If you are considering offering a CII product or have already entered the market, you simply can't afford to miss this event. The Critical Illness Insurance Forum is a unique, interactive event for individuals involved in the development, distribution, or administration of Critical Illness Insurance products. Organized by LIMRA, LOMA, National Association for Critical Illness Insurance, and Society of Actuaries, the event features an interactive format that will allow you to learn from your peers as they discuss the CI subjects they know best.
If your role involves Critical Illness Insurance product development, underwriting, marketing, distribution, claims, risk management, pricing or administration, this comprehensive forum is for you.
Executive Vice President, Human Capital Practice, Willis of Florida
J. Dennis Adams serves as an Executive Vice President at Willis of Florida in a consulting role. He brings over 38 years of experience in Health Care Consulting, Retirement Plans, Voluntary Benefits Programs and Executive Deferred Compensation Plans. From 2003 through 2013 Adams served as the Willis Florida Practice Leader and helped create the Willis Business Model that offers Fortune 500 Consulting Resources for the price of placement. In 2013 He was responsible for the development of a New Critical Illness Product working with one of the leading Health Care Providers in North America and a Fortune 100 Company providing increased benefits for employees for employees with a serious illness. Adams has served as a speaker for Employee Benefits Meetings covering Executive Benefits Plans, and Health & Welfare benefits. He currently serves on two advisory boards for major health insurance companies and has served on the Willis Human Capital National Practice Leader Group for North America.
Janet Buzil is the President of the National Association of Critical Illness Insurance. She joined Combined Worksite Solutions in 2011 as the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. Janet brought with her over 20 years’ experience in marketing and product development with the last thirteen years focused on worksite insurance. Prior to joining Combined, Janet was the Vice President of National Worksite Sales & Marketing for Security Mutual Life. Janet began her insurance career at Trustmark, where she built an industry leading worksite product portfolio and needs-based marketing communication. Buzil earned a bachelor's degree from Columbia College and an MBA in Marketing, Finance, Management and Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Gary Harger is responsible for supporting the strategic vision of UnitedHealthcare through product development and product management in the Voluntary market space. In addition to product development, Gary also works with product leaders throughout UnitedHealthcare to advance the company’s customer centric, integrated care model. Harger has been in the insurance and health care field for over 20 years including leadership positions with ING, MetLife, Medica, and St. Paul Companies. He has also been involved in the consulting arena as a Senior Consultant for Willow Group as well as President of THB Consulting, LLC.
Vice President, Critical Illness Marketing, Optimum Re Insurance Company
Sheila Matheson has been with Optimum Re for nearly 15 years as a consultant in the role of Vice President, Critical Illness Marketing. She brings her extensive experience with Critical Illness Insurance in US markets to client insurance companies. Matheson’s past responsibilities have included senior management roles in Group Sales and Underwriting as well as Direct Marketing and Credit Insurance operations. She is a Vice President of the National Association for Critical Illness Insurance (NACII) Board of Directors and has several times been Conference/Program Chair of the Critical Illness Conferences/Forums.
Donovan Pyle is an Account Executive for Combined Worksite Solutions. He joined Combined in 2012 and quickly became a sales leader among his peers. Pyle and his team provide turn-key enrollment solutions for brokers working with small to mid-size businesses here in Central Florida. Through controlled distribution, employees are given the opportunity to customize a benefit package that meets their individual needs as well engage in wellness and benefit education programs-----at no hard cost to the employer. During his former life as a Professional Drummer, Pyle played on commercials for HBO, opened for the rock-band Heart, and was the Assistant Mixing Engineer for U2’s “360 Tour” DVD.
Stephen Rowley is primarily responsible for coordinating the efforts of Gen Re’s Critical Illness team in order to help clients develop strong, market oriented, critical illness insurance programs. In addition, he is responsible for Gen Re’s individual life reinsurance marketing throughout the Southeast and Midwest and has management oversight responsibilities for their long term care business. Rowley has been in the insurance industry for more than 25 years, working with numerous products in the Individual, Worksite, and Group Markets. He is also a sought after industry speaker and author.
Senior Vice President & National Voluntary Benefits Practice Leader, Aon
Bruce Sletten is a Senior Vice President and the National Voluntary Benefits Practice Leader for Aon. He has spent his entire career of 32 years as a Health & Benefits consultant and the past 20 years focusing on helping employers with their Voluntary Benefits strategy. Sletten does numerous speaking engagements each year and has been a contributor to such publications as USA Today, Business Insurance and HR Magazine.
Kenneth Smith has more than 29 years of insurance experience in both field and home office. He was one of the organizers and President of Critical Illness Insurance Working Group 2001-2003, President of the National Association for Critical Illness Insurance 2005 and presently, Smith has written many articles and delivered many presentations and training on Critical Illness Insurance and Disability Income Insurance. He is known for videos on Critical Illness and Disability Income sales ideas, techniques and concepts, Co-author of HIAA's book on Supplemental Health, Insurance Personal Growth and Development.
Darrell Spell is a Principal and Consulting Actuary with the Tampa office of Milliman. His primary area of concentration is in the development of products for the supplemental market, critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident and long term care products. Spell has extensive experience in all aspects of the management of individual health products, including pricing and product development, market introduction strategy, contract development, rate filing, and experience analysis. He joined Milliman in 1998, after spending 16 years in the life and health industry corporate setting.
David Thaxton joined The Elan Group after graduating from The University of Alabama with a degree in Business Administration. He began his career as a benefits counselor in 1991. During the next several years, thaxton spent time learning the worksite market arena. He managed existing accounts as well as opened new accounts. In January 2000, Thaxton was named Vice President of The Elan Group. He is a CLU (Charter Life Underwriter), a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table, a member of The National Associations of Insurance and Financial Advisors - Tampa, a member of the Society of Financial Service Professional, and a member of the National Association of Professional Enrollment Specialist. (N.A.P.E.S.)
Hunter Whittington entered college at Virginia Tech and then to The University of South Florida. There he studied business and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. In 1988, Whittington entered the insurance business and began marketing Tax Sheltered Annuity programs to Palm Beach County School teachers. Eventually he saw opportunities in the voluntary benefits sector and redirected his efforts into that arena. In 1992, Whittington founded Whittington Benefit Services, Inc., an enrollment and benefit communication organization with a focus on larger employers. His team of benefit counselors created enrollment benefit campaigns with the goal of educating employees about all of their insurance programs. In January 2008, Whittington aligned his organization with Benefits Technologies, allowing him to tap into many more resources and tools to bring to his client groups.
This session will provide an overview of the conference program to help you create a world of opportunity at the conference. In addition to learning about the nuances of each session of the conference, this will be an opportunity for attendees to provide information about themselves and their level of knowledge with Critical Illness Insurance. Are you a CI veteran or CI newbie? This session will help participants better understand what sessions they should attend, the other attendees and insight on how to make the most of this world of opportunity.
Designed for those attendees new to the critical illness insurance market, CI 101 is an opportunity to learn from some of our industry experts. This session will be a discussion of product development, market and distribution trends, enrollment, and other insightful tips to help guide you into the magical world of critical illness insurance.
Leonard Cavallaro, Assistant Vice President, Voluntary Products Marketing, Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company; Craig Iredell, Assistant Vice President, Cigna; Moderator: Katherine Read, CLU, ChFC, Manager, Group, Voluntary and Worksite Benefits, MetLife
Across all industries, today’s consumer expects a personalized buying experience. The insurance industry has a unique opportunity to meet those increased expectations by providing customer-centric Critical Illness product solutions. This session will present thought-provoking product development methods and ideas focused on leveraging insights from the consumer’s unique perspective. Join us for this session to discover new ways to explore Critical Illness product opportunities.
Dennis Adams, Executive Vice President, Willis of Florida Bruce Sletten, Senior Vice President and National Practice Leader for Elective Benefits, Aon Hewitt
The onset of the Affordable Care Act has changed the way National Benefit Brokers and Consultants perceive and position Critical Illness Insurance. Hear about market innovation and private exchanges from leading industry consultants.
Kenneth J. Smith, CLU, Director of Health Product Sales, Assurity Life
Join us for a tribute to Critical Illness Insurance inventor, Dr. Marius Barnard, and hear a story that illustrates the essential need for critical illness insurance. Previous Forums have featured claimants whose lives were changed by their decision to purchase critical illness insurance. Now learn from the other end of the spectrum. What happens when you pass on the opportunity to purchase CI?
Ryan Chamberlain, FSA, MAAA, Vice President, Head of Voluntary Pricing, Employee Benefits, Voya; Dan Paffumi, FSA, MAAA, Director, Actuarial and Underwriting, Aetna, Inc.; Moderator: Debra Cecil, FLMI, NACII
Have you ever questioned why all companies don't rate critical illness insurance the same? Then, this session is for you! This panel will discuss the pros and cons of the key components of each rating structure. What happens in the event of a takeover with a different rating structure? What compensation is paid with each structure? Come with lots of questions to participate in a great discussion.
Jennifer Howard, FSA, MAAA, Actuary, Milliman; Anita M. Recchio, FSA, MAAA, Assistant Vice President and Pricing Actuary, Market Segment Finance, Colonial Life; Heather Sligh, FSA, MAAA, Assistant Actuary, The Standard; Amanda B. Turcotte, FSA, MAAA, Employee Benefits, Head of Product, Pricing & Underwriting, AXA; Moderator: Michael Weilant, FSA, MAAA, Consulting Actuary, Milliman
As the CI industry matures, carriers are faced with how to handle new and interesting operational issues on a day-to-day basis. In this session, a panel of CI industry experts will address a wide range of real-world operational topics on CI underwriting, actuarial, administrative, and claims adjudication.
Sheila Matheson, FLMI, Vice President, Critical Illness Marketing, Optimum Re Insurance Company; Kenneth J.Smith, CLU, Director of Health Produce Sales, Assurity Life
The companies in this market have, for the most part, worked diligently to develop quality products for their chosen market. Yet why do some burst out of the gate with successful sales growth while others do not? This session will explore the need for sales/marketing training and the right sales "scripting" for today's many and diverse markets. Different sales concepts will be presented and the audience will be invited to share one sentence "elevator speeches" that highlight the product's value proposition. Come to this session and immerse yourself in perhaps the most important aspect of achieving success in your market with this product.
James R. Huffman, FLMI, ACS, Moderator, Second Vice President, Management Solutions, LIMRA and LOMA
Participants will have an opportunity to work with other attendees to design the ultimate Critical Illness Insurance product. What would it cover and what would it exclude? Is this a standalone product or integrated with another product? Think about how would you market and distribute it. Bottom line, if you ruled the CI world, what would your CI product look like to make you gazillioniare? Working together, participants will discuss, debate and design the ultimate CI product.
Jean Marc Fix, FSA, MAAA, Vice President, Optimum Re Insurance Company; Kayla Rooney, Actuarial Student, Gen Re Insurance Company; Moderator: Sheila Matheson, FLMI, Vice President, Critical Illness Marketing, Optimum Re Insurance Company
In this session, two in-depth actuarial research projects will be presented. One takes a detailed look at heart attacks as a CI trigger, including a comparison of national statistics to the policy definition and how this impacts pricing, underwriting, claims, and other areas. The other explores the impact of offering multiple benefit payments in CI coverage- both for different events and recurrent events.
Traci Hawkins, HIA, DIA, EHBA, Director Compliance, Trustmark Companies; Stacy Koron, J.D., CLU, FLMI, LTCP, Consultant, Milliman, Inc.; Tarie Summers-Herbek, MBA, HIA, MHP, GBDS, Assistant Director Product Management, Group Benefits, The Hartford
Involving compliance resources early in product development can help get new, innovative critical illness insurance products to market faster. In this session, experienced compliance and product professionals will share tips for working with state regulators to secure approvals and will address ways to mitigate the challenges you may encounter when developing a new or innovative product. We will also look at hot topics in compliance and recent changes in laws and regulations that impact critical illness insurance.
Stephen F. Rowley, Vice President, Gen Re Insurance Company
A mainstay of this conference remains an update on the Critical Illness Insurance survey conducted each year by Gen Re in conjunction with NACII. As we explore the world of opportunity for critical illness insurance, Steve Rowley will provide insight into the numbers and emerging trends gleaned from the survey of the critical illness insurance industry.
Donovan Pyle, Account Executive, Combined Worksite Solutions David Thaxton, Vice President, Elan Group, Inc. Hunter Whittington, President, Benefits Technologies
Critical Illness insurance has strong roots in the Worksite Market. the industry is not only growing, it is evolving. Experts in benefit education will discuss the changing dynamics in face-to-face enrollment of Critical Illness insurance.
Sheila Matheson, FLMI, Vice President, Critical Illness Marketing, Optimum Re Insurance Company Darrell Spell, FSA, MAAA, FLMI, Consulting Actuary, Milliman
This session is an opportunity for all who attended to share their thoughts and/or memorable moments, or clear the air related to any lingering questions. This will be your last chance to ask the question, make the comment, or address any final issue that may be lingering in your mind. Remember, the only bad question is the unasked question!
Swan 7-10
11:00 a.m.
Conference Adjourns
Registration
Register by August 25, 2015 LIMRA, LOMA, NACII, or SOA member $ 895 Non-member $ 1,295
Register after August 25, 2015 LIMRA, LOMA, NACII, or SOA member $ 1045 Non-member $ 1,445
Refund Policy
All cancellations and refund requests must be received in writing. These requests carry a $100.00 U.S. administrative charge. Full refunds minus the administrative fee will be granted on written requests received no later than ten business days before the meeting. No refunds will be granted if the request is received within ten business days of the meeting. If for any reason a meeting is cancelled, Conference Organizers will refund the total registration fee. However, Conference Organizers will not be responsible for any travel, hotel accommodations or other costs incurred. Cancellation requests should be submitted in writing to meetings@loma.org.
Hotel / Venue
Walt Disney World Swan 1500 Epcot Resort Boulevard Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
The Walt Disney World Swan Hotel is now sold out.
Please contact A Room With A View for information on the designated overflow hotel They will secure the lowest available rates within walking distance of the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel.
In the event that rooms become available at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel due to cancellations, A Room With A View will notify conference attendees and help transfer reservations back to the Walt Disney World Swan in the order in which they were booked.
A Room With A View can be reached at 1-800-780-4343 International Attendees can reach them at arwav@charter.net
This is a FREE SERVICE for Critical Illness Insurers’ Forum attendees.
Any phone or email solicitation to book your reservation from other outside sources is bogus and not authorized by LIMRA, LOMA, SOA, or NACII. This solicitation could be a potential scam to procure your credit card information.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the meeting planner, Ann Hittle, CMP, at hittlea@loma.org or 770.984.3713.