America's Benefit Specialist July 2023

Being from Iowa, I’m a believer that “If you build, it they will come.” We have established the Marketing & Commu nications Committee recently with an objective to focus on communication to members, non-members and chapters. When we are successful in this endeavor, our members and chapters will also be successful. Where do you see healthcare going in the next five or 10 years? Let’s start by saying governments—state and federal—will continue to expand into the financing of healthcare because the cost of care and insurance is becoming more and more expensive, and therefore less and less people have access. The flavor of the day, if you will, is “the public option” or “sin gle payer,” but we’re certain to hear new monikers. I believe we’ll continue to see these debated and spreading into more and more states. When one state figures out how to make it work fiscally, look out. If I were a doctor or integrated hospital system, I’d be very worried. On the actual healthcare front, I truly believe we will see many diseases treatable or cured with significantly longer life expectancies. As a type 1 diabetic and volunteer with JDRF in Iowa, I absolutely believe in the next decade there will be sig nificant strides in treating AND preventing diabetes. I think that extends to many forms of cancer, dementia and heart problems, and we’re already seeing some of this. Genetic identifiers and gene therapy will expand for sure. I’m guessing that will also mean more and more specialty drugs on the market and a specializing of specialty meds— meaning pills will be customized for each patient’s genetic makeup. AI is fascinating to me and when we combine machine learning with healthcare advancements and sup ply-chain solutions, I envision a day when Amazon or the like will bring a very specific prescription medication to your doorstep that is mixed precisely to and for you. We have two very competing trajectories in our system where medical advancements are making incredible strides but accessing these innovations has become inaccessible for most people because of cost. NABIP must continually look at the affordability aspect of financing healthcare. We must explore and embrace innovative ideas and work diligently on transparency in price and also quality so no matter what socio-economic factors face patients, they have access to modern medical treatments. Jumping back to AI, machine learning—not machine-readable—is most definitely a friend of ours in the healthcare space. As an association of benefit and insurance professionals, we’ve got to capitalize on our opportunity here. What is your theme for the year? Defining Opportunity and Challenging the Status Quo. We have continually seen healthcare costs increase and, along with it, health insurance. As I mentioned previously, our time

is now. Action is imperative at this point and we must take the offensive. If we don’t, that void will be filled. In so much, we must define our opportunities and challenge the system with our solutions. You’re a big supporter of NABIP PAC. Why is that so important to you? Let me start by saying I’ve always been known to have an opinion, so politics has been easy for me to enjoy and I’m intrigued by the political process. As I also mentioned earlier, the PAC is where I got my start nationally within NABIP. Be fore that, though, I got involved in Iowa politics and was ex posed to a lot of the inner workings of the political machines. One lesson I learned was before you can legislate you have to win an election. I found this out firsthand in 2008 when I ran for the Iowa State Legislature and lost. Albeit devastating at the time, I learned more about how the game is played. Even at a local level there is so much analysis and strategy that happens behind the curtain. And whether we like it or not, fundraising is imperative to winning. So political action is the fuel that starts the engine and you can’t fuel the engine without buying the gas. I know that’s a bad metaphor, but you get the picture. The important thing about NABIP PAC is we make a difference in political races that make a difference in our pro fessional lives, and I can’t see why someone wouldn’t want to do that at even a small amount. Our PAC donations can and do provide funding for candidates that may be halfway across the country but impact us in our back yard. This is very different than writing a check to a local candidate who doesn’t have anything to do with healthcare. I’m not sug gesting someone shouldn’t give to their local Congressional candidate but it’s certainly as important to support NABIP PAC as well. I guess that sounds like an advertisement so I should prob ably stop there, but I’ll certainly continue to support NABIP PAC and you should too! You’ve been appointed to several important groups by Iowa governors. How did that come about and what was the experience like? I believe the best way to impact a game is to be a player, not just a fan. I believe we owe it to our industry and ourselves to get involved. When I was active in Iowa on the legislative front at the state capitol, I spent a lot of time developing relationships and simply explaining how insurance worked. I guess I made an impression and was asked to participate with the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative, which was tasked with quality improvement in Iowa’s healthcare system. IAHU also was a contributing member of a committee developing an exchange in Iowa and I was fortunate to sit on that com mittee as well.

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