. The luncheon will include presentations of the John J. Symanitz and David LeClair awards, and the Ronald McDonald presentation.

Photos from this year's event!

Keynote Speaker: Sharon Alt

Our keynote speaker will be Sharon Alt, President of Alt Benefit Consultants in Fort Worth, TX and host of the weekly internet talk radio show "Inside Health Insurance in America" at www.voiceamerica.com.

Sharon is an interesting and accomplished speaker who has spoken at numerous Employer's Council for Flexible Compensation National Conferences as well as NAHU's National Conference.

Presentations from this year's event:

Bryan Van Noy
The Obesity Pandemic: Globesity - View the presentation (PPT, 6Mb)

Speaker: Bradley Arends, J.D.

Brad Arends will be speaking on the evolution of HSAs from simple transaction accounts to multiple fund accounts and eventually self-directed brokerage accounts. He will share his experience from observing the progression of the 401(k) market to predicting the future demands of HSA clients. Brad will share Wall Street's view of HSAs, both from the perspective of fund companies to individual financial planners.

Bradley K. Arends, J.D. is the CEO of the Minnesota division of Alliance Benefit Group and on the board of Alliance Benefit Group National. Mr. Arends has worked in the ERISA and investment areas for over 21 years, concentrating on the design, communication and funding of defined contribution plans, IRC Section 125 flexible benefits plans, and executive compensation programs. Mr. Arends was instrumental in assisting the Charles Schwab Company in development of their HSA custodial services. Mr. Arends is on the TPA Advisory Council for Fidelity Investments Institutional Brokerage Group out of Boston, the Advisory Council for Corbel, a member of the Employee Benefit Section of the Minnesota Bar, and the current President of Retirement Administrators and Designers of America (RADA). Previously, he worked as a legislative assistant in Washington, D.C., for a United States Senator and his position on the Senate Finance Committee. He graduated from Washington University School of Law with an emphasis in tax.

December 1, 2005

Long Term Care Insurance as an Employee Benefit: A Fresh Look at What is Happening and Employers' New Interest in the Marketplace

Long term care insurance is much more than "old folks' home" insurance. Our speakers will provide:

• A market overview of why employee benefit specialists have not been installing these plans in their benefit packages
• An explanation why now is the time to take a good hard look at how and why this needs to be done
• Who is in, who is out-what is the impact of the market

Employers are confused about the market and about what to do. Benefit specialists are up in the air about how and what to say to them.

This is a market place opportunity today, in an important benefit category which cannot be overlooked any longer. You will be exposed to an overview of the trends and an understanding of the new messaging in this heavy insurance product category.

Tom Devine is Executive Vice President of the David Agency in Edina, Minnesota. He is the fourth generation of his family to be in the insurance business in Minnesota and he just completed his 27th year in employee benefits, health, life, disability and long term care insurance. Tom was a pioneer in the delivery of LTCI as a part of employee benefit packages and it is currently his professional focus. Licensed in 42 states, he has been actively engaged legislatively in all aspects of both LTCI and health/benefits issues at both state and federal levels. He served as President-Elect this past year and was chair of the successful 2003 Sales Congress.

Howard Rubin has been involved in the sales and marketing of long-term care insurance since 1992. He is the founder and President of Benefit Advisor Services, Inc. Established in 1993, this organization has sold over 18,000 policies working exclusively in the worksite and association markets using tools such as seminar selling and phone sales, as well as traditional in-home selling methodologies.

Universal Health Insurance and the American Insurance Landscape

Speaker: Dr. Robert W. Geist

Throughout his distinguished career urologist Dr. Robert W. Geist has worked to bring advances not only to his specialty, but also ethics in medicine and community awareness of the health care system. His published articles have been printed in The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Urology, the Hennepin County Medical Bulletin, and Minnesota Medicine.

Please join the members of MAHU on Thursday, November 3 for an engaging presentation entitled, "Universal Health Insurance and the American Insurance Landscape: From self-insurance to national insurance, failures, and 'cures'".

In his presentation, Dr. Geist will cover a broad spectrum of topics related to health care and insurance. He will share with us a historical look into our industry, its objectives, successes, failures, and his perspective on what may be in store for the future. We look forward to seeing you there.

October 6, 2005

FairCareRx: A New Approach to Controlling Prescription Drug Costs

Speaker:

Dan Lannon is founder and Chairman of FairCareRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dan Lannon is the founder and Chairman of FairCareRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a corporation whose business model reflects a low cost approach to dispensing prescription drugs. Bringing over 15 years experience as a registered Pharmacist and 12 as a pharmacy owner, Dan will share with us his thoughts on topics such as, Cost shifting, generic drug safety and efficacy, the rebate game, the role of HMOs in pharmacy, etc. We hope you can join us for this educational event.

September 8, 2005

Decoding the Medicare Puzzle: The Impact on Employers Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003

Speaker: Mark W. Owen, Vice President and General Manager, Medica Center for Healthy Aging

Mark Owen is Vice President and General Manager of the Medica Center for healthy Aging, which for more than 15 years has served the health care needs of Minnesota’s senior population and currently serves approximately 42,000 members. In 2003, the Center became responsible for Medica’s Individual Products.

Mark is a proven leader in the development and marketing of Medicare products nationally. In addition, his more than 24 years of leadership experience has focused on team building, change management, effective mentoring, and the development of new business.

Prior to joining Medica, Mark was vice president, large group marketing and distribution management at Humana, Inc., one of the 10 largest HMO/Group Insurance carriers in the nation. Previously at Humana, he was vice president, public programs, with responsibility for Medicare and Medicaid strategic planning operations and implementation. In addition, he served as president of MedStep, a wholly owned subsidiary of Humana that provided turnkey management and administrative services to provider groups wanting to develop an M+C contract with the government.

Mark has a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh.

Mark supports youth athletics by serving as a board member volunteer commissioner and coach in the Eden Prairie Baseball Association, and as a coach in Eden Prairie Basketball Association.

Mark is also a member of the Board of Be Active Minnesota, a not for profit organization focused on improving the well being of Minnesotans through the support and promotion of physical activity.

Health Care: Making the Best of a Bad Bargain

Speaker: Attorney General Mike Hatch

Health Care: Making the Best of a Bad Bargain (PDF)

Although the U.S. pays almost double what other advanced countries pay for health care, its citizens receive fewer services. This report examines the high costs and inefficiency of the American health care system, which adversely effect families, seniors, state programs, children, the millions of uninsured, small businesses and other employers.

About the speaker:
Attorney General Mike Hatch is well known as an outspoken advocate for consumers, senior citizens and victims of crime. The Pioneer Press has said about Hatch since taking office, "Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch hasn't backed down from anyone, taking on managed health care over treatment decisions and the insurance industry over its credit ratings when insuring drivers and property owners."

Attorney General Hatch has proposed aggressive legislative initiatives to level the playing field between patients and HMOs; limit ATM and other bank fees; provide homeowners a bill of rights to clean up questionable market practices and ensure fair treatment; and eliminate unfair automatic renewal provisions in contracts. His criminal justice initiatives include enhanced law enforcement efforts to fight gangs, keep sex offenders off the street, protect victims of domestic abuse, and integrate statewide criminal justice computer systems to allow law enforcement to share vital information.

Prior to being elected Attorney General, Hatch was an attorney in private legal practice. He developed a national reputation for representing dozens of breast cancer and other patients who were denied access to bone marrow transplants and other lifesaving medical treatment by their HMOs and health plans. In 1995 Hatch successfully led an effort to require health plans to provide bone marrow transplant coverage for women with breast cancer.

As Minnesota's Commissioner of Commerce from 1983-1989, Hatch was the primary regulator of banks, insurance companies, securities and real estate firms doing business in Minnesota. Hatch streamlined the Commerce Department, resulting in a savings to taxpayers of nearly one-half million dollars per year. Hatch received national attention for his work in the areas of medical malpractice coverage, corporate takeovers and insurance coverage issues.

A 1966 graduate of Duluth East High School, Hatch earned a Bachelor's Degree in political science with honors from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1970. He received a law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1973. Originally elected in 1998, Hatch is serving his second term as Attorney General.

Hatch and his wife Patti, an elementary school teacher raised in Keewatin, Minnesota, have three daughters.

Medicare Modernization Act Part D

Speaker: Rob Smith, Director of Medicare Sales and Development for BCBS

In December of 2004, President Bush signed a law that enacted one of the most sweeping changes to Medicare since its inception in 1965. The most publicized portion of the legislation had to do with the addition of prescription drugs to the basic coverage of Medicare. Starting in the fall of 2005, 700,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Minnesota will be bombarded with communication from Medicare and numerous private insurance companies informing them of this new program. Agents will be the first point of contact for many beneficiaries as they try to sort through all the options and confusion. This presentation will assist agents in understanding the basics of Medicare reform and the impact that the new Part D drug option will have on various Medicare beneficiaries and what agents can do to prepare to assist their clients.

About the Speaker
Robert (Rob) J. Smith, Director of Medicare Sales and Development for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, has over 11 years experience in Medicare sales and marketing. He has built a career out of helping Medicare beneficiaries and agents understand and comprehend Medicare. From his early years of selling government contracted health plans directly to beneficiaries to his later years managing and coaching sales agents, Rob has developed a unique skill of communicating complex subject matter in the voice of "common person." In his current role at Blue Cross, Rob has overall accountability for Medicare strategic development and sales and marketing. This gives him a unique perspective in understanding what the Medicare market wants and how best to deliver the product message to various audiences and the agent community.

Previous to his employment at Blue Cross, Rob has worked with several other health plans in Minnesota and Upstate New York. Rob is a native of Rochester, New York and has lived in Minnesota for the past 7 years. He has a bachelor's degree in history from the State University of New York and a Masters of Theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He has written numerous articles on Medicare for agent publications and has spoken at national conferences on subjects related to Medicare, senior marketing, and product development.

Deferred Compensation

Speaker:
Candido Palomarez, III, CMFC
President & Founder
Executive Business Consulting, Inc.

Candido's talk is designed with the advisor in mind and is divided into three parts. The first is a conceptual overview of Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC). It compares and contrasts qualified- and non-qualified plans. We look at the need for NQ plans and what a good candidate might look like. Part II outlines the process. It helps the advisor to aide his/her client in assessing the concept, designing the plan, and implementing it. Finally, we'll wrap up with a legislative update and a Q&A session.

About the speaker:

Candido helps companies design and implement benefit programs that favor owners and/or key employees. He focuses on maximizing cash out of the business while minimizing tax liabilities.

Candido’s unique skill set comes from a very broad background in accounting, retirement plans, financial planning, investments, and insurance. Says Candido: “It occurred to me several years ago that most financial services people only bring one discipline to the table. Generally speaking, they are either insurance people or investments people. With my knowledge in both and background in other areas, I felt like I had much to offer the business community.”

Candido works closely with the business owner’s CPA to ensure that the client is getting the best independent advice from all sources. Candido: “I work with CPAs everyday. They are the key advisor to the business owner and as such deserve to be included in the entire process. It’s just the right thing to do.”

Candido has a BBA in accounting from Iowa State University where he attended on full scholarship. He has the following securities licenses: Series 7, Series 24, Series 6, and Series 63. He also holds insurance licenses in several different states. He earned the Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor designation from the College for Financial Planning in Denver. Candido in also an instructor for continuing education courses for both financial and accounting professionals. He and his wife, Kari, live with their children in the Twin Cities.

Business Day at the Capitol gives businesses a chance to see lawmakers in action and to influence public policy. Join us as we represent businesses from our community along side business leaders from across the state. We will also have an opportunity to personally visit with our legislators.

The event, in its 12th year, has become the largest business lobbying day in Minnesota as upward of 600 people come together as one statewide business voice. It's an opportunity for the business community to speak with a single voice on common priorities including controlling health-care costs and finding long-term funding for transportation needs.

Headquarters for the event is the Radisson Riverfront Hotel, 11 East Kellogg Blvd. in St. Paul. Two sessions will be held to accommodate various schedules. Session I runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Session II runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Both sessions will begin with opening remarks from legislative leadership followed by the opportunity to attend issue briefings on the business community's top issues. Personal meetings with two or three legislators also are prearranged for interested participants. Both sessions join together at noon for a lunch program, which always has featured remarks from the governor. Governor Tim Pawlenty has been invited. Cost for the day including a continental breakfast, lunch, meeting materials and transportation to and from the Capitol is $50.

The annual Sales Congress included exhibits, continental breakfast, a keynote speaker, workshops and presentations throughout the day, a luncheon ceremony, and an evening social hour. The luncheon included presentations of the John J. Symanitz and David LeClair awards, and the Ronald McDonald presentation.

Download presentations from the Annual Sales Congress

Download the Keynote Address (PPT), by Nina Owcharenko, The Heritage Foundation
The proposals highlighted in the presentation are used for educational proposals and should not be interpreted as an endorsement by Nina Owcharenko or MAHU.

Download the presentation (PDF, 7.4Mb) by Ronald Leopold MD, MBA, MPH, Met Life

Download the presentation (PPT, 2.5Mb) by Richard Manning, Pfizer Inc

Agenda

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.     Registrations, Exhibits & Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.     Introductions - MAHU President, Kris Nicol & KSTPs Tom Hauser

8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.    Steve Sviggum, MN House Speaker - Dominic Spesito, Moderator

9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.    Exhibits and Break

10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.    Nina Owcharenko, The Heritage Foundation (Keynote Speaker)

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.    Exhibits and Break

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.    Lunch/Award Recognition

• Benediction
• John J Symanitz Award Presentation
• David LeClair Award Presentation
• Ronald McDonald Presentation - BlueCross Blue Shield of Minnesota

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.    Ronald Leopold MD, MBA, MPH, Met Life

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.    Exhibits and Break

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.    Richard Manning, Pfizer Inc

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Jack Sattler, Delta Dental
Dave Tuomala, Definity Health
Tim Devries, Prime Health
Greg Thurston, Legal Systems, Inc.

4:30 p.m - 5:15 p.m.    Exhibits, Social Hour, Reception, Prize Drawings

Meeting Specifics:
Thursday, February 3, 2005
7:30 a.m. Registration
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Program

RiverCentre
175 W Kellogg
St. Paul, MN 55102

Panel discussion: Tiered Provider Networks the Answer for future healthcare cost containment?

Panelists:
PatientChoice: Ann Robinow, Sr Vice President
Provider Network: Patrick Taillefer, President Quello Clinic
Buyer's Health Care Action Group: Carolyn E. Pare, Chief Executive Officer

A New Approach
Under tiered network programs developed by Patient Choice, providers are placed into tiers based on their performance and must demonstrate their value to patients based on quality of care, cost, and service. Individuals choose their providers using comparative information. Individuals pay more to access higher cost providers.

As a result, market choices drive competitive prices and service improvements from health care professionals, and individuals are empowered to operate as value-sensitive consumers.

Patient Choice develops programs with point of enrollment or point of service options. Patient Choice launched and managed the first tiered network program in the country. Patient Choice's pioneering tiered network program, originally developed in the late 1997 with a coalition of large employers known as the Buyer's Health Care Action Group in Minnesota, is the longest running, most well established of its kind in the country.

Studies by Johns Hopkins, University of Minnesota, Harvard Business School, and others, have shown that the program curtails rising costs, improves health care quality and outcomes, and enhances consumer choice.

Patient Choice Healthcare, Inc. provides an innovative, value-based approach to health care purchasing. The company creates and manages patient-focused health care networks where patients choose their doctors; health care professionals control their health care decisions and are rewarded for prviding quality, efficient care; employers define and manage their costs; and consumers make choices based on comparative information about quality of care, price, and service.

In addition to the program in Minnesota, Patient Choice has developed tiered network programs in other markets including Wisconsin, Washington, and Massachusetts.

About the Speakers:

Carolyn E. Pare

Carolyn is the Chief Executive Officer of the Buyer's Health Care Action Group, a coalition of more than 30 public and private employers dedicated to health care market reform. In the fifteen years since it's formation, this Minnesota based coalition has introduced a number of nationally recognized innovations in health care contracting, delivery, quality and consumerism.

Carolyn was previously a director of Human Resources, responsible for Benefits, Risk Management and Human Resource Information Systems at Target Corporation. She chairs the Alliance of Purchasers supported by the Pawlenty administration as the Smart Buy Alliance. She is on the Executive Committee of the National Business Coalition on Health and is a member of the Business Advisory Group of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. She is currently serving on several state workgroups addressing best practice guidelines and information technology.

Carolyn has a BS in Environmental and Public Health from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and over twenty five years experience in occupational health and safety, risk management and health care.

Ann Robinow

Ann Robinow co-founded and served as President, Patient Choice Healthcare Inc. until its recent acquisition by Medica, a large regional health plan based in Minneapolis, MN. She is now vice president and general manager for Medica's Patient Choice segment, which develops and manages health care programs in which physicians and hospitals compete for patients based on quality and cost.

Prior to forming Patient Choice, Ms. Robinow served as Executive Director, Care Systems and Finance, for the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG), a coalition of large employers collaboratively purchasing health care services. While at BHCAG, Ms. Robinow led the design, development, implementation and operation of their nationally recognized, innovative and successful tiered network program which is now the model for many health plan and purchaser initiatives.

Ms. Robinow has worked in the area of health care finance and management for more than 28 years. Prior to joining BHCAG, she was managed care practice leader for A. Foster Higgins and Co. (now part of Mercer) in Minneapolis and has served in a number of senior management roles with experience managing an independent physician association, a PPO, and in health underwriting and disability management.

Ms. Robinow has a bachelor of arts degree and Phi Beta Kappa designation from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is an executive board member of Jewish Family and Children's Services in Minneapolis, and has served as a director on several other health care and service related boards. Ms. Robinow has been an advisor and expert panel member for a number of national research initiatives, such as "Physicians Evaluating Health Plans", the "National Risk Adjustment Impact Study", and "Effective Payment Strategies to Support Quality-based Purchasing".

Her work was included in "Crossing The Quality Chasm," A New Health System for the 21st Century, (2001) Institute of Medicine; in "Financial Strategy for Managed Care Organizations," 2002, Charles William Wrightson-who deemed the Patient Choice program (formerly called Choice Plus) "worthy of consideration as a national model of healthcare reform"; in "Let's Put Consumers in Charge of Health Care," published in the July 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review ; and in numerous other articles and publications.

In 2002, she received the inaugural "Jean Harris Award of Excellence" from the Women's Health Leadership Trust and was named one of "25 Women to Watch" by the Minnesota Business Journal. She is a frequent speaker at national events for physicians, hospitals, employers and educators.

Speakers: State Representative Bill Haas, Education MN President or Chair, Larry Wicks, Executive Director, Education Minnesota

Download the PowerPoint presentation used for this meeting!
Note: This file is 13 Mb. the best way for you to view this file will be to right-click and save the file to your computer.

This months meeting will feature a panel discussion on Reigning in high costs of Pharmaceuticals, and will feature the following speakers: Melissa Hauser, National Pharmaceutical Company (Pfizer); Dan Lannon, Start up Pharmaceutical Company (FairRx); Kristine Jackson, Health plan representative (PreferredOne).

Discuss Pharmaceutical costs and idea's to help reign in ... or the inability to reign in these costs:

• Formulary's
• Discounts
• Rebates
• New "Wonder" Drugs
• New Idea's
• Questions from Audience

About the Speakers:

Kris Jackson is the Pharmacy Director at PreferredOne where she assists HMO and TPA clients in the management of their pharmacy costs through plan design analysis and recommendations, utilization management programs, and consultation.

Prior to PreferredOne, Kris was a Clinical Manager at a national PBM for 9 years where she worked with large managed care organizations throughout the country to manage their pharmacy programs. Kris received a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Minnesota.

Dan Lannon is founder, chairman and president of FAIRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., parent company of FairCare Rx pharmacies. An entrepreneur and business owner for more than 12 years, Dan is a registered pharmacist with a proven track record. He has acquired and merged multiple pharmacies over a ten-year period into a highly successful larger enterprise. In his role with FairCare Rx, Dan helps guide the set-up, purchasing, pricing, provider network relations and implementation of pharmacy-specific operating systems.

Melissa Hauser, R.Ph., MBA, is a Regional Account Manager at Pfizer where she is responsible for the management of key accounts including large regional health plans, State Medicaid, integrated delivery systems and long term care based in Minneapolis. Prior to her Minneapolis position, Melissa served as the Director of Managed Care Training for Pfizer in New York. She has been with Pfizer for the last 9 years.

Prior to Pfizer, Melissa worked at two national PBMs, in retail and in hospital pharmacy. Melissa received a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Minnesota and her MBA in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas.

Mick Occhiuto, RHU, LUTCF, Regional Development Manager in the Midwest Region for Colonial Supplemental Insurance, discussed Supplemental Benefits/ Section 125. Topics covered included:

• The Need
• The Core Benefits
• How Flexible Benefits Plans Work

About the speaker:

After assisting general managers, mid-line managers and agents in creative development of marketing and sales direction and vision for over 33 years, Mick Occhiuto leveraged that experience as an insurance industry consultancy, Merritt-Gentry Group, an Omaha, Nebraska based consulting firm.

He holds the certifications of Registered Health Underwriter, Life Underwriter Training Council Fellowship and is currently working on his Chartered Life Underwriter certification. He has organized and currently participates in an industry study group called Students of the Business with other insurance industry professionals.

Throughout his career he has been a member of the National Association of Life Underwriters (currently NAIFA) and the General Agents and Managers Association. He is past president of the Southern Colorado GAMA and has held committee or membership positions in NAIFA, National Association of Health Underwriters, Pikes Peak Area Insurance Managers, Students of the Business Mentoring Group, Mutual of Omaha Western General Agents and Managers, ACORD OLifE Committee and American Society of Training and Development organization.

He has held Management Development, Regional Training, and Field Project Consultant roles with Mutual of Omaha and most recently held the position of 1st VP of Sales, for the West region. He managed and coached 12 General Managers, 24 District Managers, 6 trainers, 270 sales agents and supporting staff to develop top sales organizations.

Judye Fawer is a Vice President and Employee Benefits Sales Leader in the Minneapolis office of Marsh USA Inc. Prior to committing her efforts towards business development, Judye managed the Employee Benefits Services Practice of the local office. Before joining Marsh in 1998, Judye spent 3 years as a Sales Executive with HealthPartners, a prominent HMO in Minneapolis. Prior to that she spent 4 years as a consultant in the employee benefits division of a national brokerage and consulting firm, and 2 years as the proprietor of her own small local brokerage/consulting firm. For the past 16 years, Judye has guided clients in the development and implementation of long-term strategic employee benefit plans. She specializes in design, marketing, financial analysis, carrier selection, employee communications and overall account management.

Judye holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. She is a licensed life/health agent, and is also pursuing the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation. Judye served on the Board of the Minnesota Association of Health Underwriters for 6 years, culminating in 2001 as the Chairman of the Board. She is active with local public service organizations and professional associations.

Judye and her family reside in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where she is active with her community and raising her 3 children.

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