Brendan Krelle's Schools

• University of Colorado , Class of 1988 Bachelors in Business Administration

Brendan Krelle's Publications

• Registered Health Underwriter (RHU), Brendan Krelle January, 2011 A health care insurance executive, Brendan Krelle commands over 20 years of industry experience. Additionally, Brendan Krelle sustains certification as a Registered Health Underwriter (RHU). The Registered Health Underwriter credential remains the premiere accreditation for financial advisors and other professionals actively selling or providing health insurance products or services, including medical insurance, long-term care insurance, and disability income options. In order to gain certification as a Registered Health Underwriter, a candidate must effectively demonstrate proficiency across a broad course of study. The comprehensive RHU examination covers an array of insurance and benefit-related subjects, including COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA, and all related privacy regulations. Additionally, the RHU assessment tests a professional’s understanding of Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, federal worker health plans, cafeteria plans, voluntary benefit plans, self-funded, and group dental options. RHU candidates learn to analyze managed care and benefits options from a variety of vantage points. In addition to successfully engaging the RHU examination, designees must acquit no less than 30 hours of continuing education every 2-year cycle. Maintaining accreditation as a Registered Health Underwriter indicates that the professional in question retains a comprehensive understanding of the health insurance and disability benefits industry.

• A Brief History of American Health Insurance, Brandon Krelle March, 2011 by Brendan Krelle Worldwide, health insurance is a relatively recent phenomenon. Throughout most of history, individuals paid for healthcare costs out of pocket. The insurance industry in the United States appeared during the Civil War and has grown steadily since then. These original insurance plans did not cover members for the costs of illness or physical injury, but they did provide coverage for travel-related accidents. The first individual health insurance plans in the United States appeared in the 1890s, with group plans following in the late 1920s. This first group plan consisted of an arrangement between an association of teachers in Dallas, Texas, who paid a monthly fee to a local hospital in exchange for guaranteed access to medical services. Health insurance as an industry experienced widespread grown in the 1930s and 1940s, partly due to the Great Depression. Established in the early 20th century, Blue Cross and Blue Shield began offering discount programs at this time. These plans allowed patients access to affordable care while promising hospitals and physicians greater volume and guaranteed payment. Employer-sponsored health insurance plans appeared in the 1940s, influenced by the strong labor union movement of the time and wartime regulations that limited how much employers could pay prospective employees. Seeking to attract top talent but unable to offer higher wages, employers instead developed more comprehensive benefits packages. Medicare and Medicaid came into effect in 1965 under the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Medicare provides health insurance to individuals over the age of 65, and Medicaid assists low-income families with medical costs. Since their inception, Medicare and Medicaid have gradually absorbed a larger proportion of healthcare spending in the United States, from 25 percent in 1965 to approximately 50 percent by the mid 1990s. Managed care plans, starting with health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and followed by preferred provider organizations (PPOs), which appeared in the 1970s and became ubiquitous by the 1980s. Designed as a cost-containment measure, these programs largely replaced the fee-for-service model of previous health insurance plans. Since the 1990s, various plans have been proposed to deal with rising healthcare costs and growing numbers of uninsured Americans, but most proposals failed to pass through Congress. President Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare law was the first major change in healthcare insurance regulation since the mid 1990s. About the Author: An expert in health insurance sales, Brendan Krelle serves as the Director of Sales at CNIC Health Solutions. He has extensive experience in developing comprehensive and cost-effective health and benefits plans for businesses and state high-risk pools.

• Brendan Krelle’s 10 Tips for Distance Cyclers, Brendan Krelle March, 2011 By Brendan Krelle As an avid distance cycler and mountain biker, Brendan Krelle enjoys bicycle touring. Because of the need to take equipment with you on distance cycling trips, the sport requires careful preparation and use of appropriate items. Brendan Krelle offers the following tips for distance cyclers. 1. Train before embarking on a bicycle tour. Gradually increase your distance, carrying weight similar to the gear you plan to take with you. When you can ride for about 70 to 80 percent of a typical touring day, you are ready to go on your trip. 2. If you do not have a support vehicle going along, and you plan a long distance tour with some camping along the way, dress in layers and only bring one change of whatever it is you plan to wear, as well as a pair of clipless shoes for walking. You can wash one set of clothes while wearing the other. 3. Utilize technical fabrics that wick moisture, as well as minimizing wind shear and chafing. Take water-resistant PVC rainwear in case of inclement weather. 4. Always carry first aid and emergency gear, as well as a cellular phone. 5. Use a CamelBak hydration backpack or something similar, and refill it when you stop. 6. Before leaving, have a mechanic tune up your bike. 7. Take extra tubes with you, bringing one tube for every 500 miles you plan to travel. 8. Safety remains essential. Bring reflective gear, lights, rear-view mirrors, a helmet, and other necessary safety equipment on your tour, even if you are just going for a long day ride. 9. Ride with a partner to ensure safety. 10. Make sure you eat regularly along the way in order to sustain your energy.

• CNIC Health Solutions Advantages, Brendan Krelle October, 2011 by Brendan Krelle Since 2008, I have served as Director of Sales at CNIC Health Solutions in Denver, a third-party administrator of Rocky Mountain Health Plans. CNIC offers companies of between 50 and 5,000 employees access to top-tier health plan administration and care management services. With a history stretching back to 1987, CNIC stands as Colorado’s largest third-party administrator, covering many firms’ medical, dental, and vision benefits management needs. Through coordinated, single-point-of-contact customer service, our firm simplifies complex insurance and benefits matters for employees and workers alike. With preferred provider organization (PPO) fee schedules loaded into the CNIC administrative database, re-pricing occurs throughout the system, with no need for third-party re-pricing. Our firm maintains strategic partnerships with select PPOs and pharmacy benefit management providers, enabling the identification of large claims early in the process. In working with non-PPO providers, CNIC undertakes direct negotiations on provider and hospital bills. CNIC coordinates closely with stop-loss carriers and plan administrators, ensuring that details regarding diagnosis and expected future claims are accessed in the timeliest manner possible. Having this information at hand is critical in evaluating specific and aggregate thresholds, as well as stop-loss bids. CNIC and its preferred partners also provide claimants with access to relevant education and resources on health issues, allowing them to improve their wellbeing through maximized services and benefits. I am privileged to be part of a CNIC Health Solutions team that provides its clients with full administrative services, extending to FLEX claim processing and the issuing of checks. We generate data required under IRS and Department of Labor regulations, incorporating spending account records into reports for covered employees. Utilizing industry-approved software, CNIC also produces plan booklets in-house, custom designing and printing ID cards for participating employees. Our well-established relationships with local and national PPOs allow us to easily locate and set up PPO networks on behalf of clients, re-pricing internally for these networks. As a representative of one of the leading health care administration providers in the Mountain West, I recommend visiting CNIC Health Solutions at www.cnichs.com and exploring our full range of solutions. About the author: A Registered Health Underwriter, Brendan Krelle earned a B.S. in Business Administration at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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