PIANJ representatives attended the Federal Legislative Summit April 6-7, 2016, in Washington, D.C., where they talked with legislators about health care and flood insurance.

PIANJ representatives included: PIANJ President Charles J. Caruso, CIC, CPIA; First Vice President Donald F. LaPenna Jr.; Vice President Kacy Campion-Renna, CIC; Vice President Rip Bush; Treasurer Bruce Blum; Secretary Steven C. Radespiel; immediate past President Glenn Tippy, CPCU, CLU; National Director and PIANJ past President Keith A. Savino, CPIA; past Presidents Louis Beckerman and William R. Vowteras, CPIA; Directors Michael DeStasio Jr., Andrew Harris Jr., Michael J. Merwin, CIC, CRM, CPCU, MBA, CRIS, and Thomas Wilkens; PIANJ-YIP President Natalie Bruno, CPIA; Legislative Representative Leon Zimmerman; and PIA Gernment Affairs Counsel Bradford J. Lachut, Esq.

They asked their elected representatives to co-sponsor S.1661, which would provide that compensation for agents and brokers be exempt from the medical-loss ratio calculation under the health-care law. The bill would reverse the current MLR policy, which has caused reductions in agent compensation and forced agents out of the health market, leaving consumers without guidance in selecting health plans.

Additionally, PIA members asked their representatives to co-sponsor S.2045, which would repeal the excise tax on employer-based health plans. This tax will affect the majority of employer-based plans negatively and PIA supports repealing it before it is implemented in 2020. For more on the event, see the June issue of PIA magazine.