NAHU Member?

[Dave020]

Two thoughts on NAHU (and yes, I am a member)....

1. NAHU should cut the monthly dues by an amount commensurate with the cut in agent IFP renewal commissions. It's only fair after all. When they get MLR changed and the carriers move the commissions back up (never happen BTW, even if comm is excluded from MLR--that direct from the carrier) then they can move the dues back up ;

2. Does anyone know if any GAs (Warner Pac, Word & Brown, BMall, etc.) have experienced any reduction in override compensation due to MLR? Somehow I think the answer is that they have not.

 

[DS4]

2. Does anyone know if any GAs (Warner Pac, Word & Brown, BMall, etc.) have experienced any reduction in override compensation due to MLR? Somehow I think the answer is that they have not.

 

[jhuang]

And to think I was going to check out NAHU...

 

[arnguy]

Instead of paying dues to NAHU, I throw $300 into the fireplace every January. At least the 15 $20 bills will provide a bit of heat. NAHU does nothing.

Rick

Spot on, Rick. A total waste of money. Even their magazine sucks. I was a member for a few years but I finally saw the light.

 

[DS4]

I throw $300 into the fireplace every January. At least the 15 $20 bills will provide a bit of heat. NAHU does nothing.

Rick

Try 23 $20's, a $10 & a $5. Even more heat.
Do you really need heat in LA??

 

[leevena]

Let's remember something about NAHU, the state and local chapters. It is safe to say that just about everyone of them rely on carriers and GA's for their survival. The participation of the agent/broker is relatively minor within many of these chapters. I spent 10 years heavily involved with a local (president, board memeber) and at the state level. If we had lost all the non-Carrier/GA/vendor members the impact would have been very minimal.

So to believe that they are for the agent/broker (I know that's what they say) is somewhat naive.

 

[GeneRamsay]

Thanks for the Vikings shout out! SKOL VIKINGS!
As for the NAHU comments, I'm a bit discouraged by the negative comments. I need some specific examples as to what happened to you guys that made you feel this way. I'm an agent and I get a TON from being in my local, state, and NAHU. I love their publication and the information that their website provides.
You all seem to have some individual experiences and I'd like to know a few. To me, NAHU and it's members are the top professionals in our industry.
Thanks.

 

[xrac]

Thanks for the Vikings shout out! SKOL VIKINGS!
As for the NAHU comments, I'm a bit discouraged by the negative comments. I need some specific examples as to what happened to you guys that made you feel this way. I'm an agent and I get a TON from being in my local, state, and NAHU. I love their publication and the information that their website provides.
You all seem to have some individual experiences and I'd like to know a few. To me, NAHU and it's members are the top professionals in our industry.
Thanks.

Personally even though I live in Indiana I have been a Packer fan since the days of Lombardi. Go GREEN BAY!

 

[Dave020]

As for the NAHU comments, I'm a bit discouraged by the negative comments. I need some specific examples as to what happened to you guys that made you feel this way. I'm an agent and I get a TON from being in my local, state, and NAHU. I love their publication and the information that their website provides.
You all seem to have some individual experiences and I'd like to know a few. To me, NAHU and it's members are the top professionals in our industry.
Thanks.

PPACA passed 3/10 and all we have heard from NAHU since is that "we continue to work....." yadda yadda yadda. In the meantime, agent commissions have been SLASHED on all new IFP business because of MLR. Current IFP commissions are over 50% lower (factoring in renewal losses to FYP credit only more like 60-70%) than they were 8 months ago. In order to maintain, an agent now has to work twice as hard just to stay in place. Lose a 20/10 client, need to get 2 new 9/5 clients to replace. That's just to stay even, with no growth. Some carriers are now paying as low as 4/4 that were paying 20/10 just 8 months ago.

Carriers have said that even if agent comp is eventually (not likely BTW no matter how hard NAHU tries) excluded from the MLR, the commissions "will not" be returning to pre-2011 levels. So, if they somehow manage to get NAIC to agree (which I doubt), it won't matter anyway because exclusion from MLR does not require the carriers to raise commission levels.

Now consider 2014 and having to potentially compete head to head (if comp is even available at all for agents) with government appointed/sanctioned/grant-receiving unlicensed community Navigators. At a recent SVAHU meeting, a GA was blabbing on about how agents could take ipads into the "ghetto" to sign people up and get a fee (like PCIP probably $50 or $100 one-time).

So, commissions on IFP have been virtually destroyed (for almost 8 months now), agents are facing a very uncertain future with the exchanges (they are using Mass and Utah as examples and neither pay any agent comp on IFP at all), we may be replaced by service organization Navigators who may or may not be licensed, we might be specifically excluded from even selling in an exchange or acting as Navigators, GAs are suggesting we run around the 'hood with ipads signing people up for Medicaid or IFP plans, small group comp is starting to be cut (at least in CA) down as well and we have an insurance commissioner who thinks he speaks for all 50 and HATES insurance companies and agents and with all of this, to date, NAHU has accomplished exactly what? I know, they continue to work on it......sigh.

Can you give us some "specific examples" of what NAHU has accomplished thus far for agents and brokers. Because, I haven't seen anything but talk and more talk. And it's been 17 months since PPACA became reality.

 

[GreenSky]

Can you give us some "specific examples" of what NAHU has accomplished thus far

They continue to convince enough agents to pay dues so as to remain an actual association.

Other than that, not so much.

Rick