Viewpoint
By Tom Mather
Let’s Hope for a Happy New Year
ere we are in a New Year and with a very scary sce- the Globe. We’re there to make it happen, beginning with
H
nario shaping up in our industry. It remains to be our International Conference at the Conrad Centennial in
seen as to what will happen to the self-insurance Singapore, January 26-28, 2010, with participation from
approaches in this country but hopefully we shall persevere countries all over the World.
and continue on as we have for
many years. Further government With each passing year members of
involvement in medical care is a very the organization have come forward
real concern at this point as it has
been in the past.
Give them their much
and are willing to volunteer for posi-
tions on the Board of Directors, the
deserved pat on the
many committees and leadership
In the late part of 1980 a group of
businessmen got together and decid-
back the next time
rolls as our officers. Remuneration
for their unending contributions to
ed to form an organization known as
your paths cross
the organization include a couple of
the Self-Insurance Institute of nice dinners each year and a pat on
America, Inc. SIIA will celebrate its the back by the membership. In the
30th anniversary this year. The self- meantime they achieve a great deal
insured healthcare industry was in its infancy in those days, of success in preserving and protecting the industry and
and while the casualty sector had been involved in self- moving it forward with great success in both good times
insured approaches for many years, there was little connec- and tough times.
tion between the two except in a few very large industries.
The organization saw the need to connect the two seg- Presently our industry is facing challenges like never
ments, move forward with its regulatory needs and expand before. We were able to overcome similar challenges in
the growth of the excess insurance industry to support it. the past because of the leadership and devotion of its
membership to this organization from its very beginnings.
As the years went by all of those elements came together We can do it again if we continue to work together in the
including self-insured group approaches, the growth of present efforts.
the captive marketplace, the development and expansion
of risk retention groups and a very strong lobbying effort You will find a complete listing of the officers and directors
that has reached out very effectively to the lawmakers and for 2010 elsewhere in this edition of The Self-Insurer. Give
regulators at both the Federal and State levels throughout them their much deserved pat on the back the next time
the country. your paths cross. In the meantime, seriously consider join-
ing one of the many committees that need your involve-
The need to educate both the public and the incoming pro- ment, your talents and your knowledge. You will not be
fessionals in our business led to the development of the sorry you did.
Self-Insurance Educational Foundation. This branch of
the organization conducts statistical research regarding the Happy New Year! Let’s see if we can keep it that way.
industry and grants educational scholarships to students
whose studies focus on the self-insurance industry. Tom Mather
Managing Editor
In more recent times the International Committee has
moved the organization into a worldwide exposure on sev-
eral Continents and continues to do so this year in both
Asia and Europe. The alternative risk transfer industry is of
tremendous interest in emerging industrial nations across
The Self-Insurer
©
/ January 2010 • 29
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