MINNEAPOLIS, May 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA), a leader in education, networking and advocacy for the self-funding industry, today announced the speaker lineup for its TPA Summit 2017. The two-and-a-half-day event will be held July 17-19, 2017 in St. Louis at The Hilton at the Ballpark. Following the Summit’s conclusion, HCAA will spend the afternoon of July 19 giving back to the St. Louis community by helping the St. Patrick Center stock shelves from local donations as they continue to support those in need.
“Continuing the very important conversation we started at the 2017 Executive Forum, our TPA Summit will provide a platform for a host of industry experts to share best practices on ways we can adapt to the ever-changing healthcare climate impacting our self-funding arena,” said HCAA Chief Executive Officer Carol Berry, CSFS. “Beyond gathering for a few days of professional development in St. Louis, attendees will also have the opportunity for some personal development by giving back to the local community as we work alongside the amazing men and women at the St. Patrick Center. This is sure to be our most rewarding TPA Summit yet.”
The Summit’s first two days will feature keynotes from several of the most sought-after speakers in their respective fields. Robert Stevenson, an expert at building a high-performance culture, improving efficiency, and accelerating growth, will deliver the day-one keynote "If You Don’t Like Change – You Are Going to Hate Extinction.” The talk will explore the successes, the failures, the reasons behind both and how to capitalize on the opportunities that are created because of change. The day-two keynote, "Being Focus-Wise in the Age of Distraction” will be delivered by Curt Steinhorst, a leading voice on strategic communications in the age of distraction and a certified speaker at the Center for Generational Kinetics. Steinhorst will offer tips to effectively focus on what matters most in today's digitally-distracted, constantly-connected workplace.
At last year’s Summit, HCAA introduced an industry-shaping change by organizing the Summit into three unique and dedicated paths for success: Operations, Leadership and Marketing/Sales. Unlike many conferences with “tracks” that require an attendee to commit to just one track, HCAA’s TPA Summit offers several paths to follow and the ability for the attendee to choose the parts of each path offered that best suit their unique needs and interests. A new Emerging Leaders path has been added to this year’s Summit, providing the setting for the first meeting of the HCAA Emerging Leader Program – designed to provide the newest members of the self-funding industry with unmatched educational and mentoring opportunities.
Lead by a host of industry experts, the all-inclusive general sessions and dedicated paths include:
- A Better - ER, Kinda the Same - Way: Developments and Opportunities in the New, Slightly Changed World – Josh Sears, Esq., The Murray Group
- The PPO Spaghetti Western – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Kara Dornig, First Health and Cofinity; Greg Everett, Payer Compass, LLC; and Ryan Johnson, CIGNA Payer Solutions; moderated by Ed Jacobson, Entrust, Inc.
- The Potential Big Black Hole also Known as Plan Documents, Reinsurance Contracts and Large Claims – Alice Arnold, TPAC Underwriters; Ken Gumbiner, SwissRe; and Dr. Stacy Borans, Advanced Medical Strategies
- Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Leaders – Julie Wohlstein, Centrix Benefit Administrators, Inc. and Suzette Bryan, Ph.D.
- Provider Sponsored Direct to Employer Plans – Paul T. Gallese, PT, MBA, The BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence and Innovation; Jack Hill, Accountable Care Solutions Group; and Desmond Joiner, Healthcare 180
- Inspect What You Get – Bobby Ahrens, Port Alto Technology Systems
- Women on the Move – Women TPA Owners and Executives – Why Not a TPA?" – Carolyn Jarschke, QVI Risk; LaRea Albert, Fringe Benefit Group; Robyn Jacobson, Entrust, Inc.; moderated by Joanie Verinder, Group & Pension Administrators
- Ethics: Duties, Conflicts, and Careful Decision-Making – Brady Bizarro, Esq., The PHIA Group
- When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens – Or Does It? – Steve Rasnick, Self-Insured Plans, Inc; Bruce Flunker, EBSO; Ryan Newville, TPAC Underwriters; moderated by Ernie Clevenger, CareHere, LLC.
- Are Your High Cost Prescription Drugs Getting Higher and Higher Every Day? – Bill Stafford, RX Help Center; Kevin Fantich, EHIM RX; and Dr. Andrew Krueger, CVS Health
For more information on registration, or to view the full schedule of session descriptions and speaker bios, visit the HCAA website.
About HCAA
The Health Care Administrators Association is the nation’s most prominent nonprofit trade association that supports the education, networking, resource and advocacy needs of third-party administrators (TPAs), insurance carriers, managing general underwriters, audit firms, medical managers, technology organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, brokers/agents, human resource managers and health care consultants. For nearly 35 years, HCAA has taken a leadership role in legislative advocacy, working to increase its influence with policymakers and other stakeholders in order to transform the self-funding industry and expand its role within healthcare.
For more information, visit www.hcaa.org, or connect with us at @HCAAinfo, HCAA LinkedIn or HCAA YouTube.