October Conference Report

October 17-19th –

Representatives from MBA Benefit Administrators attended a national conference in Minneapolis presented by the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA). The aim of the conference is to inform members of recent industry trends and to encourage a forum where other Third Party Administrators and other industry related companies may address current concerns and solutions.

This year the conference discussed a large amount of information which dealt with cybersecurity. There were both general sessions on cybersecurity as well as several break-out sessions which dealt with the more technical aspects of the subject.

MBA was pleased to have one of its own, Keith Klingler (MBA’s Chief Security Officer), requested to help head a forum on what companies are doing to prepare for the upcoming Phase 2 of the OCR audits. The product was, by the accounts of the host as well as several attendees, a success. Bringing the problems associated with the upcoming Office of Civil Rights (OCR) audits into a more manageable and down to earth approach. The efforts of Klingler and his team were successful in bringing about a new forum on the SPBA website dedicated to the security and compliance needs of its members.

MBA, a member of the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators, keeps abreast of the constantly changing climate of the Self-Funded Insurance world. Using the information from these and other conferences allows MBA to stay up-to-date with upcoming rules and regulations. It also allows MBA the opportunity to voice opinions to the regulators as to the potential impact that the regulations may have on our clients. This has been proven to be an excellent resource in staving off bad regulations and keeping MBA informed on recent and upcoming changes to better serve its clients.