Jan Teague

President/CEO

360.943.9198, ext. 19

jteague@retailassociation.org

Mark Johnson

Vice President of Government Affairs

360.943.9198, ext. 15

mark.johnson@retailassociation.org

Tammie Hetrick

Vice President of Retail Services (RASI)

360.943.9198, ext. 13

 tammie@retailassociation.org

Jim Szymanski

Bureaucracy makes health care hard to get

By Jan Teague, President/CEO

The Yakima Herald-Republic recently did a report that basically says doctors are reluctant to take on new patients because government programs are onerous and frightening.  One doctor the paper interviewed in Lower Yakima Valley where there is a serious shortage of doctors willing to take Medicaid patients, complained that he is frustrated with how much of a wasted effort it is to serve the bureaucracy rather than the patients. 

The federal government is trying to encourage more doctors to participate and is temporarily giving money to the states to raise the re-imbursement rates to provide services.  However, even with doubling the rate, it still isn't as much as what private insurance pays.  The increased rates last through December 31, 2014 unless the feds decide to extend the increase.

Federal grants are going to community health centers (Federally Qualified Health Centers, FQHCs) to help them with the costs of bureaucracy. With increased rates, these FQHCs are now considered the best places for people to find care.  Even in regions where these centers are located there is still an anticipated shortage of doctors willing to take these patients.

It remains to be seen if paying a premium for health care, even if it is a small contribution based on your income, will get you any health care when you need it.  The bureaucracy may end up being the biggest problem with doctors unwilling to participate.

Please register for Tacoma's retail crime conference

By Mark Johnson, VP Government Affairs

Time is running out for loss prevention officers to sign up for this year's free organized retail crime conference in Tacoma next month.

Only about 100 spots are left to register for the all-day conference, Oct. 3, at the Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.

Attendees will learn about several case studies and law enforcement and retail partners will lead break out discussions from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In recent years, retailers have become painfully aware of the broad scope of organized retail crime. Every year, bills are introduced in Olympia to increase penalties for the crimes, which are estimated to cost retailers anywhere from $30 billion to $50 billion a year in lost merchandise.

Over the years, thieves not only have gotten more creative in their efforts to escape arrest. They've also become more violent and a greater threat to employees and customers. WRA is especially proud of a bill the legislature approved last session to increase penalties for those convicted of using weapons to rob pharmacies.

As awareness of this crime has grown, local government has responded as well. King County has established a special organized retail crime prosecutor to investigate organized crime rings that have operated throughout our state.

The crime conference has become an annual event organized by the Washington State Organized Retail Crime Alliance, a network of concerned retailers and law enforcement officials, including WRA.

WRA urges all retailers to support this year's conference by attending and putting into practice the knowledge to be gained.

Click here to register for the conference. A complimentary lunch will be available. Click here for more background on this trend courtesy of the National Retail Federation. 

Another special session this year?

Special sessions above and beyond regularly scheduled legislative sessions have become a way of life in Olympia in recent years.

On Tuesday, Gov. Inslee said he was prepared to call another special session in November if state lawmakers can agree on a plan for transportation projects in the coming weeks.

Members of the Senate Majority Coalition quickly cautioned that any tax package must have taxpayers' support before a special session could be considered. The co-chairs of the Senate Transportation Committee have scheduled several "listening tours" this fall to hear from members of the public on their transportation priorities and concerns.

Click here to read a statement issued Tuesday by Sen. Rodney Tom, leader of the Senate Majority Coalition, in reaction to Gov. Inslee.

Democrats and Republicans have been at odds since the 2013 session because the Senate declined to vote on a $10 billion transportation plan that would have raised gasoline taxes by 10.5 cents. Tom dismissed the plan as a "wish list" that was incomplete because it never was accompanied by a bond bill.

Sources: KREM, TVW

NRF announces new emphasis on domestic product sourcing

Retailers nationwide are renewing their focus on buying and selling more products made in the United States.

In an article in this month's National Retail Federation magazine, NRF President and CEO Matt Shay announced a new retail industry commitment to sell more goods made in the United States.

"In recent years, rising labor, energy and shipping costs around the world have caused a shift in sourcing that is making the United States a more attractive place to manufacture the goods retailers sell," Shay writes. "Retailers of all sizes want to make this endeavor to renew American manufacturing a lasting and powerful one."

Shay cited Walmart's initiative to sell an additional $50 billion in U.S.-manufactured products in the next decade; Brooks Brothers, for making most of its suits in the U.S.; and Apple, for doing some Mac Pro computer assembly in the U.S.

Shay said the retail industry supports one in four U.S. jobs. He noted that retail's commitment to support U.S.-based manufacturing holds the promise of increasing the pace of job growth in the country.

Click here to read more of  Shay's comments.

Reichert to hold UI fraud hearing

U.S. Congressman Dave Reichert (R-Bellevue) has announced he will hold a hearing next week Wednesday in Washington, D.C. on preventing the payment of unemployment benefits to people in jail.

He noted that as benefits expanded during the recession, so did payment errors. The Department of Labor estimates that $58 billion in improper unemployment payments were made in the past five years. In July, Reichert introduced a bill aimed at preventing people in jail from receiving benefits.

Congress has tried to help by increasing penalties on people who commit fraud while collecting unemployment benefits. Reducing fraud is important because it contributes to unnecessarily raising insurance rates for employers.

Feds relax food labeling requirements

Federal agriculture officials have relaxed record-keeping requirements that had been driving up costs for consumers and grocers who must label the countries of origin for products including meats, fruits, vegetable, nuts and fish.

In a memo supplied this week by the Food Marketing Institute, WRA has learned that federal inspectors will refrain from requesting record-keeping to confirm labeling unless problems arise during inspections. The new policy is effective on Oct. 1, the beginning of the 2014 federal fiscal year, according to the memo from FMI's regulatory counsel.

Retailers complained that producing records was expensive and time consuming, especially considering that violations of labeling requirements were a very small percentage of the problems discovered during inspections.

Click here for more background on this subject.

Source: Food Marketing Institute

State adds two insurers for health care coverage

Insurance Commission Mike Kreidler has approved two additional insurers to participate when the state's new health exchange begins operating in October.

The new companies, Community Health Plan of Washington and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, will provide limited coverage only in some counties across the state.  Community Health Plan will operate in 26 of the state's 39 counties while Kaiser will only sell policies in Clark and Cowlitz counties. These are two of five insurers that Kreidler initially turned down to participate under the Affordable Care Act, designed to expand insurance to patience without coverage.

A state Health Benefit Exchange criticized Kreidler recently after he initially approved four companies to participate through the state exchange. The first four approved insurers are Group Health, Premera Blue Cross, Lifewise and Bridgespan. Members of the oversight board felt Kreidler initially fell short in offering consumers sufficient choices among competing health plans.

Click here for more media coverage on this development. Click Healthplanfinder to learn how the state's online health care shopping system is supposed to work. To reach a newly-opened customer support telephone service, dial toll free, 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633) or e-mail customersupport@wahbexchange.org.

Sources: Spokesman Review, Tri-City Herald

Safety tip: (one in a series)

A disaster plan can save your business

Statistics show that a disaster can kill a business. The fault, sadly, often lies with business owners who fail to draw up and practice a disaster recovery plan.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that 40 percent of businesses struck by a disaster never recover. Another 25 percent close within a year.

Further, the Small Business Administration believes about 90 percent of companies fail within a year unless they can resume operations within five days.

Unplanned disasters take many forms, from floods, to earthquakes, computer crashes, supply chain problems and power outages. Companies need to learn how quickly they could recover. If a disaster strikes, where will your employees go, how or will they communicate and how could they keep doing their jobs?

Rick Means, WRA's Safety and Claims Administrator, urges companies not to wait until a disaster strikes to draw up and practice a recovery plan.

"Be proactive and start to research options of how you would be able to get back up and running as quickly as possible," he said.

Means suggests visiting http://www.preparemybusiness.org/planning to get started on formulating a recovery plan.

WRA employs Rick Means as a Safety and Claims Administrator who is available to members to help draw up safety plans and suggest topics for safety meetings. Contact him at 360-200-6454, or rick.means@retailassociationservices.com.  

Free business fair set for Sept. 28

The 17^th free Washington Small Business Fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Renton Technical College, 3000 N.E. 4^th Street in Renton.

WRA is again participating with an information table and is co-presenting and planning the fair.

The fair annually attracts 400 to 600 existing and budding small businesses where participants can sharpen their skills during a series of seminars covering a broad range of business skills. Parking on campus is free and no advance registration is required.

Thirty federal, state and local government agencies and trade associations will share information at the fair. Visit www.bizfair.org for more information including directions or see Facebook at www.facebook.com/bizfair.

Watch video overview of WRA's discount shipping partner

WRA's third-party shipping provider, PartnerShip, has released a short video overview of the discount services it offers customers.

As a WRA member, you could begin saving up to 27 percent on select FedEx shipping services by joining PartnerShip free of charge.

Four other possible advantages of joining PartnerShip include:

*Routing management. Based on an analysis of shipments, PartnerShip will recommend the best shippers for particular routes. The recommendation is based on a carrier's cost effectiveness and customer service.

*Bill auditing. Vendors such as PartnerShip say they often find invoices with rate errors of up to 10 percent in favor of the freight carrier. Corrections are made before the third-party vendor sends the bill to the customer.

*Improved inbound shipping. By relying on vendors to control your inbound shipping, it can be difficult to learn how and when your orders will be shipped and delivered. You can gain that knowledge by arranging shipping through a third party partner such as PartnerShip.

*Consolidated invoices. For frequent shippers, this can mean paying only one bill weekly or monthly as opposed to paying for each shipment.

Click here to watch the video overview of the company and obtain contact information. Also, visit PartnerShip's website and its improved, separate shipping website. 

WRA members offered discount to Sept. 19 employment seminar

The law firm Lane Powell will conduct its annual seminar on employment law and human resources issues on Sept. 19 at the Four Seasons Seattle hotel.

The firm is allowing WRA members a discount on the registration fee.  The day-long event is co-sponsored by the Lake Washington Human Resources Association.

Attendees will receive an employment law update; learn of impacts from the National Labor Relations Board, impacts from disability and wellness laws and ways to protect sensitive company information and data.

Click here to learn more and register. 

WRA co-sponsors Seattle chamber networking event

The 9^th All Chamber Business After Hours networking event will help from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 at The Foundry by Herban Feast in Seattle.

WRA is co-sponsoring the event that allows attendees to network with multiple business organizations and chambers of commerce throughout the region. The event drew 430 participants last year.

Click here to register and obtain directions. 

Coffee company seeks retail locations

A new Seattle-based franchise is looking for companies interested in locating its self-automated coffee kiosks at their places of business.

Veterans Promise Coffee's mission is to help provide secure financial futures for wounded soldiers and Post 9/11 veterans through franchise opportunities.  Its coffee machines dispense lattes, cappuccinos and other flavored drinks at competitive prices. Bags of the gourmet product by Royal Cup Coffee are also offered for sale on site and are available to be sold in stores.

South Hill Mall in Puyallup has been serving as a test site for the startup venture.

The company hopes to help returning veterans, many of whom struggle to get jobs and re-establish themselves in the states, said Colleen Wilks, a company founder and its Vice President of Marketing.

For more information, visit www.veteranspromisecoffee.us or contact Wilks at cwilks@veteranspromisecoffee.us.

Summit scheduled to combat human trafficking

An organization dedicated to wiping out human trafficking in the state has scheduled a summit meeting in Seattle in October to begin building a network of business support.

The Engage for Impact summit will be held beginning at 8:30 a.m. on October 5 at Seattle Pacific University's Queen Anne Upper Room Gwinn Commons.

Click here to register. Go to Washington Engage to learn more.