2026 Forum Itinerary

Tuesday, September 22

11:00–11:50am – General Session

Actuarial Professionalism in Supplemental Benefits: Applying Standards Where It Matters

Actuarial professionalism shows up in everyday decisions—how we apply standards, exercise judgment, and communicate uncertainty. This session offers practical perspectives on navigating common professionalism challenges while supporting sound business decisions and maintaining trust in actuarial work.

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

12:45–1:45pm – General Session

Leadership – Development of Staff in AI World

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 – General session

A Broker’s Perspective

This session features Kent Horsman with Lockton sharing his thoughts on the landscape of supplemental benefits past, present and future. He’ll discuss client needs, how carriers can respond to those needs and what buyers are looking for. Kent will also share the broker’s perspective of the future of the supplemental benefits space with the additional scrutiny on these plans.

Speaker: Kent Horsman, SVP – Benefits Technology & Voluntary Benefits, Lockton Companies

2:45–3:00pm – Break

3:00–3:45pm – Concurrent Sessions

Beyond Medical Claims Data: Rethinking How We Drive VB Claim Integration

Many carriers believe medical claims data is the key to boosting VB claim submissions, but chasing medical records comes with integration, compliance, and delay hurdles. Let’s challenge that assumption by exploring alternative approaches for identifying claims opportunities by leveraging vendor partnerships and non-health claim data sets

Pardon the Insurance Interruption: Worksite Life Edition

Pardon the interruption – but the worksite life market has too many interesting topics for a slow traditional panel. In this “PTI”-inspired session, we’ll run a rapid-fire rundown of the most debated issues of the worksite life market, using a timer-driven format that keeps answers crisp, pointed, and actionable. The conversation is grounded in real worksite carrier questions and market intelligence including perspectives shaped by Milliman’s Worksite Life Survey and the speakers’ experiences.

3:45–4:00pm – Break

4:00–4:45pm – Concurrent Sessions

Stepping Up to the Plate: Reproductive Health Across Life Stages

Family and reproductive health are reshaping expectations for supplemental health coverage. Join this session to learn how fertility and reproductive health journeys are helping employers deliver more inclusive and innovative competitive offerings.

The Hidden Costs of File Feed Chaos: Why Data Accuracy is the First Step to VB Growth

Every benefits carrier and TPA struggle with the flood of eligibility, payroll, and enrollment files – each with their own format, timing, and quirks. The challenges of effectively using these feeds ripple across the value chain causing billing headaches, claims errors, enrollment frustration, and lost trust. This session explores the hidden costs of data friction and shares practical strategies to standardize, validate and leverage feeds for smoother administration.

5:30–6:30PM – Cocktail Hour

Wednesday, September 23

7:30–9:00am – Breakfast

9:00–9:45am – General Session

Gateway to Growth: 2026 Survey Results for Supplemental Health

This session shares key findings from Milliman’s latest supplemental health market surveys and what the results reveal about the market today – what’s rising, what’s stalling, and what’s next. We’ll take the data beyond the Gateway, get to the heart of what’s driving decisions, and help you step up to the plate with confidence!

9:45–10:00am – Break

10:00–10:45AM – Concurrent Sessions

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About: The Employee’s Need for Enrollment Education and Communication

The goal is a successful enrollment, but how is this accomplished? How do the enrollment platform, the client and the carrier work together to provide guidance to employees so they are confident in their benefit decisions? Where does decision support come into play? Join this session for a discussion of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to benefit enrollment education and communication.

Speakers: Craig Rowe, GTEC Area Vice President, Gallagher
Bryan Hawkins, Senior Product Director, Upwise – MetLife

Living Benefits to Life Insurance: LTC, Critical Illness, and Beyond

Most permanent life insurance products include some means of accessing benefits prior to death: terminal illness acceleration riders, accelerations for long-term care, and sometimes critical illness. Regulation and law dictate how most of these benefits may be sold. Explore the current landscape of these products, and hear how companies and compliance experts view the extent of the market.

10:45–11:00am – Break

11:00–12:15pM – General Session

Through the Gateway: Navigating Today’s Legislative & Regulatory Landscape

Just as St. Louis serves as the Gateway to the West, this session opens the door to understanding today’s evolving legislative and regulatory environment. Join industry experts for a high-level look at federal and key state developments impacting life, disability and supplemental health insurance products. We’ll look at what’s changing and what’s coming next with an emphasis on practical awareness and forward-looking considerations.

12:15–1:30pm – Lunch

1:30–2:15pM – Concurrent Sessions

“But They Have It”: Managing State Objections and Competitive Comparisons

Carriers face growing frustration with inconsistent state approvals, unpredictable objections, and competitor filings that seem to get a pass on provisions your teams can’t get through. This session will explore practical strategies for navigating those disparities without burning bridges with regulators and while maintaining your credibility with peers in the marketplace.

Would You Underwrite That? Supplemental Health Decisions Beyond the Guidelines

Just as St. Louis stands at the Gateway to the West, underwriters often operate at the gateway between opportunity and risk. This session explores complex supplemental health underwriting scenarios where guidelines alone don’t provide the answer. Through audience polling and discussion, we’ll explore how underwriting judgment and market dynamics shape decisions, and why different organizations often reach different — but defensible — conclusions.

2:15–2:30pm – Break

2:30–3:15pm – Concurrent Sessions

Emerging Medical Innovations

 

Group Life & Disability: Connected Risks, Shared Outcomes

Group life and disability are tightly linked – by distribution, employer decision-making, and emerging experience trends – even when their models and metrics differ. This session examines where those linkages matter most, how recent experience is challenging traditional boundaries, and what life & disability leaders should be watching across the combined portfolio.

3:15–3:30pm – Break

3:30–4:15pm – Concurrent Sessions

Showing Value in the Show Me State

This session will feature case studies from account executives in the industry on how they deliver service excellence to their customers. Additionally, they will share best practices for presenting proof points to customers to show the value they are delivering. Lastly, we wil look ahead and share how AI HR tools will transform service delivery in the employee benefits industry.

Speak the Same Language: Real World Stories of Working with Actuaries and Underwriters

The names and places may have been changed, but these round-table discussions will share stories of misalignment among actuaries, underwriters, product, and marketing. We will problem-solve to determine what went wrong, what finally clicked, and what we wish we would have known earlier. The goal of this session is to have a better understanding of how to work together across disciplines that you can take with you to improve future interactions.

4:15–4:30pm – Break

5:30pm – Milliman Outing

Thursday, September 24

7:30–9:00am – Breakfast

9:00–9:45am – General Session

At the Gateway: A Regulator Speaks on Emerging Trends, Legislative Direction, and Oversight Expectations

As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, insurers are navigating increasing complexity, shifting priorities, and heightened scrutiny. This regulator-led discussion of emerging trends, legislative direction, and oversight expectations shaping the future of the supplemental benefits market.

9:45–10:00am – Break

10:00–10:45am – General Session

Cards vs. Cubs: The Great Debate in Supplemental Health Compliance

Is there a “GOAT” in supplemental health compliance? The same regulatory hot topics session you know and love but with a new format! This interactive session takes a debate-style approach to some of the most contested regulatory and compliance issues in the excepted benefit space. Using the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs rivalry as a backdrop, we’ll explore both sides of the argument on hot regulatory topics. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the trade-offs, compliance risks, and practical considerations on some key issues.

10:45–11:00am – Break

11:00–11:45am – General Session

Show Me AI – Using Chat Tools to Deliver Fast, Accurate Employee Benefits Customer Service

This session explores how insurance carriers, benefits administrators, and employers are successfully deploying AI powered chat tools to transform employee benefits customer service. Discover real-world implementations of conversational AI that handle high volumes of benefits inquiries with accuracy. Learn how natural language processing and generative AI enable chatbots to interpret complex questions, provide instant explanations of plan provisions and guide employees through enrollment decisions.

11:45am–12:00pm – Closing Remarks

12:00–12:50pm

I Just Can’t Get Enough: Actuarial Bonus Session

This bonus session offers content that goes beyond the conference’s core agenda, giving actuaries a chance to step back from day‑to‑day technical topics and gain broader professional perspective. Designed as a value‑add roundtable experience, the session focuses on issues, insights, and real‑world observations that don’t always fit neatly into standard breakout sessions but meaningfully impact actuarial work and leadership.