BIP Winter 2024

YOU how far one question might take you. you want to be successful, do what successful people do. “The successful people go to D.C. You’ve got to be pretty successful to be at CapCon and to care,” he says. “So, I decided to give to the PAC at their level. And I've been doing that ever since. It's been one of the best decisions I've ever made.” Now Chair of NABIP PAC's Board of never know

Several years ago, while Joshua Haberman made his way up the leadership ladder in NABIP’s Minnesota chapter, he attended his first Capitol Conference. It was in that Washington, D.C., conference hall where Haberman met NABIP political action committee (PAC) legend and longtime board member Mike Gray. “I'm manning the PAC booth at Capitol Conference. A young guy approaches me and says, ‘Tell me what this PAC is.’ I explained it to him and talked about levels of contribution. And he says, ‘So how much are you giving?’ I respond, ‘I'm giving $1,000 a year.’ He looked me right in the eye and said, ‘I can do that.’ He signed up right then,” says Gray. Haberman, co-owner of Alexander & Haberman in Bloomington, Minnesota, has long been driven by the motivational maxim that if

Trustees, Haberman is building on the legacy established by leaders like Gray and Immediate Past Chair Ray Magnuson, who recommended Haberman for the national PAC position. “The thing about Joshua is enthusiasm to further the PAC,” says Magnuson. “That's important because enthusiasm is a contagious thing. It makes a difference.” Strategic decision-making Broadly speaking, the PAC’s operations sound simple enough: raise money and then put that money toward candidates NABIP supports. “But there are a lot of things that people should know about the PAC that they don't necessarily know,” says Haberman. “One of the things that I had to learn was that the people in power get to make the decisions. And the people in power may or may not support what you support, but you must be able to talk to them.” Therefore, the ultimate idea is to maintain access to the halls of power — all of them. Most years, the PAC gives between a 45% to 55% split across the Democratic and Republican parties. Some years, it’s 49%/51%. “It can flip in both directions. But that's not because we suddenly fell in or out of love with a party,” Haberman says. “It's because we want to be there. And so, you have to participate with the people who are there. Sometimes, we're meeting

KEY POINTS

▶ Leadership and legacy: Influential PAC leaders like Joshua Haberman, Mike Gray and Ray Magnuson emphasize the value of proactive engagement, mentorship and the personal ask in building a strong PAC and ensuring continued influence in Washington. ▶ Bipartisan strategy: The PAC maintains a balanced, bipartisan approach to contributions, allowing NABIP opportunities to build relationships with key decision makers on both sides of the aisle to advocate for policies that improve healthcare. ▶ The importance of commitment: From small monthly contributions to high-level giving, every member’s involvement in the PAC helps secure critical legislative wins and strengthens NABIP’s voice in shaping the future of healthcare policy.

28 bip magazine Winter 2024