BIP Spring 2025

Letter from the President

Brokers at the center: Driving change in healthcare

Over my tenure as NABIP President, one of the most potent themes that has emerged is the strength of connection. Connection with our members, connection with industry leaders and connection with policymakers. This year has been a banner year for strengthening those relationships and the theme of our upcoming annual conference, Future Forward: Connect, Innovate, Lead, captures this idea perfectly. When we collaborate and align our efforts, we create greater opportunities for our members and improve the healthcare experience for consumers. One way NABIP’s seen the power of collective action is through our Medicare surveys. We received over 10,000 responses, including feedback from Medicare beneficiaries. This data is invaluable in helping NABIP advocate for brokers and agents. Through initiatives like

Brokers Making a Difference, NABIP is ensuring these voices are heard in conversations that shape policy and industry standards. A significant part of our role as professionals is advocating for change and elevating the perception of brokers and agents as indispensable to the healthcare experience. Too often, the negative actors in our industry — primarily large call centers that prioritize volume over service — cast a shadow over the essential work of local brokers and advisors. But we are changing that narrative. Our work is personal. We help clients choose the right plans, ensure their medications are covered, find the right doctors and navigate complex healthcare decisions. This hands-on guidance differentiates us and makes our role irreplaceable. As we look ahead to NABIP’s Annual Convention, I’m excited about what’s in store. We are reimagining key experiences, like bringing a more engaging, celebratory approach to the Gordon Award dinner, introducing wellness and mindfulness activities and creating more dynamic opportunities to connect. The energy we felt at Capitol Conference will only build as we head into the Annual Convention, and I encourage you all to be a part of it. Healthcare is evolving, and so is our role within it. Consumers are becoming more empowered, demanding greater transparency and better outcomes. This shift is pushing the industry forward, and NABIP brokers and agents are at the center of it.

Join us in Miami! Visit nabip.org/ events/annual convention to register for the Annual Convention.

“

A significant part of our role as professionals is advocating for change and elevating the perception of brokers and agents.

”

Alycia Riedl President, NABIP

photo by Cary Rothschild

4 bip magazine Spring 2025