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How to Lobby for Health Care Policy
Being an advocate does require a small amount of effort - or a large amount. It all depends on what you are able to do. At the smallest level, you can participate in a letter-writing campaign which is typically started by an organization. The organization will email you a link that requires you to insert your name and contact information then e-sign a pre-written form letter to your legislators (state or federal). These campaigns generally take a minute or two from start to finish, so can be a great way to be an advocate when your time is limited. Helpful tip: you can modify the form letter to include a story from you or your patients to make it more meaningful to your legislator, just keep it brief and HIPAA compliant.
If you’re ready to take it a step further but not quite ready for a one-on-one in-person visit, many medical organizations organize Lobby Days. Typically at a Lobby Day, the organization will help schedule meetings with legislative staff on your behalf and you will meet the staff with a few other physicians. This will enable you to practice meeting with legislative staff members without the stress or workload of setting up private meetings. If this is something of interest to you, you can reach out to your local or state medical organizations to see when their next Lobby Day will be.
However, if you are ready to schedule your own one-on-one meetings, they can be very effective. To learn more about how to contact your legislators please see How to Contact Your Legislator. If you are unsure who your representatives are, you can find them online at USA.gov. When requesting an in-person meeting you can offer to meet them at their office, or invite them to your clinic. Make sure you prepare for the meeting as they have very busy schedules. To get the most out of your visit, a few suggestions include:
- Treat all staff members courteously, as you would expect done at your office.
- Address the legislator professionally (Mayor Doe, Representative Doe, etc).
- Introduce yourself with your credentials – tell them you’re a doctor and where you practice, etc.
- Know the bill number and title and their position on the bill
- If they are an author/co-sponsor and you are in favor of the bill thank them for their support. If you are mostly in favor but would like to see some changes, thank them for their support then explain why your changes are important.
- Bring with you a brief bulleted handout on the topics you are discussing so they can take notes and take it back to refer to later.
- Use your own words to tell your story and how this will affect your profession and your patients. Your stance should align with their constituents – who are electing them.
- Don’t take notes while meeting with them. Take notes after you leave before you forget what was discussed, but during the meeting maintain eye contact and focus on them. Also, do not ask if it is ok to record the session - it is never ok to record the session (though they may ask to and it is up to you if you wish to allow it).
- Follow-up with a thank you email and answer any questions you did not know the answer to.
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How to Lobby for Health Care Policy
Being an advocate does require a small amount of effort - or a large amount. It all depends on what you are able to do. At the smallest level, you can participate in a letter-writing campaign which is typically started by an organization. The organization will email you a link that requires you to insert your name and contact information then e-sign a pre-written form letter to your legislators (state or federal). These campaigns generally take a minute or two from start to finish, so can be a great way to be an advocate when your time is limited. Helpful tip: you can modify the form letter to include a story from you or your patients to make it more meaningful to your legislator, just keep it brief and HIPAA compliant.
If you’re ready to take it a step further but not quite ready for a one-on-one in-person visit, many medical organizations organize Lobby Days. Typically at a Lobby Day, the organization will help schedule meetings with legislative staff on your behalf and you will meet the staff with a few other physicians. This will enable you to practice meeting with legislative staff members without the stress or workload of setting up private meetings. If this is something of interest to you, you can reach out to your local or state medical organizations to see when their next Lobby Day will be.
However, if you are ready to schedule your own one-on-one meetings, they can be very effective. To learn more about how to contact your legislators please see How to Contact Your Legislator. If you are unsure who your representatives are, you can find them online at USA.gov. When requesting an in-person meeting you can offer to meet them at their office, or invite them to your clinic. Make sure you prepare for the meeting as they have very busy schedules. To get the most out of your visit, a few suggestions include:
- Treat all staff members courteously, as you would expect done at your office.
- Address the legislator professionally (Mayor Doe, Representative Doe, etc).
- Introduce yourself with your credentials – tell them you’re a doctor and where you practice, etc.
- Know the bill number and title and their position on the bill
- If they are an author/co-sponsor and you are in favor of the bill thank them for their support. If you are mostly in favor but would like to see some changes, thank them for their support then explain why your changes are important.
- Bring with you a brief bulleted handout on the topics you are discussing so they can take notes and take it back to refer to later.
- Use your own words to tell your story and how this will affect your profession and your patients. Your stance should align with their constituents – who are electing them.
- Don’t take notes while meeting with them. Take notes after you leave before you forget what was discussed, but during the meeting maintain eye contact and focus on them. Also, do not ask if it is ok to record the session - it is never ok to record the session (though they may ask to and it is up to you if you wish to allow it).
- Follow-up with a thank you email and answer any questions you did not know the answer to.