NATM Members from more than 20 states have already provided information for NATM’s Association Health Plan (AHP) evaluation.  So far the effort has been a big success and Marsh & McLennan Agency is currently working with insurance carriers to structure health plan cost options and network access comparisons across the regions and states represented by interested NATM members.  If you are a current member of the NATM, Regular or Associates, and are interested in participating in the evaluation please submit your information to Jamie Conover @ jamie.conover@marshmma.com
 
Marsh & McLennan Agency will be providing periodic updates throughout the process and they will be available to meet with NATM members during the 2019 NATM Convention in February. 
 
If you have specific questions regarding your employee benefit plan or NATM’s Association Health Plan progress, contact Lisa Clark at lisa.clark@marshmma.com.  

​​It’s no secret that health care costs are rising. A number of factors contribute to these increasing costs—some of the biggest contributors include:
 
Increasing Pharmaceutical Costs and Use
Health care costs are growing in part due to the increased use of prescription drugs, and an increase in the number of newer, more expensive drugs prescribed. Though prescription drug manufacturers have revolutionized modern medicine, these advances come at a cost.
 
As pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs to treat serious medical conditions, the market for those drugs expands accordingly. The trend in the pharmaceutical industry is to maximize profits by developing drugs to treat conditions for which there were previously no drug treatments. These new “lifestyle” drugs treat or control conditions like nail fungus, impotence, obesity or hair loss. Manufacturers then use direct-to-consumer advertisements that encourage customers to ask their doctors for prescriptions for these medications.
 
The increased use of lifestyle medications and direct-to-consumer advertising have raised serious questions about where America’s health care dollars are being spent and if consumers are getting the best value for their money.
 
New, Expensive Medical Technology
New medical devices, diagnostic tests and medical imaging tools are enabling doctors to deliver care that would have been impossible in years past. Medical technology, just like pharmaceuticals, has revolutionized medicine and improved the lives of many people—but those advances have also come with hefty price tags. As the number of older Americans increases, these new devices and treatments are being used even more and with escalating price tags.
 
Chronic Care
The health care system is primarily geared toward providing acute care and curing diseases. However, many people need care for chronic conditions. Chronic conditions are the major cause of illness, disability and death in the United States, and they account for a significant portion of health care spending.
 
•  According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), about 80 percent of older adults have one chronic condition, accounting for more than two-thirds of the nation’s total health care costs.
•  The NCOA also cites that 95 cents of every dollar of Medicare and 83 cents for every dollar of Medicaid go toward treating chronic disease.
•  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.
 
Provider Consolidation
Before managed care revolutionized the American health care system, individual medical providers determined the fees for their services. However, with the domination of managed care plans, most providers have been forced to negotiate their prices lower or risk losing patient volume from managed care plans willing to exclude non-compliant providers from their networks.
 
In order to maintain or regain some negotiating power, providers in many communities have consolidated their medical practices, effectively monopolizing procedures within specific service areas. These large provider groups have a much greater ability to negotiate with managed care plans that wish to provide convenient care options for their members.
 
Health care costs and, consequently, employee health benefits costs have been increasing at a very high rate for nearly a decade. Unfortunately, cost increases are still outpacing the rate of inflation, making health care a growing cost burden for consumers.
 
As costs increase, frustration grows for health insurance buyers and the consumers of health care in our nation.  Advances in medical technology and expanded pharmaceutical dependency will only grow and continue to drive your health care higher.  So what is a business owner to do?  How can consumers of health insurance better manage the costs of the benefit they are providing? 
 
AHPs will allow businesses to join together through an Association (NATM) to form a larger, more influential buying pool for the purchase of health insurance.  This leverage should allow the AHP to negotiate more aggressive insurance pricing as well as the cost of administering those plans.

​If you are interested in participating in NATM’s Association Health Plan (AHP) evaluation, complete and submit the data collection form to MMA by email to jamie.conover@marshmma.com.  Click here to access the data collection form.

NATM successfully published its Guidelines for Recommended Manufacturing Practices for Light- and Medium-Duty Trailers in October. A great deal of time and effort goes into updating the Guidelines to provide members with the most current information derived from the Code of Federal Regulations, state and federal statutes, industry standards, and best practices. In an effort to provide the Guidelines to members more quickly, a link to download the Guidelines and other associated materials has been emailed to NATM Members in lieu of mailed CDs.

Unfortunately, NATM accidentally omitted an NATM Licensed Warning Label Provider in Section B9 of the 2018 Guidelines. Tech Products, Inc. - Signs, Tags and Markers was not included in the originally emailed resources and NATM would like to issue an apology for this oversight. For more information about Tech Products, visit www.technproducts.com. All printed copies of the Guidelines, CDs, and the digital copy available on the Members Only Side of www.NATM.com have been updated.

Trailer warning labels are critical as they provide the final opportunity for the trailer manufacturer to communicate with the end-user about the potential hazards associated with operating the trailer in an effort to avoid a preventable accident resulting in serious injury and/or property damage. Warning labels concede that certain risks of injury or damage may be associated with the operation of trailers, as well as their use and foreseeable misuse.

Warning labels can be purchased from many different label manufacturers. However, the NATM ANSI approved warning labels have undergone testing under the direction and guidance of Weinstein Associates, with a cross-section of the general public for clarity and comprehension in accordance with established procedures of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The labels were certified as adequate and in conformity with the ANSI testing requirements.
NATM ANSI approved trailer warning labels can be purchased from licensed NATM Associate members. The NATM warning label series consists of seventeen generic warning labels for light- and medium-duty trailers. NATM has copyrighted these labels but has agreed to allow licensed supplier members of NATM to reproduce the labels and sell them to any trailer manufacturer. The labels meet all ANSI design standards, are weatherproof, durable and well designed for trailer applications.

To maximize the effectiveness of the NATM warning labels and minimize the trailer manufacturer's exposure to product liability, the NATM warning labels should be placed on the trailer in locations in close proximity to the dangers and risks associated with the label’s content.
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 NATM encourages all members to revisit their warning label needs and to support the Association by using NATM licensed labels whenever appropriate on their trailers. 

​2019 membership renewal communications will begin to arrive via email on or around November 15th. Membership dues can be paid by check, over the phone, or online using the "Members Only" section of NATM. Com. Membership dues are to be paid by Jan. 31, 2019, unless you are exhibiting at the February 2019 Trade Show in Orlando, FL. For Trade Show Exhibitors dues are to be paid by Dec. 31, 2018 to maintain the member booth rate. If you have any questions regarding membership renewals please contact NATM Membership & Education Director Bill Tofflemire via email (Bill.Tofflemire@natm.com) or at (785) 272-4433. 

​Did you miss the How to Find Veterans and Service Members to Fill Your Jobs webinar presented by Retired Brigadier Marianne Watson with the Center for America? You can review a recording of the webinar here, and you can also download the full PowerPoint PDF used in the webinar here. You may be asked to download a small Adobe Connect software and the recording may take a minute to load depending on your internet connection. You can also find the best practice guides mentioned during the webinar here. Please forward the presentation to anyone in your organization involved with hiring and training employees. If you have questions or need assistance please reach out to Steve Nowlan with the Center for America. They are passionate about connecting veterans and reservists to your open jobs.

The latest Regional Educational Workshop was held on September 20, in Elkhart County Indiana and hosted by Ivy Tech Community College. The workshop focused on the skilled labor shortage. Local business, economic development organizations, and education leaders shared how their individual organizations provide a variety of programs designed to lessen the burden of this serious problem, and how they also work together as a community to prepare workers for manufacturing jobs. You can access presentations from all of the speakers here.
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