2025 Forum Itinerary

Tuesday, September 9

11:00–11:50am – General Session

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Actuarial Professionalism – A Texas-Sized Challenge

Are you alone in the Lone Star state, or are others facing the same challenges? We will be reviewing professionalism challenges that have arisen due to recent regulations, AI, and BIG data.

Speakers: Ashlee Borcan, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.
Matt Fleischman, Executive Director & Actuary, Trustmark

12:30–12:45pm – NASBI Conference Welcome

Plaza Ballroom B/C

12:45–1:45pm – General Session

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Lassoing Perspectives

We’ve had sales panels. We’ve had broker panels. Now, we’re bringing them together! This session will help us understand the collaborative strategies for sales and brokers to have success when positioning voluntary benefits.

Speakers: Hilary Hulshult, GBDS, Supplemental Benefit Solutions Director, Avant Specialty Benefits
Paul Miehlke, Account Executive, MetLife
Jeremy Parr, National Practice Leader – Voluntary Benefits, Lincoln Financial Services
Lindsey Shirey, Voluntary Benefits Consultant, Gallagher
Stephanie Turgeon, National Sales Leader, MetLife

1:45–2:00pm – Break

2:00–2:45pm – Concurrent sessions

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Hitching Wagons: Driving Value Through Claim Integration

In the world of benefits, bringing supplemental, medical, and disability claims together isn’t just smart – it’s game-changing. In this session, we’ll explore how seamless claim integration can enhance the customer experience, improve outcomes, and drive real value for clients. Through in-depth case studies, you’ll see firsthand the impact of doing it right – what worked, what challenges arose, and how integration led to measurable success. Join us to uncover the insights that will help you blaze the trail toward smarter, more connected benefits solutions.

Speakers: Mallory Dube, VP Product, New York Life
Matt Ennis, Director of Product, Strategy, & Marketing, Reliance Matrix
John Locy, EVP, Head of Partnerships, Pasito

Pegasus A/B

Living Large & Thinking Big in the Worksite Life Market

The voluntary worksite market continues to be an opportunity to sell life insurance products. This session will feature panelists discuss the most recent market trends, risks, and growth opportunities to enable the audience to Think Big!

Speakers: Bill Mehilos, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.
Austin Rombalski, Executive Director & Actuary, Trustmark
Tim Sintich, Divisional Sales Manager, MassMutual

2:45–3:00pm – Break

3:00–3:45pm – General Session

Plaza Ballroom B/C

AI Rodeo: Wrangling Buzzwords into Real-Life Applications

We all recognize that AI is a significant buzzword across various industries today, but is it truly making a difference in voluntary benefits? We’ll listen to industry experts discuss how they’re practically applying AI to positively impact every aspect of the business.

Speakers: Dr. Alison Baker, VP & Medical Director, Prudential
Justin Ito, Senior Advisor for Enterprise Data and AI – Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command, CTO –Sequoia Port
Manish Mandelia, Principal & Managing Director, Milliman Connect
Facilitator: Christy Swain, Director of Supplemental Health Product Development & Management, Prudential

3:45–4:00pm – Break

4:00–4:45pm – General Session

Saddling Up for Change: Regulatory Outlook & Insights Under the New Administration

Speakers will discuss the expected impact of the new federal administration on supplemental benefits regulation, the ongoing status and influence of the 2024 tri-agency ruling, and other potential impactful federal regulations and changes.

Speakers: Cindy Goff, VP Supplemental Benefits & Group Insurance, ACLI
Tarie Summers, Head of Supplemental Health Products, The Hartford

5:30–6:30PM – Cocktail Hour

Wednesday, September 10

7:30–9:00am – Breakfast

Plaza A

9:00–9:45am – General Session

Roping in the Rules: State Regulators’ Take on Regulatory Hot Topics & Emerging Trends

A panel discussion with several of our favorite state regulators offering perspective and insight into current supplemental benefits regulatory activity in their respective jurisdictions, inclusive of state-level impacts from ongoing federal activity.

Speakers: Latif Almanzan, Director, Life and Health Division, Texas Department of Insurance
Cindy Goff, VP Supplemental Benefits & Group Insurance, ACLI
Tarie Summers, Head of Supplemental Health Products, The Hartford
Eric Vieweg, Associate Insurance Examiner, Connecticut Dept. of Insurance

9:45–10:00am – Break

10:00–10:45AM – Concurrent Sessions

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Value Adds: Hold ‘Em or Fold ‘Em?

Why Value Adds are important, who benefits from them, when are they important, how we can enhance their significance, and what regulatory considerations we need to keep in mind to maximize their impact.

Speakers: Taylor McKinnon, JD, Principal and Compliance Consultant, Milliman Inc.
Joe Refano, VP Strategic Partnerships, Care.com
Annie Scofield, Sales Director, Vori Health
Christy Swain, Director of Supplemental Health Product Development & Management, Prudential
Zhivago Velasco, AVP Wellness & Value, Mass Mutual
Facilitator: Stephanie Turgeon, National Product Director, MetLife

Navigating the Big Blend: Hybrid and LTC

Voluntary benefits insurers continue to innovate in the hybrid life and LTC market, and new carriers have entered the space since our last NASBI. This panel will share about new product designs, provide an update on state and federal legislative efforts, discuss evolving actuarial considerations and matters going around the bend into 2026.

Speaker: Robert Eaton, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.
Marc Glickman, CEO & Actuary, BuddyIns
Christin Kuretich, Vice President, Supplemental Products, Voya Financial

10:45–11:00am – Break

11:00–11:45AM – Concurrent Sessions

Riding High: Mastering Your Consultative Skills

Saddle up for this high-energy workshop where we’ll explore ways to sharpen your consultative approach in the ever-changing landscape of supplemental benefits. You’ll learn to communicate with confidence, adapt to shifting conditions, and turn obstacles into opportunities. Walk away with practical tools to wrangle complex conversations and steer clients and brokers toward success.

Speakers: Mallory Dube, VP Product, New York Life
Keanu Vela, Director of Client Solutions, New York Life

Pegasus A/B

Exploring Employee Attitudes and Preferences Toward Supplemental Benefits

This session will focus on the most recent Eastbridge employee survey results and insights for 2025. Join us for a deep dive into employee attitudes and preferences about voluntary benefits that will cover topics such as what types of voluntary benefits employees own, reasons employees purchase voluntary products and their preferences about education, communication and enrollment for those benefits.

Speakers: Ginger Bates, Director of Research, Eastbridge
Danielle Lehman, Senior Consultant, Eastbridge

11:45am–1:00pm – Lunch

Plaza A

1:00–1:45pM – General Session

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Dallas Showdown: Building the Best Offer in Voluntary Benefits

In this engaging game show-style panel discussion, the audience will play a crucial role in navigating the tensions among sales, underwriting, product development and actuarial teams in crafting voluntary supplemental benefits. The session will explore how to balance creativity in product design, the risk-driven nature of pricing, underwriting’s gatekeeping role, and sales’ ultimate goal of delivering marketable solutions.

Speakers: Amanda Desousa, AVP, Supplemental Health, Lincoln Financial Group
Kaitlin Hanson, Account Executive, MetLife
Sally Sommerville, Manager, Supplemental Health Underwriting, Voya Financial
Cierra Sullivan, Manager, Actuarial, Aflac

2:00–2:45pm – Concurrent Sessions

Marketing: Beyond the Flyer

Join us for a deep dive into supplemental health and effective marketing. Hear from experts on unique marketing challenges facing our industry and why product education is critical to establishing customer value.

Speakers: Christine Latore, VP Insurance, Ansel Health
Nicole Williams, Head of Partnership, Nayya

Pegasus A/B

Trends and Risk Factors in Short-Term Disability and Group Life Insurance

In an evolving insurance landscape, staying ahead of sales trends, product innovation, and emerging risk factors is critical for success. This expert panel will dive into the latest developments in short-term disability and group life insurance, exploring shifts in consumer demand, underwriting advancements, and the growing role of data-driven decision-making.

Speakers: Kevin Cranston, VP Head of Product & Market Insights, Reliance Matrix
Bill Mehilos, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.
Scott Pushman, Life & Disability National Practice Leader, MetLife
Maleiha Russell, VP Life, Absence & Disability Product, Voya Financial

2:45–3:00pm – Break

3:00–3:45pm – Concurrent Sessions

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Lone Star Roundtable: Roping in Supplemental Insurance Insights

Lone Star Roundtables: Roping in Supplemental Insurance Insights
Join us for Lone Star Roundtables, where attendees will engage in dynamic, table-based discussions. This is your chance to connect with peer leaders in the industry, forge new relationships, and dive into vibrant conversations about the latest in supplemental insurance – all tailored to the Texas spirit.

Speaker: Lindsay Evans, Director, Supplemental Accounts Underwriting, The Standard

Pegasus A/B

Bigger Storms, Smarter Solutions: AI and its role in the evolution of insurance

Join us as we introduce different AI technologies and discuss how harnessing the power of AI could revolutionize our industry.

Speaker: Dr. Jerald Martin, VP, Supplemental, Life, Disability Underwriting, USAble Life

3:45–4:00pm – Break

4:00–4:45pm – Concurrent Sessions

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Be a Maverick – Improve Your Success through Better Communication

It requires a lot in both dollars and time to build the right product. Have you ever felt those resources were wasted because the product wasn’t what you expected? One key area for a breakdown is internal communication – often involving the actuary. Some say we actuaries speak a different language! Join us as we explore how to improve internal communication – not because you want to be BFF with your actuary, but because you want the best product for your marketing and sales teams! Remember, better communication brings better results!!

Speakers: Aaron Monastra, Actuary, Aflac
Dan Paffumi, Vice President & Actuary, Prudential Financial
Darrell Spell, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.

It’s Time for a Re-Vamp!

You’ve been in the supplemental market for a while, but it’s time to update – again! In this session we will discuss how to apply design thinking, which would include considerations and potential pitfalls when entering your second, third, or tenth product development cycle for accident, CI, or HI.

Speakers: Matt Ennis, Director, Strategy, Product & Marketing, Reliance Standard
Jimmy Weck, Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.

6:00pm – Milliman Outing

Thursday, September 11

7:30–9:00am – Breakfast

Plaza A

9:00–9:45am – General Session

Plaza Ballroom B/C

The Big D(ata): What Market Surveys Reveal About Supplemental Health Insurance

They say everything’s bigger in Texas – including opinions on supplemental health products. Join us in The Big D as we discuss key insights from recent market surveys. Don’t miss this chance to turn data into action!

Speakers: Morgan Blau, Director, Product Pricing – Supplemental Benefits, Voya Financial
Jen Howard, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.
Michael Weilant, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Inc.

9:45–10:00am – Break

10:00–10:45am – General Session

Don’t Tex Me – I’m Enrollin’: How Brokers, General Agents, and Enrollment Firms Are Partnering to Transform Supplemental Benefits Enrollment

In the evolving landscape of supplemental benefits, collaboration between brokers, general agents (GAs), and enrollment firms is becoming a key driver of success. Employers demand a seamless and effective enrollment experience, yet navigating multiple carriers, platforms, and compliance requirements can be overwhelming. This session will explore how these three groups – brokers, GAs, and enrollment firms – are working together to streamline the enrollment process, improve employee participation, and ultimately deliver better outcomes for employers.

Speakers: Dana Lindsey, Vice President, PES-one
Andrew Monk, Director, Benefits Education, The Cason Group
Jake Sealey, Enrollment Technology Consultant, MassMutual
Greg Seymour, VP Employee Benefits, Brown & Brown
Lindsey Shirey, Voluntary Benefits Consultant, Gallagher

10:45–11:00am – Break

11:00–11:45am – General Session

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Big Dilemmas in the Big D: Navigating Supplemental Insurance Regulations

Y’all, saddle up and join us in Dallas, Texas, where everything is bigger, including the challenges in the supplemental insurance regulatory space! This session will wrangle the latest and most pressing regulatory issues affecting Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity products. In a new twist from previous years, we’ll have carrier representatives join us on stage to provide feedback on these regulatory challenges and offer insights into potential solutions.

Speakers: Beth Casey, Senior Compliance Analyst, Milliman, Inc.
Carla Fritz, AVP State Filing, Sunlife
Daniel Haas, Product Specialist – Product and Underwriting – Travel, Accident & Health, Zurich Cover-More
Taylor McKinnon, Principal & Compliance Consultant, Milliman, Inc.

11:45am–12:00pm – Closing Remarks

Plaza Ballroom B/C

12:00–12:50pm

Plaza Ballroom B/C

Actuarial Wrap-Up: is it the Heat or the Humidity?

In our closing actuarial session, we will review what we heard the last few days and opine on where the market is going next. You won’t want to miss this session, or you’ll leave Dallas Hot!

Speakers: Matt Fleischman, Executive Director & Actuary, Trustmark
Mike Hawksworth, VP & Actuary, Trustmark