NAHU convention attendees feel confident about the future

SAN ANTONIO — Hundreds of National Association of Health Underwriters members attended the organization’s 81st annual convention, which concludes Wednesday.

Attendee Thomas R. Aslesen of Accord Benefit Resources Inc., based in Plymouth, Minn., found it reassuring to hear NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein reinforce the message that there remains a significant role for the agent in today’s marketplace.

“Every time that you look at a conflict or a difficult situation it always comes back around to the fact that people are relying on their broker for counsel and advice, helping them navigate through this complicated system of health care reform and with health insurance in general,” said Aslesen, a 33-year industry veteran.

Throughout the conference numerous motivational speakers provided engaging and inspirational lectures for NAHU members.

As a former manager with Southwest Airlines, keynote speaker Jason Young, author of “Culturetopia: The ultimate high-performance workplace,” provided an innovative approach to how organizations can sustain a high performance workplace.

Young stressed to insurance agents in the field: How you behave is how you will be perceived; clients will not only judge you but also your service. “They either stay loyal and they come back or they question you,” said Young, adding that it is always smart to act in a professional manner.

President of the Minnesota Association of Health Underwriters, Aslesen’s developed his professional role as a legislative chair in the state and helped to educate legislators about the role that he and other MAHU members play in the health care system. “We have found a way to innovate, to be available and to be of service to our brokers and to the consumer,” he said. “We bring the power of NAHU to our state legislators and impact them by saying, ‘we represent a lot of people — millions of consumers — we know what we’re talking about.’”

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