Learn how to lobby (advocate) Congress for your physician (pediatrician, internist, family practitioner, gynecologist, etc), nurse, medical practice (primary care, specialty, dental, etc), and hospital. In this video, you will learn the following: What is Lobbying (advocacy) The make up of the U.S. Congress Identification of Congressional Healthcare Committees Identification of Nurses and Physicians in Congress The Anatomy of a Congressional Office The Anatomy of a Congressional Committee The Lobbying (Advocacy) Process Please visit http://medicalaccessusa.com or http://medicalaccessforamerica.com for more information

1. Make Your Voice Heard!
A Beginner’s Guide to
Communicating With the
People Who Impact Your
Practice
February 27, 2014

2. What is Advocacy?
• The act of pleading, supporting, or
recommending. (dictionary.com)
• Apolitical process by an individual or
group which aims to influence public
policy and resource allocation
decisions within
political, economic, social
systems, and
institutions. (wikipedia.org)

3. What Should You Advocate
For?
What is affecting your practice?






SGR Repeal (“Doc Fix”)
Telemedicine
ICD-10 Repeal/Delay
Trauma Care
Newborn Screenings
Long Term Care Insurance

4. Places to Advocate
 City Councils
 State Legislatures
 Congress
 Federal Government

6. U. S. Congress

7. Congressional Healthcare
Committees
U.S. House
Appropriations
Ways and Means
Energy and Commerce –
http://energycommerce.house.gov/
U.S. Senate
Appropriations
Finance
HELP http://www.help.senate.gov/

8. Know the Healthcare Professionals
in the House
NURSES IN THE HOUSE
Diane Black
Karen Bass
Ann Buerkle
Lois Capps
Renee Ellmers
Berniece Johnson
Carolyn McCarthy
R
D
R
R
D
D
D
TN
CA
NY
CA
NC
TX
NY

9. Know the Healthcare Professionals in
the House
PHYSICIANS IN THE HOUSE
Donna Christensen D VI
Ami Bera
D CA
Jim McDermott
D WA
Charles Boustany R LA
Paul Broun
R GA
Larry Buschon
R IN
Michael Burgess
R TX
Bill Cassidy
R LA
Emergency Med.
Internal Medicine
Psychiatry
Cardiothoracic Surg.
Family Practice
Thoracic Surgery
OB/GYN
Gastroenterology

10. Know the Healthcare Professionals in
the House
PHYSICIANS IN THE HOUSE
Dan Benishek
R MI
Scott Desjarlais
R TN
John Fleming
R LA
Phil Gingrey
R GA
Andy Harris
R MD
Nan Hayworth
R NY
Joe Heck
R NV
Tom Price
R GA
Phil Roe
R TN
General Surgery
Family Practice
Family Practice
OB/GYN
Anesthesiology
Ophthalmology
Emergency Med.
Orthopedic Surg.
OB/GYN

11. Know the Healthcare Professionals
in the Senate
Tom Coburn, MD
Family Practice
(R-OK)
John Barrasso, MD
Orthopedic
Surgeon
(R-WY)
Rand
Paul, MD
halmologist
(R-KY)
Opht

12. Anatomy of a
Congressional
Office
 Chief of Staff
 Legislative Director
 Legislative Assistants
 Legislative Correspondents
 Communication Director
 Staff Assistants

13. Anatomy of a Congressional Committee
Each committee has different staff position titles. Most
common titles for all committees are: Staff
Director, Legislative Director, Chief
Counsel, Communications Director, Clerk, Director of
IT
Example - U.S. Senate HELP Committee
 Staff Director for Health
 Director of Health Policy
 Health Counsel
 Professional Staff
 Research Assistant
 Staff Assistant

14. Key Staffers – People to Advocate
In the Congressional Office
Legislative Assistants – draft small
bills, resolutions, amendments.
Have ear of the person
(representative or senator) they
work for.
In the Congressional Committee
Research Assistant/ Professional
Staff - draft
legislation, amendments. Have ear
of the Committee members.

15. The Advocacy Process
1. Identify your issue
2. Research your issue does it have any current
pending legislation
associated with it?
3. Contact Congress

16. Identifying Issues
Committee websites
-Energy and Commerce –
http://energycommerce.house.gov/
-HELP http://www.help.senate.gov/
Professional organizations
-AMA, MGMA, ACHE
-Professional Societies
Congress.gov

17. The Advocacy Process – Research

18. The Advocacy Process – Research

19. The Advocacy Process – Research

20. The Advocacy Process – Contacting
Congress
http://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup
Step 1- Write letter and an e-mail to
your congressman/senator. Wait 1-2
weeks for a response.
Step 2- Call the office of your
congressman/senator. The person who
answers is a staff assistant. Tell the
staff assistant you wish for
congressman/senator to support or
not support a certain piece of
legislation.

21. The Advocacy Process –
Contacting Congress
Step 3- Ask to have the
voicemail of the legislative
assistant who handles health
policy. Be polite! When
legislative assistant replies back
to you, ask to set up a time to
further speak with them.
Step 4- When meeting with
legislative assistant, get very
specific about your issue.

22. The Advocacy Process –
Contacting Congress
Step 5- If there is legislation regarding
your issue, encourage legislative
assistant to have
congressman/senator support it. If no
legislation, encourage legislative
assistant to have
congressman/senator introduce
legislation on your issue.
Step 6- Thank legislative assistant for
their time. Hand write or e-mail a
thank you letter.

23. Successful Advocacy Example

24. QUESTIONS?

25. For More Information:
Mary Pat Whaley, FACMPE, CPC
Manage My Practice
http://www.managemypractice.com
Email: marypat@managemypractice.com
(919) 370.0504
Matthew D. Taber, MS
Medical Access Corporation of America
http://www.medicalaccessusa.com/
E-mail: mdtaber@me.com
(615) 669.8347