This class educates participants on health care changes in response to COVID-19. The majority of relief in 2020’s Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expired 12/31/2020; however, new legislation followed. Agents will gain a deep understanding of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, encompassing 2021 options and/or requirements for Health Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, and Premium Only Plans (POPs). Other topics include the Paycheck Protection Program, employer credits for paid sick and family leave time, and the employee retention tax credit.

This course provides a practical guide of defensive strategies to help agents avoid being a breach at home, in the office, or while traveling to meet clients. Participants will gain insights to protect personal or agency business, and all client data, in vulnerable times – while adhering to HIPAA privacy and security compliance guidance. Learn measures that can be put in place immediately and easily to protect consumer data. Topics include leveraging VPNs and mobile devices on-the-go, securing webinar/online meeting software, fortifying home and office Wi-Fi routers, enabling and leveraging multi-factor authentication, and becoming aware of security threats facing agents.

Administering benefits during employee leaves is always challenging. The COVID-19 pandemic adds another level of complexity. This program looks at the variety of leave scenarios a person can take in 2021 – under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), California Family Rights Act (CFRA), and Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL). It also includes detailed information on leave under COVID-related measures like the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) and California Senate Bill 95. Participants will learn which benefits employers must offer, for how long, how they’re paid for, how state and federal measures interrelate, best practices, and action items.

Health insurance brokers will gain insights on the deep and sweeping changes introduced to group health COBRA administration following passage of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. Course information also addresses Department of Labor and Employee Benefits Security Administration changes to COBRA election timelines and payment deadlines – all of which are unique to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. Participants will be able to have more informed conversations about COBRA compliance with employer clients and their employees, and will be able to discuss breaking changes, especially related to COBRA premium subsidies through the federal government.

Insurance agents will gain a better understanding of how to leverage collaboration, and better organize resources, to ensure efficient and effective sales and client service. This course addresses the rapid digitization of all processes as a result of the increasing transition to a work-from-home environment, which will forever change the way insurance professionals work. This course focuses heavily on the presenter’s personal journey as a developing manager; it highlights techniques that have allowed reorganization of a small team to deliver high performance and a continuous expansion of responsibilities without the addition of new resources.

Educating health insurance sales professionals on the basic responsibilities of an honest, ethical agent is the focus of this course. Participants will learn philosophical components of integrity – and how to apply quality business ethics and ethical solutions to real-life, health insurance sales scenarios. This can help an agent evaluate the differences between the distinctions of ethical behavior and laws or regulations.

This ethics course is designed to educate and inspire brokers to make integrity and customer CARE (compassion, advocacy, responsibility, and education) the foundation for all ethical decisions and service to clients. The course objective is to equip and encourage brokers to set, and consistently adhere to, a high standard of accountability and integrity for themselves and the team members who are under their supervision.

This course challenges brokers to evaluate their own ethical practices to see how they align with the National Association of Health Underwriters' Code of Ethics. We discuss NAHU’s principles as the “true north” of a broker’s moral compass and the importance of privacy, honesty, and professional conduct in sales, service, and dealings with clients, associates, other brokers, and the companies you represent.

This course examines legislative and regulatory actions taken by Congress and federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also highlights the role the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) is taking in the process. Topics addressed include the outlook on the new Biden administration; priorities for the new 117th Congress; the recently passed American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act; implications of a 50-50 U.S. Senate; major regulatory actions taken and expected in the near-term and later; 2021 NAHU federal priorities; and how NAHU members, the overall agent/broker community, and employers can get involved.

This course educates agents on sweeping changes made to account based plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically Premium Only Plans (POPs), Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Dependent Care FSAs (DCAPs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Participants will become familiar with plan types, and better understand how they work as we approach an end to pandemic provisions in 2022. Gain an understanding of how these plans temporarily differ from longstanding provisions and how they could change. Topics include updated timeframes, notices, account balance allowances, ERISA notification requirements, and how mandatory and optional changes affect employers.

This course defines ethical responsibilities agents hold to clients, prospects, the industry, other agents, the public, team members, and one another – all diverse, different, and also similar. Emphasis is on development of a spirit of diversity and inclusion, with a goal of improving experiences, while influencing the industry’s future. Participants will uncover the power of inclusion – to better serve the diverse consumer base and improve the industry by becoming more inclusive. The ultimate objective is to elevate the ethical agent mindset of enhancing competence, while developing an understanding of ethical decision-making to prevent, identify, and resolve ethical dilemmas.

This class educates health insurance agents on the top compliance areas in the group benefits space. Designed to move quickly, the course provides participants with a diverse array of compliance tips on the most troubling and important areas for employer clients with regard to health plans. Agents will gain insight to provide group health plan insurance solutions and compliance insight to employers, navigating the related pitfalls associated with such plans and general benefit administration to provide clients better peace-of-mind in the often-confusing compliance space.

This course provides a legislative update on the Texas v. California case in the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). It discusses previous Affordable Care (ACA) hearings by SCOTUS, as well as what is in jeopardy as the high court hears this case. The course reinforces major components of the ACA for both employers and individuals. Participants will learn case details and gain a deeper understanding of the ACA “Individual Mandate,” why it was deemed unconstitutional by a federal lower court, and what that might mean for law’s future.