PPAI In Action: Association Lobbyist, Member Engage Legislators About Incentives


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PPAI In Action: Association Lobbyist, Member Engage Legislators About Incentives

Issue: 2009oct

During last week’s Washington, D.C., Incentive Federation symposium on the benefits of including incentives in workplace wellness programs, PPAI lobbyist Robert Drummer and Committee member Kendra Kirks McDougal, MAS, worked to educate lawmakers on the incentives industry and the role of promotional products in this field.

“My goals, and PPAI’s goals, for the symposium and visiting with lawmakers were to educate lawmakers about the benfits of wellness programs in the workforce and how wellness awards and incentives lower healthcare costs and increase workplace productivity,” says Drummer.

Drummer and other participants called for support of legislative proposals that comprise the Healthy Workforce Act of 2009, which will provide tax credits to employers who provide qualified wellness progams, as well as support for proposals to provide tax credits to employees who participate in such programs.

“Although there was overriding support for the concept, the biggest concern expressed by legislative staff was how much it will cost, in terms of tax dollars,” says Drummer. “The biggest point made was that lawmakers should ask the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to score the proposal(s) and report back to Congress their cost estimates on whether the proposals would be revenue-raisers or revenue-neutral.”

McDougal, a sales executive with Sterling, Illinois-based distributor HALO/Lee Wayne (UPIC: LEEWAYNE), says she wanted to create awareness among members of Congress about the proposed legislation and to get a barometer reading on what Congress thinks about wellness programs.

“One reason I am getting more involved is that I am the incoming president for Regional Association Council (RAC) and I feel I can work with the districts and board members better” by staying informed, says McDougal. “It was very interesting to hear from companies from the Incentive Federation. Even though their business can be different than ours, we are all having the same challenges.”

She adds, “I most appreciated the statistics that one presenter gave: healthcare premiums have jumped so much in 10 years that if our food costs had gone up at the same rate, we would be paying $83 for a dozen eggs and $104 for a gallon of milk.”

McDougal says the feedback she and others received from their conversations on Capitol Hill were varied and revealed sentiments on all sides.

“We received some great feedback, both good and bad,” says McDougal. “Some [legislators] said we should wait until after the healthcare reform bill is passed ‘and then we can talk.’ Some said, ‘If you find someone else to champion the bill, we will sign on.’ Still others were very enthusiastic and said we are at the right place and the right time to talk about an incentive-based wellness plan.”

Drummer says promotional products professionals need to remain informed about government policies and proposals such as these because of the potential impact, good or bad.

“By staying informed, promotional products professionals can then weigh in with their opinions with elected officials and representatives as to whether they support or oppose a legislative or regulatory proposal, based on the potential impact such proposals will have on their business.”

McDougal seconds the assertion, saying, “Either you are on the same page [with lawmakers] or you’re not, but you have a right to be heard.”

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