One of the many functions of trade associations like NACD is to advocate for the industry we represent in front of lawmakers and regulators. Oftentimes, the priorities of different industries are at odds with one another, making the advocacy process difficult and slow. But, this year two issues stand out to NACD that have broad support among many industries – association health plans and regulatory reform.
The rise in healthcare costs over the last decade have had a significant impact on small businesses like chemical distributors. In fact, the rate of businesses with fewer than 50 employees offering health insurance has declined from 42% in 2004 to the current rate of 29%. Among businesses with fewer than 10 employees, 35.6% offered health insurance in 2008. That figure had fallen by 2015 to 22.7%. Association health plans represent a positive reform we can make now to address this problem. By allowing small businesses to band together to provide good policies for workers and their families at a lower cost, whether by working with insurers to negotiate rates or creating self-funded plan as many large corporations already do, AHPs can help small businesses deliver more choices, lower costs, and greater options for American families.
The crush of regulations is also impacting the bottom line of many small businesses. The push from the Trump administration to address this problem through executive orders and internal agency reviews is encouraging. And lawmakers like Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) have proposed legislative solutions as well. Still, right now it costs small firms 364 percent more than large firms to comply with federal environmental regulations, and the number of economically significant regulations – those carrying a price tag of $100 million or more – has increased by more than 60 percent since 2005. To make matters worse, federal agencies frequently bypass the formal rulemaking process by issuing guidance memorandums as enforcement documents so they don’t have to get industry and other stakeholder input.
Asking Congress to address these two issues through your own personal advocacy can make a major impact. From May 16-17, NACD will host its annual Washington Fly-In, and I highly encourage NACD members and Affiliates to participate. As NACD member Jessica Fegan of Connection Chemical said recently, “The Fly-In is hugely important as these are the lawmakers who can directly impact our livelihood. This is our chance to be heard. It’s about providing them with information and our viewpoint. Attending these meetings and trying to explain our position is the thing that drives change in our industry. By meeting face to face, year after year, you become recognized and remembered — so much so that the lawmakers are now coming to us for our input and guidance on things, which is pretty amazing.”
This opportunity for our members can really be the catalyst to develop new relationships with key Members of Congress and their staff and create dialogues on issues critical to the chemical distribution industry like association health plans, regulatory reform, and the economic impact of chemical distribution on the local, state, and national economies.
So, if you are an @NACD_RD member and want to join in on one of the most effective ways to shape public policy for the chemical industry, please take a moment to register TODAY by clicking here.
And make sure to follow me on Twitter @EByerNACD to learn the latest developments with this year’s event!