Ronnell Nolan, HIA, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Washington, DC, is a nationally recognized leader in the health insurance industry known for her relentless advocacy on behalf of independent agents and the consumers they serve. Often described as a “bulldog” for the industry, she is recognized for her tenacity, persistence, and refusal to take “no” for an answer when defending fair market practices and consumer access to professional insurance guidance. Nolan is the Founder and President/CEO of Health Agents for America, Inc. (HAFA), a national nonprofit trade association established in 2012 that represents independent health insurance agents and brokers in all 50 states. She also serves as President/CEO of HAFA PAC Louisiana and HAFA PAC Federal and founded The Nolan Group in 2001, a boutique insurance and government affairs firm. Nolan has participated in the CMS Trade Group for the Federally Facilitated Marketplace, testified before NAIC committees including the Anti-Fraud and Senior Issues groups, and has worked closely with policymakers on healthcare transparency, fraud prevention, and legislative initiatives affecting the insurance marketplace. A frequent national speaker and media source, her work has been recognized across the industry, including being named one of the Top 50 Businesswomen in Louisiana by Women We Admire.
Ronnell Nolan’s work and leadership in the health insurance industry have been widely recognized nationally. She has been named twice as one of the “Most Influential Women in Employee Benefits” by Employee Benefit Adviser and received the “Women of Excellence Award” from the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus Foundation. She was also featured as the cover story of Employee Benefit Adviser. Nolan is frequently quoted by major national and industry media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Kaiser Health News, InsuranceNewsNet, Kiplinger, USA Today, BenefitsPro, Employee Benefit Adviser, and numerous regional publications.
As President and CEO of Health Agents for America, Inc. (HAFA), Nolan identified the need for a national association dedicated exclusively to representing independent health insurance agents and brokers. Since founding HAFA in 2012, she has built the organization into a leading nonprofit trade association representing agents and brokers in all 50 states. Under her leadership, HAFA has worked to ensure that agents and brokers have a voice at the policymaking table while advocating for the consumers they serve across the country.
Since the inception of HAFA in 2012, Nolan has actively engaged with federal policymakers and regulators, meeting with officials from the White House Office of Management and Budget, CMS, CCIIO, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. She has worked extensively with federal and state policymakers on healthcare transparency, agent protections, and marketplace reforms impacting both consumers and insurance professionals. Nolan and her legislative team have developed policy proposals and advocacy initiatives addressing healthcare reform, fraud prevention, and market transparency. She has worked closely with members of Congress and their staff on legislation impacting agents and brokers, including initiatives related to agent compensation transparency and consumer access to professional insurance guidance. At the state level, she has also played a key role in advancing legislation supporting agent protections, transparency, and consumer choice within the insurance marketplace.
Nolan is a nationally sought-after speaker known for her direct, informed, and impactful presentations on healthcare reform, insurance trends, fraud prevention, and legislative advocacy. She has spoken at numerous national conferences and industry events, including Medicarians, the 7 Figure Medicare Summit, The ACA Way Conference, Employee Benefit Adviser conferences, BenefitsPro conferences, Employer Health Care Congress events, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, Knowledge Congress, and the Global Women’s Leadership Summit. She is also a frequent guest on industry podcasts and media programs discussing healthcare policy, fraud prevention, and the evolving insurance marketplace.
Through her leadership at HAFA, Nolan has become one of the most visible advocates for independent health insurance agents and brokers in the United States. She works regularly with federal agencies, lawmakers, and regulators to address issues impacting the insurance marketplace, including fraud and abuse prevention, consumer protections, transparency in healthcare, and fair treatment for agents and brokers. Nolan has been a strong voice in promoting agent involvement in identifying and combating fraud within the healthcare system, emphasizing the critical role agents play in protecting consumers. Her advocacy efforts continue to focus on ensuring that independent agents remain an essential part of the healthcare system, helping millions of Americans navigate complex insurance decisions while preserving choice, transparency, and accountability in the marketplace.