1. REGION 5 & 6 LEGISLATIVE TRAINING It’s all local. Presented By: Misty Baker

2. Who is on your team?  Legislative council?  Could be made up of one or several people. State President, State Legislative Chair, Local Legislative Chair, Lobbyist, local legislative chairs or other interested members Monthly, Quarterly conference calls or meetings  Make the TEAM responsible for reviewing legislation, Department of Insurance rule clarification and make recommendations to the PAC. Do you have a separate PAC board?

3. What are your issues?  Are you taking only the NAHU positions or does your state have local issues/bills that need to be addressed?  Your state may not have a Risk Pool, LTC Partnerships, Hospital Taxing districts, or it may be faced with connector bills. Take the time to review what is happening locally.  Step up your game, don’t just play defense.

4. How do you come up with your positions?  Again, one, two or 10 people in your state or local chapters should be reviewing legislation. Use the NAHU staff as a resource.  Check the www.nahu.org website for a load of informtaion, position papers, white papers, and other resources. Don’t reinvent the wheel.www.nahu.org

5. Who do you align yourself with?  Working with coalition partners is a great way to spread your message and band together as a much more effective voice.  Think tank’s, other association's (Life Underwriters, Hospital Assoc, Medical Assoc, Health Plans, Business Assoc, etc.) Carrier lobbyist have been helpful to us as well as law firms  When a bill is introduced, consider who you can work with to get the bill passed.

6. Who are you helping elect?  Are your members getting involved with local campaigns?  Block walking – my 11 year old son block walked with a candidate…if he can do it, so can YOU!  Phone banks, yard signs, volunteer!  Do you have a PAC board?  How much money have you raised? (it’s not enough)  Do you involve locals when you give it away?  Are you giving it ALL (or at least MOST) away? What are you waiting for?

7. Are you on speed dial at your department of insurance?  Why not?  Have you introduced you and your team to the Commissioner of Insurance?  Do you know the lawyers that write the rules for the bills you just got passed?  Who approves your CE, can you pick up the phone and chat with them?  What committees can you be appointed to, so agents have representation?

8. Who is doing your lobbying?  Do you have a hired “gun” aka- lobbyist?  If you do have a lobbyist, is he reporting to you? Your team? Providing written updates? Working with the department of insurance? Advising on who to elect?  If you don’t have a lobbyist, consider raising your dues to get one-even part time.

9. Do you have a Key Contact program?  A key contact program is nothing more than assigning a member to a legislator.  Your member should probably know the legislator but if not that is ok.  KC (Key Contacts) should make monthly check in calls to the district office, supply regular information and be a resource to the legislators offices.

10. Have you made in district visits?  Get to know the staff  Be a resource  Offer to present Healthy Access  Show the member around the NAHU website, or your local/state website if it is up to date with good information.  Just be around and available

11. How do you communicate to your members?  Monthly communications are really important.  What are some hot topics in your state?  Have you met with your Department of Insurance?  Keep your communications simple, 1 page or less  A one topic paper once a month is plenty  Give plenty of links, factual information  Be a resource to your members-give them your contact info  Texas does a “Postcards from the Ledge”  You can find archived copies at www.tahu.orgwww.tahu.org

12. How do you communicate to your members?  When your session is over, do you provide a “Report Card”?

13. Are you attending the monthly, Regional teleconferences?  If you are the State legislative chair, Regions 5 & 6 hold a monthly teleconference.  Region 6 is the LAST Tuesday of the month (8/26/08, 9/30/08)  If you cannot attend the call, please find someone else from your state to be on the call.  PLEASE provide a written report of the things that are going on in your state. We have to provide information to the NAHU Legislative committee every month!  There is ALWAYS something going on in your state!

14. Questions? Thank you for your attendance! My contact information: Misty Baker Region 6 Legislative Chair 512-472-6733 office 512-797-3631 cell misty@mistybaker.com