Author Ann Patchett To Speak at NOLHGA’s 2020 Annual Meeting

Bestselling author and Nashville native Ann Patchett will be the luncheon speaker at NOLHGA’s 2020 Annual Meeting, which will be held at the JW Marriott Nashville on October 27–28 (an MPC meeting will be held on October 26).

Patchett has written 13 books and has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including England’s Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her novel Bel Canto was awarded the Orange Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. The world-renowned Lyric Opera Company of Chicago commissioned a production based on the novel that The Chicago Tribune called “a thought-provoking production worthy of a world-class opera company.” Her seventh novel, Commonwealth, was selected as a New York Times Best Book of the Year and a TIME Magazine Top 10 Selection and was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist. In 2019, she published her first children’s book, Lambslide, as well as her latest novel, The Dutch House. In its review of The Dutch House, NPR wrote, “you won’t want to put down this engrossing, warmhearted book even after you’ve read the last page.”

Patchett is also the owner of Nashville’s Parnassus Books and a spokesperson for independent booksellers. In 2012, TIME named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for her efforts on behalf of the literary community.

More information about the program for the 2020 Annual Meeting will appear in the coming months.

  Staff Contact - Sean McKenna

MPC Meets in San Diego

The Members’ Participation Council (MPC) met in San Diego on January 15–16, 2020. Task forces for AF&L/Senior American Insurance Companies (Pennsylvania), North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (North Carolina), and Universal Life/Booker T. Washington Insurance Companies (Alabama) met, as did the Accounting Issues Committee, Administrators Education Steering Committee, and MPC Executive Committee. In addition, the Administrators Education Steering Committee conducted an educational session entitled A Review of Coverage/Claim Committee Activities featuring John Colpean (Michigan), Art Dummer (Utah), Jack Falkenbach (Delaware), Bill O’Sullivan (NOLHGA), and Kevin Griffith (Faegre Baker Daniels).

In addition to the task force reports below, the MPC General Session featured closed-session presentations by the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (North Carolina) Task Force, the Global Bankers Insurance Group (North Carolina) Task Force, and a group reporting on insolvency preparedness matters. The meeting also featured a report on the activities of the Security Advisory Committee (SAC) by Co-Chair Candie Kinch (Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming) and an update from the Legal Committee’s HMO Legal Issues Subgroup (by Chair Pamela Olsen (Minnesota and Nebraska)).

NOLHGA President Peter Gallanis provided the President’s Report, NOLHGA Board Chair Tom English (New York Life) provided the NOLHGA Chair Report, and MPC Chair Tom Sullivan briefed attendees on MPC Executive Committee activity. He also welcomed Lori Nestor (the new Executive Director of the Arizona Life & Disability Insurance Guaranty Fund), Julie Fuselier (the new Executive Director of the Louisiana Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association), and Michelle Robleto (the new Executive Director of the Florida Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association). In addition, Mr. Sullivan expressed the gratitude of the entire MPC for the outstanding work of former Florida Executive Director William Falck, who will step down from his role as Deputy Director of the association in March 2020 after 37 years in the guaranty system.

  Staff Contact - Sean McKenna Penn Treaty Network America/American Network Insurance Companies (Pennsylvania)

Task Force Chair Chuck Gullickson (South Dakota) and several members of the task force provided updates on the transition to a new TPA, ongoing claims activity, and court proceedings. The conversion to TriPlus is on schedule, with a task force Oversight Group conducting conference calls with TriPlus every two weeks. Claims processing has continued without interruption, with all policyholders now notified of the move to TriPlus. On the litigation front, the task force is monitoring the excess benefits case, but no court date has been set.

Task Force Chair - Chuck Gullickson;   Staff Contact - Joanna Akiyama Lincoln Memorial/Memorial Service Life Insurance Companies (Texas) Task Force

Task Force Chair Tad Rhodes (Colorado and Oklahoma) updated attendees on PNC’s appeal of the amended judgment that awarded the plaintiffs (including participating guaranty associations) approximately $100 million. He also reported that the task force hopes to transfer another block of policies to Liberty Bankers Life this year, which would leave approximately 8,000 policies for the affected guaranty associations to administer.

Task Force Chair - Tad Rhodes;   Staff Contact - Paul Peterson Northwestern National Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Task Force

Task Force Chair Todd Thakar (California) reported that there are 40 policies left in the estate. A Voluntary Surrender Settlement Offer was undertaken, with approximately one-third of policyholders accepting the offer. Additional efforts to contact those policyholders who did not reply or rejected the settlement offer may be undertaken by affected guaranty associations.

Task Force Chair – Todd Thakar;   Staff Contact - Paul Peterson