Operation Welcome!

Now more than ever, it is important for you as health insurance specialists to be visible and vigilant in your efforts to get involved with the health care reform debate. With the new administration, the 111th Congress, and your state legislatures taking their seats, it is time to get involved at both the state and federal level.

With governments busy getting back into action, the first step to being a visible part of the health care debate is meeting with your old and new state assemblyman and senator. All it takes is a simple "welcome" and "how can I help" to introduce yourself and your chapter.

NAHU has put together a number of resources to help you create your own "Operation Welcome!" campaign.

Welcome Letters

A quick start to any Operation Welcome! campaign can be as simple as having your members send a letter to their state assemblyman and senator. NAHU encourages you to take advantage of Operation Shout! to encourage your members to welcome state legislators.

There are two ways to utilize Operation Shout! for your chapters. The first, is to encourage your members to visit the Operation Shout! website on their own. There, they can enter their zip code and pull up all of their representatives (both state and federal). They then have the option to click on their state legislator and access their contact information, as well as an online email form where they can compose their own welcome message that is mailed directly to the state legislator through Operation Shout!.

You can also use Operation Shout! to create a standard welcome letter for all your members to easly send to their state legislators. Just as you would with any other Operation Shout! for your chapter, you can send Danielle Jaffee, or your State Affairs Director (Regions 1&2, Regions 3,4,& 6, Regions 5,7,& 8) a welcome letter you would like distributed. We will then load it on to the Operation Shout! site for your state, and send out an email to your membership. Then all they have to do is follow a link in the email and sign their name.

Welcome Letter Templates: Here are some example welcome letters that you can can edit and use for your state and chapter.

Basic welcome letter

Welcome letter for new member

State-specific welcome letter for a new member

State-specific welcome letter

Events on the Hill

One of the best ways to welcome the new legislature into session is by connecting them with your membership through an event at your state Capitol. Many local and state chapters have already organized their own events on the hill as part of their "Operation Welcome!" that have been very successful.

• Invite both new and returning members of your state legislature to attend a gathering outside of the state House with members of your chapter present. It serves as a great opprotunity for your members to mingle with legislators and develop relationships. It also provides an opening for you to introduce your chapter to the legislature and explain who you are and how you can help.
• Texas AHU- TAHU holds a freshman reception for all new legislators. This event is usually set up as a "Meet and Greet," however they also tie in education by having a presentation and leaving a packet of information with each legislator. The leave-behind, which was sent to every member of the 81st Texas Legislature, (not just the newbies) included a brief legislative history of TAHU, 2009 initiatives, the Value of the Agent brochure, the Texas Health Care Matrix, and a copy of the single payer video, "Truth or Consequences- the Beth Ashmore Chronicle."
• Indiana AHU-ISAHU is holding a legislative reception, for all state legislators as part of their continuing education seminars. They have invited all of their members to participate in a variety of continuing education classes down at the state House, and extended an invitation to all of the state legislators to join them for lunch. The annual reception is designed to help "kick off the new legislative session," and provide the opportunity for legislators to talk with their constituents and ISAHU members.

• A great way to introduce your chapter as a resource to the new legislature is to hold a briefing at your state Capitol and invite assemblymen, senators, and their staff. In a briefing, your chapter is able to educate members on the complexities of the health care system, as well as explain health care terms and ideas to them that they might not be familiar with. It is also a great opportunity for you to stress the importance of agents and brokers as a guide through the health care world for them and their constituencies.
• NAHU has a variety of basic PowerPoint presentations your chapter can use for their own briefing. They provide plenty of information and can easily be altered to fit your state and chapter needs.
• Capitol Hill- Back in October when our Board of Trustees was in town for the annual budget meeting, several members led a Value of the Agent briefing down on Capitol Hill for Congressional staffers. The presentation highlighted the value of the agent in each segment of the market, from Individual to Large Group, and Wellness.
• Wisconsin AHU- The WAHU board held a legislative briefing at the state capital in Madison for legislators, their staff and any other interested parties on the various health insurance markets. It was a joint effort among all the agent organizations in the state. Much like the Capitol Hill Value of the Agent briefing, the presentation highlighted the value of the agent in four market segments, Individual Coverage, Small Group Coverage, Consumerism and Wellness, and Large Group Coverage, Self Funded Plans, and ERISA. Each section was led by a WAHU member that specialized in each of those areas.

• Bringing your membership to the Hill, or the Hill to your membership, is a great way to get members involved and to develop relationships with legislators. NAHU suggests two ways to bring members and state legislators together to discuss health care policy issues, a Day on the Hill, or a mini Capitol Conference.
• Day on the Hill- Encourage your state and local chapters to organize groups of members to all visit the state Capitol on one day. Members can set up meetings with various legislative offices and have small groups meet privately with legislators and staffers. It is also helpful, prior to the event, to hold a training session with your members to give them talking points, brochures and training on communicating with staff.
• Mini Capitol Conference- Make an event for your state or local chapter by hosting a day of in-depth discussions on top health care issues for your state. Set up panel debates, discussion groups, education seminars, and invite state legislators and other prominent individuals in the health care debate to participate. This is also a great time to share information about your chapter, their work, and the benefits of being a member to individuals that might not be members themselves. It also serves as a good opportunity to talk about your state PAC or HUPAC.
• New Jersey AHU- NJAHU has become innovative and decided to hold a "State of the State," symposium on health care that will be held in a town hall style format. They have invited health care policy experts, lawmakers, business owners, and even Governor Corzine to participate in this lively discussion. The event is free and will be held on February 19, 2009.

Resources

Presentation Templates

• Value of the Agent Briefing used on Capitol Hill for a Congerssional staffers briefing in October.
• Wisconsin's Value of the Agent Briefing adapted by WAHU for their state legislative briefing.
• Healthy Access PowerPoint with detailed speakers notes for members to use to educate the public on the goals of Health Access.
• Health Insurance 101 basic PowerPoint presentation explaining various aspects of the health insurance industry.

Operation Shout!

Brochures

• Consumer Guide to Health Insurance
• Faces of the Uninsured
• Role of the Agent