IRES is divided into seven sections based on the interests of its members. Here are the seven sections – including the sessions they'll present at the upcoming Career Development Seminar. If you have a question about that section's activities, or if you would like to offer to assist with CDS, please phone or E-mail that section chair.



Financial Section
Contact Section Chair: Donald Carbone, CIE
  dcarbone@ins.state.ny.us | 212-480-5142
TeamMate 2000 Demo – An overview of how this new electronic workpaper software can assist both financial and market conduct examiners. You're heard about it, now come and see it!
The Federal Reserve – Talk about the "umbrella supervisor," how the Fed regulates and conducts examinations, its risk-based approach to exams.
Form A Database – The NAIC's long-needed tool to capture data on mergers and acquisitions: what data are collected, how it works, how successful it is.
Financial Analysis Working Group – How this NAIC body works, when it meets, what it does, how companies are scored.
Its Time Has Come – How ACL, the electronic audit software, can assist examiners

Consumer Services Section
Contact Section Chair: Paul J. Bicica, CIE
  pbicica@bishca.state.va.us | 812-828-4884
Hot Topics and Cold Facts – Panel discussion of current issues affecting consumers, including viaticals, fraudulent annuities, sale of life policies, paper review of medical claims.
Banking on Your Medical Records – Can you count on them to remain private, especially with banks and insurers merging? What will and won't be protected under state or federal law.
Medicare HMO Terminations – What are the options for Medicare HMO members threatened with losing coverage and having to change doctors? What insurance departments have done to help.
How to Get 10 People into a VW – A panel discussion on investigating auto and health claim fraud.
Long-Term Care Policies That Partner with Medicaid – Panel discussing pilot project of the Health Care Financing Administration/Long Term Care Partnership.

Market Conduct Section
Contact Section Chair: Kirk R. Yaeger, CIE
  kirk.yeager@dora.state.co.us | 303-894-7749
Proactive Market Conduct – Regulators and industry share what works and what doesn't work in market conduct exams.
TeamMate 2000 Demo – An overview of how this new electronic workpaper software can assist both financial and market conduct examiners. You're heard about it, now come and see it!
How Do Your Exams Measure Up? – Using management skills to improve the quality and quantity of market conduct exams.
It's Only a Guide – Using the NAIC's Market Conduct Handbook to develop a state-specific handbook.
Dueling Attorneys – Does litigation help or harm consumers? Plaintiff attorneys and insurers debate the importance and dangers of litigation, class actions and punitive damage awards.

Life and Health Section
Contact Section Chair: Maryellen Baker, AIE
Friend or Foe? – Do Medicare supplement HMOs provide better benefits that traditional supplemental plans? How are senior handling preauthorization requirements and other issues?
What's Hot and What's Not – We'll take a look at new life and annuity products, discuss what consumers are looking for, how the industry is meeting their needs.
CARFRA – An update on Coordinated Advertising, Rate and Form Review Authority, the proposed national clearinghouse for rate and form filings.
Patient's Bill of Rights – A look at states with their own such bills, whether they really provide added protection: Are denials being overturned, are consumers satisfied? How abut a federal bill?
Dead or Alive – Exactly what viatical settlements are and how they're supposed to work, whether states need specific new laws to govern them.

Property and Casualty Section
Contact Section Chair: Jo A. LeDuc, CIE
  jo.leduc@oci.state.wi.us | 608-267-9708
Does it Help or Hurt? – A debate between industry, regulators and consumers on the use of credit scores to rate and underwrite personal insurance. Back by popular demand.
Formula K – A panel discussion by regulators, industry and consumer representatives on risk classification and data collection. Who should have access to data? What and how to file.
ABCs of Credit – Learn the basics of credit and mortgage insurance.
Workers Comp – Learn how retrospective comp policies work, the differences among various types, ins and outs of the retro formula.

Producer Licensing Section
Contact Section Chair: Laurna J. Landphier
Best Practices – Realistic compliance strategies to speed agent time to market while achieving excellence in market conduct exams. Hands-on tools to evaluate existing processes and minimize violations.
Crime and Punishment – The impact of the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 on companies and licensing administrators – including a mock trial!
Licensing in the 21st Century – Discussion of the National Insurance Producer Registry and its collaborative approach to common goal: more uniformity in licensing.
Cyber-Education – Panel of experts reviews how agents are able to complete continuing ed requirements over the Internet.

Enforcement and Compliance Section
Contact Section Chair: Susan Ezalarab, CIE
  sue.ezalarab@oci.wi.us | 608-266-8885
Fraud Update – A panel of state fraud directors tells all.
Internet Fraud – Federal/state efforts to combat online fraud, what resources are available to state regulators.
Are We Sinking or Swimming? – Panel discussion of market conduct compliance procedures, how states work to encourage compliance.
Internet Regulation, Part I – The basics of regulating and enforcing regulations with respect to online insurance sales, including tools and laws that affect only business.
Internet Regulation, Part II – Panel discussion of the best practices in monitoring insurer activities on the Internet.