Welcome to the (Medicare) Jungle
The 12th Annual Senior Summit
August 21-24, 2023
by Maggie Stedt, C.S.A., LPRT Summit Co-Chair
The Senior Summit was a great success with over 900 attendees including individual agents, partners, sponsors and exhibitors. So many shared that they believed this was one of the best! Located in the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, it was the event to get away for some fun, learning and play!
We started out on Monday with golfing organized and managed by Juan Lopez with an assist from Ron Chock. A total of 55 golfers enjoyed the challenging Journey Golf Course at Pechanga. While the golfers were out on the beautiful course, the rest of the committee was busy with our volunteers getting set up by preparing the badges sponsored by Green Leaf Medicare FMO, Registration bags sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and the registration area. Dawn Carroll, Gail James Clarke and George Carson led the set up in all areas including sound, the stage and the Exhibit Hall. Regal Health Plan provided the Social Media sponsorship and California Broker was our Advertising sponsor.
Tuesday morning the registration booth opened with our great volunteers, and it was sponsored by Allied Pacific IPA! Our sponsor Prospect Medical provided the much-needed coffee and SCAN sponsored our breakfast. Our three Executive Co-Chairs, Maggie Stedt (Orange County), Ricky Haisha (San Diego) and Yolanda Webb welcomed everyone to the event. Yolanda recognized our 2022 sponsors and we remembered our agents that are no longer with us. Everyone really appreciated Yasmine Romero’s performance of Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to Be an American. She was followed by our Gold Sponsor, Patrick Rodriquez, President and Founder of Applied General Agency that shared the importance of membership and advocacy.
The first presentation was the panel discussing the 2024 AEP Marketing Rules. Participants included Austin Fitch with Applied General Agency, Dwane McFerrin from Senior Market Sales, Patrick Speers with Alignment and Nickolas Uehlecke from the Todd Strategy Group. Attendees shared that this deep dive into 2024 marketing and compliance issues was one their favorite of the Summit!
After a quick coffee break hosted by JSA, our first Keynote Speaker, Tony Rubleski shared How to Positively Disrupt Your Mindset and Business. The attendees enjoyed ideas and quite a few laughs with Tony’s engaging presentation. This was followed by lunch sponsored by brand new day and Central Health Plan in the Exhibit Hall. He was sponsored by HRBC as the Keynote Sponsor.
Alignment Health Plan, our Red Ribbon Sponsor opened our afternoon session with an engaging and fun video sharing the adventure in the jungle and shared some insights for 2024. Attendees then were able go to different sessions in the afternoon for presentations by Gale Gajordo with SCAN Health Plan “The Future of Medi-Medi,” Aaron Kassover from AgentMethods shared how to “Launch a Smart Insurance Website.” Steve Oden from AgencyBloc addressed “Why to Clients Leave?” Melissa Warren andThomas Drapala from Registered Social Security Analysts discussed” Complex Social Security Rules and Questions.” Carl Fisher from AFUSA provided an overview of “CA Mandatory Tax for Long Term Care.”
Jeff Sullivan of Senior Market Sales presented the CE Course “2023 Medicare Trends.” The day ended with two presentations: “Employer Benefits vs. Medicare Benefits,” A CE course by Mary King and David Garcia from Warner Pacific; and, Brad Miles proved a CE course on “Medicare Expert Toolbox for Agents.” Our snack break was sponsored by AgentMethods.
On Wednesday after breakfast sponsored by Berwick Insurance Group, our sessions opened with two presentations, “The New LTCI Opportunities for California Agents” by Stan Isreal and the second by Pete Blasi, the Financial Grade Senior Consultants provided “The Power of Branding.” We then addressed Legislative and compliance issues. “The Legislative Town Hall: Shore to Shore “was followed by a Q & A session with the attendees.
Panelists included Faith Borges, California Advocates, John Greene, NABIP, Tim Kanter, CAHIP and Nicholas Uehlecke, Todd Strategy Group.
After a coffee break sponsored by Optum, our second Keynote speaker, Bill Cates, The Referral Coach, presented “Don’t Keep Me a Secret.” The attendees were treated to great referral strategies. He was sponsored by Senior Market Sales.
After a lunch sponsored by Aetna Medicare Solutions, Patrick Rodriquez introduced “Medicare Advantage and Agent Support Resources Carrier panel including, Todd Alvarez, Wellcare, Michael Blea, SCAN Health Plan, David Milligan, Alignment Health, Martina Strickland, CleverCare and Larry Baca, Providence Health Plan. Our energizer break was provided by Center IPA Medical Group.
The day finished up with presentations by Chad Knies, Ameritas “Dental the Need to Know, Before and After the Sales”; Craig Gussin presented a CE class “How to Protect your Insurance Book of Business,” Nicholas Uehlecke shared a “Ted Talk; and, Brad Miles presented “Using US Government ApprovedDiscrimination.” The day wrapped up with Henery Romero of HRBC Insurance leading “Go Wild and Win Big with Jungle Bingo, Medicare’s Winning Adventure.”
Thursday was all about our carrier product presentations by Humana (Red Ribbon Sponsor), Wellcare (Red Ribbon Sponsor), Alignment (Red Ribbon Sponsor) Brand New Day and Central Health, Aetna Medicare, Anthem Blue Cross and UnitedHealthCare. Regal share “What is an IPA”. The Brokerage Inc sponsored breakfast and Prospect Medical Group provided our coffee break.
The event was closed out by the Grand prize presentation by LA Care Health Plan.
At the time of the writing of this article we have over 50 new members that have joined our NABIP association and generous contributions were made to our NABIP PAC. Thanks to our membership teams
Save the date for August 19 to 22, 2004 to be back at the Pechanga Resort and Casino. It promises to be even bigger and better than ever!
