Three Maryland health insurance agent associations have joined to offer a certification course on consumer-directed health care (CDHC), providing valuable continuing education credits to agents and brokers throughout the mid-Atlantic.

The CDHC certification course will be held Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Columbia, Md. The four-hour CE credit course runs from 8 a.m. to noon at the Hilton Columbia. Credits are approved in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The event is co-sponsored by the Baltimore Association of Health Underwriters (BAHU), Greater Washington Association of Health Underwriters (GWAHU) and the Eastern Shore Association of Health Underwriters (ESAHU). All agents are eligible to attend the course and receive the CE credits; members of the association pay the member rate.

The class will explain CDHC market options, including the Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). The CDHC certification course is designed to ensure a strong technical knowledge of the rules and regulations pertaining to various types of CDHC options and proven methods for communicating those options to employers and employees in a compelling way.

The class is open to employers as well.

Other covered topics include eligibility, contributions, technical elements and implementing CDHC plans.

The seminar was created by the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), the umbrella organization for the three local groups.

Cost is $135 for NAHU members; $185 for non-members. Members can pre-register directly online here until Oct. 18, or bring the completed paper registration form to the door. Non-members may print out the paper registration (click here to download the form), and bring it to the door along with payment. (NOTE: The NAHU form states that registrations will not be accepted within seven days of the event. The local associations are waiving that restriction, and will accept registrations at the door.)

In addition, non-members of NAHU who attend the class can apply for a reimbursement of the cost of the class if they join NAHU.