On Tuesday, March 17th NYSASBO held a Symposium on the major insurance issues facing districts in New York State. Speakers from across the state came to our new training center in Albany to deliver their timely information to the attendee's.
The symposium marked the first time that we have used the new YouTube live stream platform to deliver an event online to our members. It was a resounding success with the fewest number of issues viewing or hearing a live stream since we started them three years ago. We will be using this method to deliver even more content in the future.
The topics from the symposium are listed below. If you are interested in viewing a recording of the Symposium please contact Debbie at debbie@nysasbo.org or call 518-434-2281 x101. The cost for the recording and materials from the Symposium is $50 for members and $75 for nonmembers. If you are looking to get ahold of one of the presenters please let me know and I will put them in touch with you.
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Session 1 - ACA Compliance
Are you ready for an Affordable Care Act Audit? An interactive session covering ACA compliance: Latest updates, regulations, qualifications, new employer reporting requirements and penalties & taxes.
Session Learning Objectives
- ACA what it means for you.
- How to prepare for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) audit.
- What are the new IRS reporting requirements, effective January 2015, which employers need to implement to track employee information and report to both the IRS and employees.
- The potential impacts of the Cadillac Tax and how much it could cost your District.
Speakers: Mike Grinnell and Kirsten Tudman, CPIHR
Session 2 - Healthcare Trends, Cost Containment, and Alternative Benefit Strategies
Despite a recent flattening out of year-over-year trend increases, overall employee health and drug benefits premiums have increased by 120%+ since 1999. In addition, both benefits costs and trend are generally higher for public sector employers v. the private sector. That combination leaves school districts facing a daunting, multi-faceted challenge…
- Recognizing which cost drivers are within the control of plan sponsors
- Mitigating the impact of trend when the starting “price point” is higher than in the private sector;
- Achieving substantive change in plan design and cost-sharing arrangements within the constraints of the collective bargaining process; and,
- Addressing the very real cost implications of the existing property tax cap and the impending Cadillac Tax.
The presentation will begin with a definition of trend and the many factors that influence the benefits cost spiral, and then move to a discussion of the programs, benefit and funding alternatives that are within a district’s purview and have proven to bend the cost curve.
Speaker: Barry McNamara, Benetech
Session 3 - Health Plan Transparency: Do you know the drivers of your health plan’s costs?
Prudent management of any operation requires relevant data. This is particularly true in managing a school district’s health plan where there are countless important clinical and financial data elements in a number of very technical areas. This session will review what types of clinical information a school district should be receiving about its covered population and how it may be used to manage cost and improve outcomes. It will also explain how various medical providers, including hospitals, physicians, diagnostic centers and pharmacies are paid and what a school district should know about these arrangements. The session will also cover how risk can be transferred from a school district to a health plan and what information should be gathered and understood by the district.
Speaker: Larry Singer, the Segal Co.
Session 4 - Workers Comp
How to minimize claims, get employees back to work, investigations
Speaker: Gian P. Giandomenico, First Niagara Risk Management
Session 5 - General Liability and Property
is inevitable in schools and school business leaders face uncertainty and a variety of potentially catastrophic risks that impact the fiscal soundness of their district. SBOs are responsible for arranging a plan of insurance to transfer certain loss exposures while also retaining loss exposures and influencing decisions that control risk and minimize the total cost of risk to the district. Working knowledge of insurance contracts and the functions of insurance companies and their distribution system is essential. In this fast paced session you will gain knowledge of: Important features and benefits in property and liability coverage available to school districts, the claims management and loss prevention functions of insurers, roles and responsibilities of agents, brokers and counselors, and administration of an effective insurance and risk management program.
Speakers: Greg Hawk, NYSIR & Tom Kevlin, Utica National.