b'resident\' sArticleL - - - - Q -AsI writethisarticle it seems impossiblethatwearehalfway through 2003! The roofing season is in full force around the. countryamworkloads From what Ihearing, are brisk in some areas,over the top in some and slower in others. Thespringsrainsandunprecedentedstormshavebeenbotha blessing and a curse. As an association, wehard work todeterminethestrugglesand cha lengesthatourmembersare I facing. Though we can do very I Ifittle implemented,to lasso Mother Nature, we can try AHP\'s would allowtoforge aheadon other fronts.In my conversations withother consmall businesstractors, I often hear of the strugowners and theglesofobtainingandthenbeing able to pay for health insurance for self-employed toemployees. purchase healthMRCAisclosely watchingthedecreasehealthcarecostsbysomeotherterrific,educational progress of the AssociatedHealthapproximately15-30%.T istopics that you will hear about. his insurance in largePlans(AHPs)legislation.Thebrought about by usingthe sameThe Health & Safety Committee SmallBusinessHealthFairnesseconomic scale, purchasing powerplansprogramsonOSHA, pools, through pro Act(H.R. 660) creates AHPs,and administrative efficiencies thatS/IJ-tRPTMandSIIARP\'s which fessional associationsallowsmallbusinessestobandemployeesof largeemployer andnewinternet-basedMSDSprotogether through associa andunion healthcurrentlyjoy.gram.CERTAapplicator tra ing tionsplansen insuch as MRCA.purchasequalityhealthcareforIfimplemented,AHP\'s w willbeofferedas well.Business ould workers and theirat aallow smallbusinessownersandManagement willhavea program familieslower cost.TheSenatehasintroducedtheself-employedtopurc eon "En Efficient Roofs" and the has ergy legis ance similarlation under S. 545.healthinsur inlargepools,possible implications on your busiAccording to figures released bythroughprofessional associationsness. The Technical and Research the U.S.Bureau in such as MRCA.Committee pr are outlined CensusSeptem ograms ber 2002, the number of AmericansAlthoughMRCA\'sn inpage 6.Therou of Fire on-profit2ndnd without health insurance increasedstatus does not allow the associa Tests will be discussed the last day iltomore than 41m lion. Many oftiontodirectlylobby thegovern of the convention. You won\'t want the newly uninsured are small busi ment, I encourage you tolet yourto miss it\' ness employees whose employersopinions be know to your electedMark your calendars fortober Occannot afford to offer health plansrepresentativesinsupport ofour22-24. Plan to jo us for at ingreato their workers. With health insur commoninterests.Ifyouneedgolf outing onthe 22nd and topance costs expected to rise againadditionalinformation onwho tonotcheducationprogramsand significantly thisyear, the riskofcontact,simplycalltheMRCAtrade show on the 23rd and 24th. more American families losing theiroffice at 800/497-6722.We lookrdseeing you in forwa to health insurance remains aicalThough insu will surely beCincinnati! crit rance issue.aof discussion atupcomtopicthe AHP\'s would expand the accessing54thMRCAConventionand toaffordablehealthcareandTrade Show,let me remind you of 3'