2025 Forum Itinerary

Tuesday, September 9

11:00–11:50am – General Session

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.

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

12:45–1:45pm – General Session

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.

1:45–2:00pm – Break

2:00–2:45pm – Concurrent sessions

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.

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!

2:45–3:00pm – Break

3:00–3:45pm – General Session

Artificial Intelligence: Applications of the Buzzwords in Real Life

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.

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.

5:30–6:30PM – Cocktail Hour

Wednesday, September 10

7:30–9:00am – Breakfast

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.

9:45–10:00am – Break

10:00–10:45AM – Concurrent Sessions

Value Adds: 4 W’s + 1 H

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.

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.

10:45–11:00am – Break

11:00–11:45AM – Concurrent Sessions

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.

Exploring Employee Attitudes Toward Supplemental Benefits

This session will focus on survey results and insights from industry experts. Join us for a deep dive into employee survey results. We will look more closely at how employee attitudes and behaviors towards voluntary employee benefits vary by demographic components. This report looks at the data by generation, occupation, income and presence of children in the household, employer size and industry.

11:45am–1:00pm – Lunch

1:00–1:45pM – General Session

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.

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.

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.

2:45–3:00pm – Break

3:00–3:45pm – 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.

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.

3:45–4:00pm – Break

4:00–4:45pm – Concurrent Sessions

Be a Maverick – Learn to Understand your Actuary

If you occasionally interact with an actuary, or would like to someday, this session is for you! Some of the industry’s most accessible actuaries will be on hand to explore the basics of pricing and interpret what we do on a daily basis. We may even explain why that optional benefit you have been asking about costs 3% more.

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.

5:30pm – Milliman Outing

Thursday, September 11

7:30–9:00am – Breakfast

9:00–9:45am – General Session

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!

9:45–10:00am – Break

10:00–10:45am – General Session

The Power of Partnership: How Brokers, General Agents, and Enrollment Firms Are Transforming 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.

10:45–11:00am – Break

11:00–11:45am – General Session

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.

11:45am–12:00pm – Closing Remarks

12:00–12:50pm

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!