Since his arrival in November of 2004, José Suquet’s leadership, commitment and foundation of change have paved the way for the growth and success of Pan-American Life. In 2005, he led the company’s recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Under his steady stewardship, Pan-American Life achieved record revenue growth and operating earnings during the global economic crisis. With Suquet at the helm, the company has continued to thrive, driven by strategic merger and acquisition activity, including the 2015 merger with Mutual Trust Financial Group. This is your opportunity to gain insight from a transformative industry leader.

Past National Association of Insurance Commissioners President and current Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Louisiana Jim Donelon will address changes to the state of the insurance industry over the last decade, including the impact of demographic shifts on demand, as well as the role of international influences.

What is happening in the Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) DI marketplace today? Come join industry leaders as they explore current trends, challenges and opportunities. Learn how these forces influence GSI underwriting.

How is distribution evolving? Follow one customer’s experience and see how reaching the middle market or millennials will require new approaches and new tools.

Whether you are considering entering the Life/LTC Combination product market or are already an established player, this deep-dive session will have something for everyone. We’ll cover the various combinations of life (term, UL, whole life) and chronic illness, critical illness or long-term care product structures, pricing considerations, IIPRC review process and policy form/rate standards, distribution and underwriting.

Join this session to hear about updates and outcomes from the recent Long-Term Care Think Tank session. Then hear about potential new and innovative products including an alternative concept that combines term life insurance with long-term care.

Three DI leaders from different disciplines will bring their expertise to this open and interactive panel discussion. They’ll share their views of the DI business today and over the horizon into the future. Do you have a question for the panel? Please send an e-mail to: cari.bacon.flick@standard.com.

How broad is the Long-Term Care Insurance market? Is it BIG? Is it EASY to navigate through the options available? Our panelists will discuss how each of the six available LTC insurance products fit the consumer need, how they are sold, and where they play in the market. Please join these veterans of the industry for a robust discussion which may convince you that it is indeed a “Big Easy” market.

How do rate increases change the way in which your policyholders treat their long-term care coverage? Come and listen to experts from both industry and the regulatory environment discuss what is being seen in the market as carriers continue to increase rates. This session will look at issues such as: Do rate increases cause a spike in claims and waiver of premium? What is the impact to customer complaints and lawsuits? Are policyholders taking benefit reductions or paying the increased premiums?

We’ve gathered three kingfish spanning the Long Term Care and Combination markets from two large insurance carriers and a leading national service organization to provide you with more Big Ideas in the Big Easy! Come hear from our esteemed panelists as they discuss point and counter point topics covering a range of matters including product development, marketing, and sales strategies.

This session considers two primary aspects of disability profitability. The first involves factors impacting current profitability such as investment income, reserving, claim dynamics, commissions and expenses. The second involves factors that impact future profitability such as changes in risk selection, product design, pricing, marketplace factors and anti-selection.

In this interactive session, we will look at emerging trends in everything from sex to drugs to rock-n-roll! Topics include understanding transgender underwriting, evaluating the latest HIV prevention medication, navigating the ins and outs of medical marijuana, and assessing occupations within the entertainment industry and the glamorous world of medicine. We take a fresh look at these trends and more, and we will discuss what makes sense and ask ourselves, “What is the risk?”

The economy is inherently cyclical. While these cycles don’t necessarily repeat themselves, they usually rhyme. Understanding the forecasting ability of stock, bond and energy markets can both illuminate opportunities and serve as valuable storm warnings for business leaders. A lot of this runs counter to what people are commonly hearing in the media. Hear Peter Ricchiuti explain how to interpret the market signals.

Join the session to learn and see how technology can make the end-to-end sales process easier for your customers. See how your customers can benefit from technology today. Whether you utilize these tools individually or all together, the tools will strike a chord with you.

Once sales cease, what changes? Some of the leading experts in LTC will share their experiences on changes to managing staff, policyholders, rate increases, third party administrators and reinsurance considerations. They will also explore what it might take to start selling again.

Join us as we examine the similarities and contrasts between DI and LTC Underwriting. Discuss industry challenges that both face, such as simplified underwriting programs, alternate offers, and field concessions.

Please join us for a “jazzy” discussion regarding the pricing of DI and how “beads” of change such as reserve requirements and the low interest environment ultimately affect your results.

Join this session to hear an interactive conversation around the need for LTC planning, from the perspective as to the responsibility of family members, financial advisors/planners, and insurance carriers. Also to be discussed will be what the marketplace is asking for from insurance carriers for the development of solutions to motivate individuals/couples to take action around LTC planning.

Whether you are a claim professional, a business leader or an actuary, come to this session to learn more about how emerging claim practices can better protect the interest of all insureds by accurately paying eligible claims and efficiently identifying insureds that fall outside benefit eligibility requirements. We will focus on topics related to claim investigations and fraud detection practices used for either product such as how to use predictive modeling to detect suspicious claims, how to use social media more effectively and the usefulness of independent medical exams. We will also cover various topics such as how to predict recovery time and use this to better manage a claim.

The 2016 Unites States presidential race is unlike any in history and could re-shape the nation with implications across the insurance industry and the globe. There are also key House and Senate races that may tip the balance of power in Washington in the coming years. In this pivotal election year, will the 2016 elections create a tug of war or bring a balance of power to policy making in Washington? Join Robert Mann as he offers his keen insights on the outcome and implications.

Spend time with your peers in small breakout groups discussing topics relevant to individual disability insurance.

Come hear home office and vendor perspectives on vendor management issues. Join the discussion and share ideas on your outsourcing experiences, successes, and challenges.

Join this interactive session featuring thought-provoking case studies exploring difficult situations. Along the way, review the professionalism structure and requirements for U.S. Actuaries, and receive structured professionalism credits, as well.

(SOA Professionalism Session)