AAHU 2015 Benefits Forum Speakers

Transcription

1 Michael J. Bracken President of Medcom Mr. Bracken earned a B.A. in Economics from Emory University and an M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University. During the past twenty-nine years, he has focused on the administration of group benefit products and services and correctional health services. Mr. Bracken completed successful sales assignments with a national group insurance carrier and a leading employee benefit administrator and insurance brokerage firm. He joined Medcom in 1989 as V.P. Sales and was promoted to President in 1996.

2 Mark Harper Accrue Solutions, LLC. Mark Harper is a consumer driven Healthcare Consultant with Accrue Solutions-a national Third Party Administrator. Mark has been consulting on and setting up Pre-Tax plans since In his 15 years within the industry, Mark has helped more than 4,000 employers implement Pre-Tax plans and has been a strong advocate of HRA Plans saving employers millions of dollars while increasing the level of employee s benefit coverage.

3 Eric Johnson Founder of ComedyCE.com Eric Johnson is the founder ComedyCE.com, a continuing education company designed to make learning fun. In this role, he spends much of his time studying the health reform legislation and translating it into terms everyone can understand. A recognized leader in the health insurance industry, Eric is a past president of the Fort Worth Association of Health Underwriters and a regular contributor to several industry publications. He is a frequent presenter at insurance and HR conferences nationwide and is a two-time recipient of the National Association of Health Underwriters William G. Wetzel Award for Excellence in Public Speaking. A Texas native, Eric was born and raised in Houston and currently lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and recently earned his MBA from The University of Texas Pan American. He also got married October 11th, so he s been busy this past year. Eric can be reached at or eric@comedyce.com. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at

4 Jason Karn Director of Training and IT for Total HIPAA Compliance Jason Karn is the Director of Training and IT for Total HIPAA Compliance the only preferred provider for HIPAA training for both NAHU and NAIFA. Jason has been active in HIPAA training and compliance since the inception of the 2013 HIPAA Rules. He is a coauthor of Total HIPAA s 2.0 Training Portfolio which includes five verticals: Agents and Brokers, Employers, BA/Subcontractors, Medical Providers and Dental Providers. His social media contributions include HIPAA blogging and a rapidly growing Twitter influence on HIPAA. He has been a featured speaker for the National Broker s Association (NBA) at their annual conference in 2013, the CAHU Expo in Grove City, OH in 2014, and is the content creator and co-presenter of NueMD s 5 part webinar series: Steps to HIPAA Compliance. Jason is also an accomplished opera singer ( He holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

5 Carl Pilger Vice President, Legal Counsel Digital Insurance Carl Pilger is Digital Insurance s highly specialized, in-house legal counsel which is responsible for all benefits-related legal matters. These include education, compliance administration and health care reform initiatives for clients and staff. For much of the last two decades, Pilger has successfully served in a variety of legal and consulting positions focusing on a wide array of ERISA AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SUB- DISCIPLINES. Pilger graduated from Northwestern University School of Law and earned a bachelor s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. Pilger can be reached at or at cpilger@digitalinsurance.com

6 Reid Rasmussen Co-Founder & President: freshbenies I am a strategist, entrepreneur, passionate, award-winning speaker, twenty-year healthcare veteran, free-market health reform advocate, innovator, writer and coffee addict. In 2009, I considered what Americans would need if the ACA passed. Based on what I remembered from Canada s history, I knew that up-and-coming non-insurance tools (telehealth, advocacy, and wellness) and time-tested services (ancillary discount networks and security services) would be in dire need. America s largest employers had been perfecting these moneysaving strategies but others had little access. Once I found the right partner, I set out to make it happen and started Benefit Brainstorm, Inc. Today, I strategize with brokers and employers to balance their benefit programs now and in an uncertain future. Freshbenies is our shelf-ready offering it s a great fit for most organizations. At Benefit Brainstorm, we consult with large organizations to custom-design their own noninsurance programs.

7 Dave Sanderson SURVIVOR OF US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 OUT OF NYC When US Airways Flight 1549 or The Miracle on the Hudson ditched into the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, Dave Sanderson knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be. The last passenger off the back of the plane on that fateful day, he was largely responsible for the well-being and safety of others, risking his own life in frigid water to help other passengers off the plane. Despite the hazards to himself, Sanderson thought only of helping others, and emerged from the wreckage with a mission: to encourage others to do the right thing. In his stirring presentation, Sanderson shares the story of Flight 1549, revealing the inner strength it took to make it through the day and how teamwork, leadership, and state management can help overcome any obstacle.

8 Stephen Schram Principal, CTO with ACA Compliance Services Inc. As author of TRAX Software - a powerful and intuitive ACA Workflow Management Tool that goes Beyond ACA Tracking for Employers - Stephen has been established as a go-to source for employers with questions regarding the ACA's Employer Mandate. TRAX Software is quickly becoming the only true workflow solution for employers of all sizes.

9 Scott A. Smith CEO, The Agency of North Georgia Scott has 25 years in business and has achieved the highest level of service, leadership, and performance awards from multiple carriers throughout the industry. He has produced over $250 million in the voluntary market over the past 13 years. He is a Soring Eagle, Leading Producer Round Table Member for the National Association of Health Underwriters. A board member of the Atlanta Association of Health Underwriters, is a PPACA Certified Agent, a self-funded Certified Agent, and holds a Chartered Leadership Fellow from the American College. He has been responsible for the training and development of over 2,000 Insurance Agents. He is a monthly HUPAC contributor, and a six year member of The Circle of Care for Children s Healthcare of Atlanta.

10 Robert Steele CEO of Steele Financial Group Robert Steele is a forward-thinking professional with a proven track record in delivering the necessary initiatives to enhance growth, revenue, and team performance. He excels in building the teams and solutions necessary to win. Robert graduated from the University of North Alabama with a B.S. in Marketing. He holds both the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) & Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations. Robert is the CEO of Steele Financial Group of Las Vegas - a Sales, Marketing and IT consulting company serving healthcare, media, retail and financial services clients. His prior roles include SVP of Sales for Verisk Health - a health claims payor in Utah, CEO and SVP of Sales for Med-Vantage - a start-up healthcare technology firm focused on performance and transparency, VP of Strategic Sales at Ingenix, CEO of Primewire, Inc. - a billing and enrollment solution in Atlanta, CEO of Steele Financial Group - an insurance, benefits, and financial services firm in Columbus, GA. Robert s partnership with CambiaHealth (parent to Regence BCBS) to lead the sales and marketing effort for Reform For Me, has led to new insights into opportunities brokers have to support employers, secure deeper engagements and increase market share.