Comments on LTC Informal Draft Due to TALHI Today
If you have comments you would like to include in the joint TALHI/ACLI letter on the recently released informal LTC draft, please send them to Jennifer by COB today.

OPIC Recommendations
The Office of Public Insurance Counsel is recommending to the legislature that health plans should be able to provide required updates by text and email. See their full report here, and refer to Recommendation 3.

IRO Rule Proposal
TDI is requesting comments on proposed updates to the rules independent review organizations must follow when providing notification of determinations for appeals from adverse determinations of certain health benefits. More information on these changes can be found here. Please send any comments or concerns to Jennifer.

Mark Your Calendar for the Forum & Lobby Day
Make plans to join us March 19-20 in Austin for TALHI’s 2019 Legislative Forum & Lobby Day. Sponsor information is available, as are a general schedule and online registration. We also have a discounted hotel rate available at the Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental, which is only a few blocks away from our Forum venues, the Austin Club and the TALHI office. Thank you to our sponsors to date, Allstate and Prudential.

Weekly Calls During Session
The next legislative & policy update member call will be Wednesday, January 30, at 10 am Central. To call in, dial 1-888-537-7715 and enter code 200-68-174# when prompted. The agenda will be posted on both the website and mobile app prior to the call.

Please note that during the legislative session, member calls will be restricted to Regular Members due to the more sensitive strategic nature of the calls. However, if an Associate Member is working on behalf of a Regular Member, let us know and we can add that person to the distribution. Jennifer will be happy to answer any questions Associate Members have about legislation or policy issues during session via email or direct phone call.

New Roll Call Procedure
We want all attendees to be comfortable speaking up on calls, and to know who else is listening. Therefore, we are implementing a new roll call system for upcoming calls. When dialing in, all attendees will need to state their name and company when prompted during the call-in; this will be used for a new automatic roll call feature. Attendees who decline to use this automated feature and latecomers to the call will be given the opportunity to verbally announce themselves. Anyone not announcing themselves will be dropped from the call. Thank you for understanding.