America's Benefit Specialist May 2023

MEDICARE MATTERS THE END OF THE COVID EMERGENCY PREVENTIVE-CARE BENEFITS COURT CASE

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May 2023

35 Voluntary Disruption

YOUR INDUSTRY 3

Baseball and Benefits: My Two Favorite Things By Eric Silverman

Mergers and Acquisitions

5

Industry Events

YOUR ASSOCIATION

6

The End of the COVID Emergencies and the Issues Facing Major

37 Welcome to NABIP

6

Medical Plans By Juliana Reno

39 CPC Quiz

41 Congratulations, Registered Employee Benefits Consultants!

10 Product News

16 Court Ruling Impacts the ACA’s Preventive-Care Benefits By Scott Stevens

42 NABIP’s Board of Trustees

43 Your NABIP Staff

18 People on the Move

44 Association Events

20 Noteworthy

33

26 Medicare Matters

YOUR SALES 33 How Brokers Are Using

Global-Ready HR Systems to Beat Their Competitors By Jon Siders

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MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

over the long-term and this acquisition puts us in a position to do that while also helping our customers scale their busi nesses as brokers, HR departments and the broader ecosys tem digitize their operations,” said Reese. Employee Navigator has offices in Bethesda, Maryland, Frederick, Maryland, and Salt Lake City, Utah. SENIOR MARKET SALES CONTINUES STRATEGIC GROWTH Senior Market Sales has acquired Sizeland Medicare Strate gies, a greater Detroit area health and life insurance agency focusing on Medicare plans and licensed in 40 states. “This partnership provides Sizeland with resources to continue serving its 15,000 customers with the meticulous care that has fueled its success, and to accelerate its growth even more,” said SMS President Jim Summers. “SMS is proud to expand our national presence with a valued partner who shares our long-term vision for growth.” Since 2009, the Brighton, Michigan, agency has utilized the SMS platform, which includes proprietary technology, proven marketing systems, back-office support and a prod uct portfolio of health and wealth solutions from top carriers. Founder and Owner Paul Sizeland Sr. said he chose SMS be cause he wants to triple the size of the agency on its telesales side and leverage SMS’ technology for efficiencies. SMS and Alliant Insurance Services, which acquired SMS in 2020, are able to provide the synergy and support that Sizeland wants and needs to better serve clients and to grow, he said. After serving in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, Sizeland sold long-term care insurance for about eight years before starting his own agency in 1996. Sizeland Medicare Strategies has built its success by educating customers in a clear and concise way on their insurance options – a model that has led to repeat customers and that aligns with SMS values, Summers said. SMS has also entered the under-65 individual health market with its acquisition of O’Neill Marketing. The move also opens the ACA market to SMS’ parent company, Alliant Insurance Services. SMS’ more than 71,000 contracted independent agents gain access not only to a flourishing market but also to O’Neill Marketing’s ACA product and technology platform.

WARNER PACIFIC COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF AGENTS MARKETING GROUP Warner Pacific, a general agency for brokers across California, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma, has expanded into Florida by successfully completing its acquisition of Agents Marketing Group, a Miami-based GA. AMG has a history of providing its brokers with solid analysis and case strategy, ensuring its clients have the best possible employer benefits solutions. “This transaction enables us to expand Warner Pacific into one of the largest states in the country as we continue to grow and scale nationally,” said John Nelson, co-CEO of Warner Pacific. “Through this acquisition, Warner Pacific will be able to deliver new tools and technologies to brokers throughout the state.” “For over 20 years, AMG has provided its clients with unri valed service and expertise in the employee benefits space,” said AMG President and CEO Daniel Wolansky. “Warner Pacific provides a strong platform to build upon this and presents numerous new opportunities for growth.” EMPLOYEE NAVIGATOR ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF EASE Employee Navigator, a benefits administration and HR soft ware solution for insurance brokers and employers, recently announced the acquisition of Ease, a broker-centric HR and benefits software solution for small businesses. The com bined company will support over 150,000 businesses, more than 4,000 insurance brokers, a marketplace of 300 integrat ed partners and over 13 million employees in the U.S. Employee Navigator founder and CEO George Reese will be the CEO of the combined company. “The combination of Ease with Employee Navigator’s industry leading integra tions will drive tremendous value for brokers and HR manag ers,” said Reese. “As a single company, we will continue our strategy to help every business in the U.S. offer their employ ees a Fortune 500 set of benefits by providing the largest agnostic marketplace of integrated partners in the industry.” The two products will continue to operate separately but, over time, many of Ease’s features will be incorporated into Employee Navigator’s platform, creating a more compelling product for insurance brokers. “Our goal has always been to increase the insured population and lower insurance costs

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“The partnership with O’Neill Marketing creates huge opportunities for synergies for both SMS and Alliant,” said SMS President Jim Summers. “Coming off a record ACA open enrollment period and with recent legislation extending sub sidies for another three years, the timing could not be better for us to enter the under-65 health market.” Summers said O’Neill’s ACA expertise and technology were top reasons SMS sought the partnership, along with a shared commitment to serving agents and their clients, and a wide ACA product portfolio with ancillary products available for add-on sales. Chuck O’Neill founded O’Neill Marketing in 2016, and with Kerry Van Iseghem leading the organization as chief execu tive officer, the two grew the general agency to support 1,500 agents nationwide with cutting-edge agency management tools, strategic partnerships with web-based platforms for quoting and selling insurance, agent empowerment and marketing resources, back-office support and products from more than 100 health carriers. INTEGRITY ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIPS Integrity Marketing Group LLC has acquired MediSource, an independent marketing organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas. As part of the acquisition, Richard Dale “RD” Roulston, president of MediSource, will become a managing partner in Integrity. With over two decades of experience in the Medicare industry, Roulston and his team understand how crucial healthcare insurance is when completing a client’s retire ment plan. MediSource guides seniors through the transition to Medicare, providing a simplified experience that helps en sure each senior gets coverage that fits their specific needs. MediSource continues to experience significant growth each year, serving thousands of clients annually through its com petent and well-informed team of agents. Integrity has also acquired Easy Street Insurance, an independent marketing organization based in Indianapolis. Sandra Carrasquillo, president of Easy Street Insurance, and Jess Carrasquillo, vice president of Easy Street Insurance, will become managing partners in Integrity. Easy Street Insurance has been an influential Medicare provider for more than two decades. Sandra Carrasquillo founded the company after recognizing how important nav igating Medicare is—especially for new enrollees—and has worked to cultivate a relaxed, informative and service-cen tered environment that puts clients first. Known for nur turing long-term client relationships, Easy Street Insurance specializes in simplifying the Medicare process and guiding clients to optimal coverage solutions for their needs.

CONTINENTAL GENERAL ACQUIRES BLOCK OF LTC POLICIES Continental General Insurance Company has signed a de finitive agreement to acquire a block of long-term care poli cies from Elevance Health Inc. The acquisition, which will be one of the few successfully consummated LTC transactions in the last decade, comes on the heels of the company’s recently launched third-party administrator, Continental General Services. The transaction with Elevance Health will allow policyhold ers to benefit from Continental General’s more than 60 years’ experience administering and managing insurance blocks. David Ramsey, president and CEO of Continental General, commented: “Working alongside Elevance Health, our teams will ensure a seamless transition for all policyholders.” ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER & CO. ANNOUNCES ACQUISITIONS Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. recently announced the acquisition of Wichita Falls, Texas-based Boley-Featherston Insurance. Boley-Featherston is a retail insurance agency with expertise in oil and gas, construction, healthcare and benefits consult ing, serving clients throughout Texas and the surrounding region. Josh Andrajack, Cameron Cremeens, Robbie Martin and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Bret VanderVoort, head of Gallagher’s South Central retail property/casualty brokerage operations. Gallagher has also completed the previously disclosed ac quisition of the partnership interests of BCHR Holdings L.P., dba Buck. Buck is an integrated provider of HR, pensions and employee benefits consulting, technology and administra tion services throughout the US, Canada and the UK. Buck’s team of 2,300 employees will operate under the direction of William Ziebell, head of Gallagher’s employee benefits con sulting and brokerage operations. Finally, Gallagher has announced the acquisition of Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Stewart, Brimner, Peters & Company, Inc. SBP is a retail insurance broker offering a variety of com mercial and personal insurance products along with employ ee benefits consulting to clients in central and northern Indi ana. Jason Brimner, John Brimner, Jeff Peters, Mick Stewart and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Sean Gallagher, head of Gallagher’s Great Lakes region retail property/casualty brokerage operations. SPROUTT ACQUIRES THE REDER AGENCY Sproutt, the life insurance company that modernizes life insurance for agencies, agents and their customers, has announced the acquisition of The Reder Agency, a full-ser-

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vice life insurance brokerage specializing in the traditional and senior markets. The acquisition will add over 400 agents nationwide to Sproutt’s network of producers. The Reder Agency’s principal owner, Ben Reder, will join Sproutt as the senior vice president of distribution. THE STANDARD TO ACQUIRE LIFE & DISABILITY BUSINESS FROM ELEVANCE HEALTH StanCorp Financial Group Inc. (The Standard) and El evance Health have announced a definitive agreement under which The Standard will acquire the Life & Disability business from Elevance Health and enter into a product distribution partnership. The Standard, a group life, disability and ancillary benefit provider, was founded in 1906 and sold its first employee benefits policy in 1951, a case that remains in force today. El evance Health provides health solutions that serves custom ers through a diverse portfolio of medical, digital, pharmacy, behavioral, clinical and complex-care solutions. Its Life & Disability unit is a respected provider of life, disability and related employee benefits. The companies have a complementary geographic pres ence and a favorable concentration of business and broker relationships nationwide. The distribution agreement part ners The Standard’s sales team with Elevance Health’s medi cal sales team, expanding The Standard’s network and bring ing a trusted life and disability partner to Elevance Health customers for group life, short-term and long-term disability and accidental death and dismemberment insurance prod ucts, as well as paid family leave and absence-management

services. The acquisition further expands The Standard’s distribution network and provides a life and disability partner for Elevance Health customers. Upon closing, The Standard will acquire Elevance Health’s life, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, absence-management and paid family leave businesses. The transaction will significantly accelerate The Standard’s growth and expand the scale and competitive position of the company’s employee benefits business in the U.S. As of De cember 31, 2022, Elevance Health served 4.8 million covered lives concentrated in 14 states. Citi is acting as financial advisor and Debevoise & Plimpton is acting as legal advisor to The Standard. Barclays is acting as financial advisor and Faegre Drinker is acting as legal advisor to Elevance Health. HILB GROUP ACQUIRES NATIONAL ENROLLMENT PARTNERS The Hilb Group has acquired Minnesota-based National Enrollment Partners, broadening its benefits capabilities. Na tional Enrollment Partners specializes in benefits enrollment and administration through its network of partner agencies and associate members. The transaction became effective February 1. “We are excited to welcome National Enrollment Partners and grow our operations in additional key markets,” Hilb Group CEO Ricky Spiro said. “This partnership allows us to expand our products and services to a greater number of communities and customers as we continue to build upon our proven strategy for success.”

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Portland, OR www.ahip.org JUNE 16-18 WOMEN OF INSURANCE ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE Nashville, TN www.womenofinsurance.org

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THE END OF THE COVID EMERGENCIES AND THE ISSUES FACING MAJOR MEDICAL PLANS

ilze kalve / Shutterstock.com

By Juliana Reno Partner, Venable LLP New York, NY jreno@venable.com

When the pandemic hit, the United States government scrambled to minimize the damage. President Trump declared a national emergency under the Stafford Act. The Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency under the Public Health Services Act. Congress passed not one, but four laws. The administrative agencies issued guidance relaxing some existing rules and imposing some new obligations. EMPLOYERS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER THEIR PLANS WILL COVER COVID VACCINES FROM OUT-OF NETWORK PROVIDERS.

After approximately three years, President Biden an nounced his intention to lift these emergency declarations as of May 11. Lifting the emergencies will trigger a new wave of changes in the legal landscape. In many instances, the legal changes will require action or at least a decision. This article discusses the most significant actions and decisions that will need to be addressed by employers whose major medical plans1 are subject to ERISA. 2 In some cases, particularly but not exclusively in the case of a small employer with a fully insured plan, the issues will not be addressed by the employer but by the insurance company or another entity providing services to the plan. For ease of discussion, this article assumes that the employer is the decision maker. COVID BENEFITS Vaccines: For the duration of the public health emergency, plans must cover COVID vaccines at no cost to the individual,

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THE END OF COVID EMERGENCIES

from both in-network and out-of-network providers. When the emergency is lifted, plans must still cover COVID vaccines at no cost to the individual, from in-network providers. Employers will have to decide whether their plans will cover COVID vaccines from out-of-network providers. If so, em ployers will have to decide whether the plan will pay for the vaccine before the individual has met the deductible and whether the individual will be required to pay any portion of the cost. Because the vaccine constitutes preventive care, an HDHP (see the text box) may continue to cover out-of-net work vaccines before the individual has met the deductible, without jeopardizing the individual’s HSA eligibility. In order to be eligible to contribute to a Health Savings Account, an individual must be covered by a high-deductible health plan. The main feature of an HDHP is that, as a general rule, the plan cannot pay for any benefits until the individual has met the deductible. There is a narrow exception for preventive care, which includes certain immunizations. Testing: For the duration of the public health emergency, plans must cover COVID testing at no cost to the individual, from both in-network and out-of-network providers. When the emergency is lifted, plans will no longer be required to cover COVID testing at all. Employers will have to decide whether their plans will cover the tests, whether the cov erage will be only in-network or also out-of-network, and whether individuals will share in the cost. What about HDHPs? Early in the pandemic, the IRS an nounced that “until further notice,” when an HDHP covered COVID testing before the individual met the deductible, the coverage would not jeopardize the individual’s HSA eligibility. As of this writing, the IRS has not announced an expiration date for this relief. Employers with HDHPs will want to watch carefully for that announcement. They must ensure that COVID testing is subject to the deductible as of the expira tion date. (There is one caveat: COVID testing might be con sidered a screening—thus preventive care—in which case it could still be covered before the HDHP deductible. Ideally, the IRS would make some announcement in this regard. In the absence of such an announcement, employers will need to consult their benefit advisors and make their own determinations.) Treatment: Plans are not required to cover treatment of COVID, though most do. During the early days of the pandemic, many plans waived all cost-sharing for COVID treatment—plans covered COVID treatment without re quiring individuals to pay the deductible, a copayment or coinsurance. Even HDHPs waived cost-sharing because the IRS announced that “until further notice,” HDHPs could do so without jeopardizing the individual’s HSA eligibility. As stated above, the IRS has not yet provided “further notice” or an ex piration date for this relief. When the relief expires, employers

with HDHPs must ensure that COVID treatment is subject to the deductible. TELEHEALTH BENEFITS The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act was adopted in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. Under the CARES Act, HDHPs are temporarily permitted to cover telehealth visits before the individual has met the deduct ible without jeopardizing the individual’s HSA eligibility. This relief was extended by later legislation and remains available even after the emergencies are lifted. Specifically, HDHPs may continue waiving the deductible for telehealth until the end of the plan year (see text box) that begins in 2024. Employers with HDHPs must ensure that telehealth visits are subject to the deductible no later than that date. For employers whose HDHP has a plan year that is the same as the calendar year, telehealth visits must be subject to the deductible as of January 1, 2025. What is the plan year? For major medical plans covered by ERISA, the “plan year” is generally desig nated in the plan document. If there is no plan docu ment, or if there is no designation, then the plan year is the deductible year used under the plan. If the plan does not impose a deductible, then the plan year is the insurance policy year. If the plan does not impose a deductible, and either the plan is not insured or the insurance policy is not renewed on an annual basis, then the plan year is the employer’s taxable year. In any other case, the plan year is the calendar year. STAND-ALONE TELEHEALTH PLANS Two forms of relief are currently in place. First, a large em ployer 3 may offer a plan that provides only telehealth services and only to employees who are not eligible for coverage under any other group health plan offered by the employer. Second, these stand-alone telehealth plans do not jeopardize an individual’s HSA eligibility. This relief expires at the end of the plan year in which the public health emergency is lifted. Employers with stand-alone telehealth plans should ensure that the plans terminate on or before that date. For employ COVID TESTING MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A SCREENING—THUS PREVENTIVE CARE—IN WHICH CASE IT COULD STILL BE COVERED BEFORE THE HDHP DEDUCTIBLE.

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THE END OF COVID EMERGENCIES

ers whose stand-alone telehealth plan has a plan year that is the same as the calendar year, the plan should terminate on or before December 31, 2024. EXTENSION OF DEADLINES During the national emergency, the time period for individu als to take certain plan-related actions is tolled or suspended for one year or until 60 days after the emergency is lifted, whichever is earlier. That tolling rule is difficult to understand in the abstract but becomes clearer with examples. Example One: Alice is enrolled in her employer’s major medical plan. On January 15, 2022, she goes to the doctor. Under the terms of the plan, Alice must submit her claim within six months of the date the care was received. Because of the tolling rule, however, Alice’s six-month clock does not begin to run until January 15, 2023. Alice must submit her claim by July 15, 2023. Example Two: Brad is enrolled in his employer’s major medical plan. On October 15, 2022, he goes to the doctor. Un der the terms of the plan, Brad must submit his claim within six months of the date the care was received. Because of the tolling rule, however, Brad’s six-month clock does not begin to run until July 10, 2023 (60 days after the emergencies are lifted, assuming they are lifted on May 11). Brad must submit his claim by January 10, 2024. The time periods affected by the tolling rule are those for: • electing COBRA coverage and making COBRA premium payments • notifying the plan of a COBRA-qualifying event • notifying the plan of a disability in order to obtain an ex tension of the COBRA coverage period • submitting claims and appeals • requesting (and providing information for) external re views of claims or appeals • requesting special enrollment

Most employers will not have to calculate the tolling peri ods or the new deadlines. For example, the time period for submitting claims and appeals is typically calculated by an insurance company or third-party administrator. Similarly, the time period to elect COBRA coverage or make a COBRA premium payment is typically calculated by a third-party CO BRA administrator. However, because employees are likely to ask for assistance in navigating their health benefits, it is important for employers and benefits specialists to under stand the basics of the tolling rule. TWO FINAL NOTES This article does not discuss the entire universe of possible consequences of lifting the emergencies. Remember that change can happen quickly. Things might have shifted between the time this article was written and the time you are reading it! 1 “Major medical plan” is an industry term and not a legal term. For purposes of this article, it means full-service medical plans. It does not include vision or dental plans. It does not include grandfathered plans, preventive-care-only plans, or other “skin ny” plans. 2 The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) does not cover government plans or church plans. The rules for those plans are similar to the rules described in this article, but I have not attempted to identify the gaps and variations. 3 For these purposes, a “large employer” means an employer that employed an average of at least 51 employees on business days during the preceding calendar year and that employs at least two employees on the first day of the plan year.

Juliana Reno is a partner at Venable and chair of its Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group.

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PRODUCT NEWS

tiative can fundamentally transform how U.S. workers think about their benefits, provide a more personal connection, and help them create a safety net to protect themselves and their families, especially in today’s economic uncertainty.” The Hartford’s strategy to simplify the language used to describe benefits started with accidental death and dis memberment insurance and spans across its employee benefits portfolio. The Hartford’s 2023 Future of Benefits Study shows there is a need for better benefits education and resources to support workers: • Thirty-eight percent of U.S. workers say the names and descriptions of their employee benefits are confusing, and 61% of employers agree. • Thirty-five percent of U.S. workers do not understand the supplemental benefits that are offered and what they cover, and 49% of employers agree employees lack under standing about these benefits. • Forty-two percent of U.S. workers believe their company needs better resources to help them understand their benefits, and 58% of employers agree. In addition, the company’s qualitative research revealed that some of the employee benefit names such as acciden tal death and dismemberment insurance created negative emotions among consumers. The enhancements to The Hartford’s accidental loss of life and severe injury benefits, which provide coverage for acci dents resulting in loss of life, motion, sight and limb, among other severe injuries, will be available for employers with 500 or more employees with an effective date starting January 1, 2024. The refreshed insurance coverage will offer several new or enhanced benefits, including coverage to help pay for recovery in a medical facility, mortgage payments, mod ifying a home, car or worksite, therapy services, as well as additional benefits if the loss occurs during a natural disaster or in the workplace. Starting with its employee benefits enrollment education guide and more enrollment materials later this year, The Hartford’s employer customers and their workforces will begin to see employee benefits described in more plain lan guage. Products will be grouped into three categories with benefit names that have been repositioned to be more transparent and descriptive of what the insurance coverage provides: Life and Loss: Life insurance is protection for those you leave behind with a cash benefit that can help with financial planning and loss of future income. Accidental loss of life and severe injury benefits, also known as accidental death and dismemberment insurance, cover you for an accidental loss of life, motion, sight, limb or other severe injuries. Income Protection: Short-term income protection bene fits, also known as short-term disability insurance, replace

AGENCYBLOC LAUNCHES GROUP QUOTING AND PROPOSAL TOOL AgencyBloc, a management platform for independent life and health insurance agencies, has announced the launch of the new digital workflow tool for small group business, Quote+. With Quote+, brokers can compare multiple types of health insurance offerings, including community-rated, medically underwritten and ancillary, in one central place with more valuable tools to manage the various time-con suming processes involved in quoting, product comparison and proposal generation. Quote+ allows brokers to access and compare medically underwritten products alongside community-rated. The debut of this quote-to-close solution follows Agency Bloc’s recent acquisition of FormFire, a small-group quoting tool, and aligns with AgencyBloc’s strategy of being a solu tion provider for life and health insurance agents. Quote+ supports brokers in servicing their clients and growing their agency, providing efficiency in the most time-consuming areas of managing group benefits. “The release of Quote+ represents the next big step forward in providing a comprehensive platform for small-group insur ance from product comparison to quoting and proposal cre ation to closing activities with carriers,” said Bob Burns, chief product officer at AgencyBloc. “Our team will continue to add measurable value for brokers in both streamlining an inher ently manual process and making product detail accessible for agents, so they are able to help clients more effectively.” For more information, visit www.agencybloc.com.

THE HARTFORD RENAMES ACCIDENTAL DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT INSURANCE TO ENHANCE CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING The Hartford has renamed its accidental death and dismem berment product to accidental loss of life and severe injury benefits. The company is also modernizing existing benefits, adding new benefit options, making it more customizable for its employer customers, and simplifying its benefits edu cation materials. “We must take the mystery out of benefits,” said Laura Marzi, head of marketing for Group Benefits at The Hartford. “The complex language used to describe employee benefits has been a barrier for far too long. Our plain-language ini

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PRODUCT NEWS

The app is built on the firm’s Curator platform, which incorporates compliance requirements and social media best practices. Using questions to engage readers, including bullets and emojis, summarizing key points, and including hashtags, the platform humanizes agents’ and advisors’ posts. Future phases will enable enhanced personalization based on preferences for tone, length and formatting: a dig ital voice print that will be added to the agency profile and can be applied to any content on the platform. For more information, visit www.agencyrevolution.com.

part of your income if you are unable to work due to child birth, illness or injury. Long-term income protection benefits, also known as long-term disability insurance, help cover your day-to-day living expenses when you are not able to work for an extended time due to an illness or injury. Supplemental Health Benefits: Accidental injury benefits, also known as accident insurance, provide a cash benefit for an accident. Critical-illness benefits, also known as critical-ill ness insurance, provide a cash benefit for a covered illness. Hospital cash benefits, also known as hospital indemnity insurance, provide a cash benefit for each day you or your dependent is in the hospital. “We want to help employers ensure their employees feel confident in their benefits choices. At their core, benefits are designed to help protect individuals and their families during joyous life moments, as well some of life’s most challenging times,” Marzi added. More information is available at www.thehartford.com. AGENCY REVOLUTION LEVERAGES CHATGPT TO LAUNCH APP FOR THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY Agency Revolution, which provides websites and marketing automation software for insurance agencies, has launched an AI-powered social media app that enables insurance carriers and agents to create and distribute content to connect with and educate consumer and business clients and prospects quickly and easily. The new solution uses ChatGPT and Vestorly, a content curation platform acquired by FMG, Agency Revolution’s parent company, in 2022. The combination enables agents to deliver content that matches their personal and professional interests while activating ChatGPT to add AI-generated posts, which increase social interactions. Insurance carriers can also use the platform to push content to agents, enabling them to select the information they want to use, adjust as needed, and post from their phones. The platform is also available for financial advisors, announced by FMG last week. “There’s real excitement in the insurance industry about the opportunities with AI and significant buzz around ChatGPT. While many ideas will take a long time to develop, agents and carriers can use our solution to generate relevant and personalized social content right now,” said Jason Walk er, president, Agency Revolution. “Adopting social media solutions is challenging, because many tools require too much time and effort from agents and advisors,” adds Dave Christensen, chief product officer of FMG. “We have blended two game-changing solutions— Vestorly and ChatGPT—for users to automatically generate and personalize engaging posts, creating a better, more effi cient way to engage their clients and prospects.”

ANTHEM BLUE CROSS INTRODUCES VIRTUAL FIRST HEALTH PLANS Anthem Blue Cross announced its Virtual-First health plans to eligible members in select commercial health plans. Virtual-First plans give individuals affordable access to virtual care options, including access to a symptom checker driven by artificial intelligence, routine wellness care, and chronic condition management, along with behavioral healthcare. “These Virtual-First plans are part of our ongoing efforts to introduce innovative services to members that provide con venient healthcare on their terms through a range of options including virtual care, such as video visits with providers, and in-person care—making healthcare more convenient,” said Kathy Martella, vice president, Anthem Blue Cross Commer cial Health Plans. Through Anthem’s digital health platform, Virtual-First health plans can connect care data from various visits and providers throughout the healthcare system. In many cases, interoperability—or the ability to exchange data—allows care data to move between virtual first providers, in-person doc tors, and specialists more seamlessly. This helps enhance the healthcare experience for consumers by reducing redundan cies as people go from one care setting to another and, as appropriate, giving providers easier access to previous health information. The Virtual-First plan is accessible through the Sydney Health app. Members can access benefits, cost trans parency tools, and resources they need 24/7. Members can expect virtual-first plans offered by their em ployers that provide a variety of cost-share options including no-coinsurance for virtual care, guiding members to more affordable, high-quality digital care. In addition to having convenient access to virtual care, members can also see in-person doctors and specialists in Anthem’s broad network of providers. Virtual-First plans will be available to eligible members enrolled in Anthem’s large-group ASO plans in July.

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failure, COPD, depression and anxiety. Resources include li censed therapists, dietitians, diabetes educators and certified health coaches. The platform’s evidence-based approach combines personalized coaching, technology and clinical support to help individuals achieve lasting health outcomes. “Consumers expect access to digital tools that deliver value and ease no matter the industry or the company. The digital experience heavily impacts the overall consumer experience, and health insurance is no exception,” said Jon Griffith, Se lectHealth Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. “We want our members to be in charge of their health journey, and this agreement with Vida supports this goal.” The value-based agreement rewards Vida Health if they meet performance guarantees for enrollment, member s atisfaction, Medicare Star Rating measures and return on investment. Vida’s human-led model addresses not only chronic con ditions but also the underlying socioeconomic and mental health factors that impact chronic disease. Its model is built on cognitive behavioral principles that drive sustained engagement and outcomes. The company is polychronic by design and seamlessly treats the mind and body togeth er. Vida’s Medicare Advantage population suffers from an average of five co-occurring chronic conditions, and its book of business shows that 65% to 70% of those with cardiomet abolic conditions—diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol—also have overlapping mental health conditions, such as stress, depression and anxiety. Vida’s integrated care model has demonstrated greater outcomes when treating the whole person. Vida’s virtual cardiometabolic solutions for chronic physical and mental health conditions serve members in all 50 states in both English and Spanish. For more information, visit www.selecthealth.org or www. Vida.com. IMG LAUNCHES PLAN FOR EXPATS AND GLOBALLY MOBILE CITIZENS International Medical Group, a global insurance benefits and assistance services company, has introduced a new interna tional private medical insurance (IPMI) offering through its ALC Health brand. Global Prima Medical Insurance provides long-term cover to individuals, families and groups living or working outside of their home country, typically for one year or longer. Global Prima has varying coverage options that can cover chronic conditions, cancer, complementary medicine and more to fit the needs and budgets of customers. Additionally, Global Prima customers can customize their area of cover-

CURATIVE’S EMPLOYER-BASED HEALTH BENEFITS OFFERING NOW AVAILABLE ACROSS TEXAS Curative, a health services company that recently launched Curative Insurance Company with a fully insured health plan in the Austin metro area, is expanding its health-plan options to include a level-funded plan for employers throughout the state of Texas after recently receiving approval for its stop loss policy. Curative’s level-funding options give employers the flexi bility of self-insurance together with the financial security of stable monthly premiums found in a fully insured plan. All Curative plans offer members extensive choice via a PPO network of providers and transparency with zero costs for in-network healthcare services, including primary and special ty care, telemedicine, urgent care and hospital facilities. The Curative plan covers wellness, preventive care, mental and be havioral health, and prescription drugs. Curative’s health plan eliminates the financial barriers for patients accessing health insurance by offering no-cost services with the completion of a baseline visit. To qualify for $0 copays and deductibles for all doctors, hospitals and other providers in its network, mem bers need to complete the Baseline Visit within 120 days after enrollment. With the completion of the annual Baseline Visit and one competitive monthly premium, all members get free access to in-network healthcare services. In addition to the level-funded plan, Curative’s fully insured benefit offering continues to expand. Recent approval in the San Antonio metro area expands Curative’s geographic scope to serve employers across 20 counties in the Austin and San Antonio regions with plans to expand the fully insured option statewide in the near future. To learn more, visit https://curative.com/.

SELECTHEALTH BRINGS VIRTUAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS TO MEMBERS MANAGING CHRONIC CONDITIONS

SelectHealth, a nonprofit health plan serving more than 1 million members in Utah, Idaho and Nevada, recently an nounced a new relationship with virtual cardiometabolic care leader Vida Health. The relationship provides SelectHealth Medicare Advantage and individual plan members with access to Vida’s virtual cardiometabolic solutions for chronic physical and mental health conditions. Eligible SelectHealth members can now tap Vida’s re sources for chronic conditions and associated mental health ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart

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age and choose from multiple excess and currency payment options. The plan also includes access to IMG’s 24/7 Medical Helpline for assistance with claims information, emergency assistance, advice on treatment, and much more. “We realize that being a global citizen is becoming increas ingly common, and we understand how critical it is for expa triates to have proper healthcare,” said Amanda Winkle, IMG’s chief operating officer. “Our new Global Prima Medical Insurance plans feature IMG’s Safety Solutions designed to pro actively address the specific needs of globally mobile citizens.” The new Global Prima product replaces ALC Health’s legacy Prima plans as well as IMG’s legacy GlobalFusion and GlobalSelect products. For more information regarding Global Prima and the benefits included in the plan, visit www. imglobal.com. RELIANCE MATRIX PARTNERS WITH BRIGHTDIME TO OFFER CLIENTS A FINANCIAL WELLNESS SOLUTION Reliance Matrix, an employee benefits company and provider of technology enabled absence and productivity services, has partnered with BrightDime, providing clients’ employees a personalized financial wellness solution designed to alleviate employee stress. BrightDime provides employees with money tools to man age their finances more effectively. The platform includes automated organizational tools such as a dashboard that tracks budgets against goals and captures spending and investments in a personal balance sheet, unlimited one-on one financial coaching, and a library of articles about money issues tailored to their needs. “Stress related to personal finances is impacting employ ees at alarming rates,” said Kevin Cranston, Head of Product Development at Reliance Matrix. “BrightDime will help our clients build cultures of care. By decreasing employee stress around finances, employers are realizing the many benefits of improved physical and mental health in the workplace. Financial wellness tools like BrightDime are also proven to at tract talent and boost employee engagement and retention.” With BrightDime, employees can simplify their financial decisions by securely linking all accounts on the platform. Capturing spending, debt and investments in one place en ables employees to make more cohesive financial decisions. “BrightDime is a user-friendly, holistic financial wellness solution aimed at helping employees achieve a brighter and more secure financial future,” added David Stedman, CEO, “and because we are not owned by a financial institution and do not sell products, our unbiased approach builds trust with employers and employees.” For more information, visit www.RelianceMatrix.com.

SANA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIME HEALTH SERVICES Sana, a healthcare company that provides health benefits to small businesses at affordable prices, has announced a partnership with Prime Health Services, a national cost-man agement-solutions company. Through this partnership, Sana and Prime Health Services will be able to expand their coverage to a larger number of individuals, increasing the number of provider locations in Sana’s network by over 40%. Joining forces will give both companies the ability to provide quality services to a broader audience while optimizing their resources and reducing costs. Prime Health Services is one of the largest national PPO networks in the country and is particularly strong in 80% of the states in which Sana operates. Sana customers will be able to discover providers in the Prime Health network and the HealthSmart network through Sana’s internal Find Care tool. “Our new partnership will enable us to expand our cover age to a broader number of individuals while achieving cost savings,” said Prime Health Services COO Scott Nocon. “Join ing forces will allow us to expand the number of people we provide with quality services, while optimizing our resources and reducing costs.” Located in Austin, Sana MD provides employees with access to $0 comprehensive onsite primary care, urgent care, labs and care coordination, as well as virtual primary care. To learn more, visit www.primehealthservices.com or www. sanabenefits.com. SMARTMATCH LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE WITH ENHANCED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SmartMatch Insurance Agency, LLC, an independent Medi care insurance shopping agency, has unveiled a newly rede signed website that offers customers an improved experience through enhanced navigation and functionality. The new design, which was guided by customer insights and feedback, makes it easier than ever to find resources, tools and information about Medicare to educate shoppers— whether they are just starting to explore their options or taking steps to find new coverage. With this update, Smart Match seeks to continue providing an intuitive and user- friendly experience. Plus, visitors can quickly connect with licensed representatives at their convenience to guide them through the enrollment process.

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