2018 Annual Meeting Website Goes Live

The website for NOLHGA’s 2018 Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Seattle on October 18–19, is now available. An MPC meeting will be held on October 17.

The registration fee for the 2018 Annual Meeting is $650 for members and $775 for non-members (there is no charge to attend the MPC meeting). The fee for guests, who are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting welcome reception, luncheon, dinner, and breakfast, is $125. NOLHGA has secured a special room rate at the Grand Hyatt Seattle of $269/night plus tax, and we encourage attendees to book their rooms soon. Attendees can register for the meeting and make hotel reservations online.

More information about the meeting, including guest speakers and a preliminary schedule, will be announced in the coming months.

If you have any trouble accessing the website, please contact Dan Hicks at [email protected] or 703.787.4112. If you have any questions about the meeting, contact Sean McKenna at [email protected] or 703.787.4106.

Eleven States Adopt “New” Model Act

Following the NAIC’s adoption of updates to the Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Model Act in December 2017, 25 states hit the ground running in 2018 by either introducing or “beginning to consider” legislation to adopt the changes to the guaranty statute in their state. The most significant changes to the Model include the addition of HMOs as member insurers of the guaranty association and the reallocation of assessments for long-term-care insolvencies. To date, NOLHGA is aware of seven bills enacted with provisions substantially conforming to the revised Model (Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia) and four additional states whose conforming bills passed the legislature and are awaiting the governor’s signature (Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Missouri). A subgroup appointed by NOLHGA’s MPC Executive Committee is working to develop introductory educational materials to make available to guaranty associations as they welcome HMOs as new members.

Please contact Meg Melusen at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Ohio GA Announces New President

The Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association’s (OIGA) Board of Directors has named Attorney Sonni Peterson as President of the nonprofit insurance industry-supported organization. As President of OIGA, Peterson also will be responsible for the administration of the Ohio Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association and the West Virginia Insurance Guaranty Association.

Peterson, who previously served as Chief Deputy Liquidator and Senior Policy Advisor for the Ohio Department of Insurance, will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of OIGA, coordinating activities with other state guaranty funds through national insurance guaranty organizations and with insurance liquidators.

Peterson, who earned her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University, also has served as a senior policy advisor to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Commerce. She has served as of counsel to the law firm of Peterson Conners and as an associate legal counsel to the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

Akerman Retires from Ohio GA

Beth Akerman has retired from her position as Life & Health Specialist with the Ohio Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association after more than 27 years with the association. She plans to pursue art and photography and can be reached at [email protected].