Presenting health benefits
information across the nation
Kevin Lyons shares his expertise at NAPO seminar
Most members recognize NJ State PBA Health Benefits
Coordinator Kevin Lyons as an expert on the latest facts and
figures in health care. But Lyons has also become the face of
health benefits expertise for the National Association of Police
Organizations (NAPO) and the 241,000 law enforcement offi-
cers that it represents.
On Jan. 29, Lyons took the stand at NAPO’s 30th Annual
Pension and Benefits Seminar at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
to lead another lucrative presentation on trends and medi-
cal plan designs. While sharing the ins and outs of healthcare
spending and benefits for law enforcement has become sec-
ond nature after serving seven years as the PBA Health Ben-
efits Coordinator, Lyons acknowledged that presenting at
NAPO – where no two agencies are the same – requires a dif-
ferent approach.
“It’s a different set of circumstances speaking to that group
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NEW JERSEY COPS
■ FEBRUARY 2018
rather than speaking to ours, because everybody (in the PBA)
is very similar,” Lyons noted. “You go around the country, and
they have all different situations.”
Lyons combined his experience and training to put togeth-
er a PowerPoint presentation that provided a wide range of
healthcare information to benefit the needs of agencies across
the country. His session addressed the different hurdles each
faced, like in Detroit, where officers don’t receive health bene-
fits after retirement until they are eligible for Medicare.
“What I try to do is give you the gamut of different types
of healthcare plans, from less restrictive to most restrictive,”
Lyons detailed. “You try to go through each one and explain
what the benefits are, show the cost savings or expenses.”
Healthcare was one of many useful topics explored at the
Pension and Benefits Seminar, which also included cyberse-
curity, protection of officer benefits and retirement saving. It
was clear that Lyons’ presentation struck a chord with NAPO
members. Many lined up after his remarks to ask questions
and hand business cards to Lyons, requesting that he email
his PowerPoint so they could bring information back to their
members.
“Healthcare is becoming an event bigger component of your
compensation,” Lyons stated about the importance of sharing
this information. “The market is very volatile. You have to keep
on top of it.” d