Call for Action

Congress is seeking your input! With health care reform votes delayed until at least September, legislators will be soliciting feedback, perspective, and suggestions on ehalth care reform legislation from constituents and stakeholders — and that's YOU! All PAs are urged to make appointments to visit with Members of Congress in the district offices, as well as to attend local town hall meetings, round table discussions, or community forums in local communities, during September and October.

Now is the time to mobilize and engage face-to-face with legislators about the role of PAs in health care delivery and the impact PAs make in America's communities every day. Here are the tools to get you started..

Who is my legislator? Click here to find out who your legislator is, and to get contact and biographical information on him or her.

What do I do? We're asking that all PAs reach out to their Senators and Representatives in September and October. You can:

Schedule a meeting in the district office [CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION]
Attend a town hall meeting or community forum [CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION]

What do I say? PAs have three succinct points to make about health care reform:

Improve funding opportunities for PA education
Include changes to Medicare to allow PAs to order home health, hospice and SNF care, and to provide hospice care
Fully integrate PAs into medical home demonstration projects

Click here for a leave behind with these points elaborated.

What else should I "leave behind"?

A snapshot of PAs practicing in your state; it makes a powerful impact.
An overview of the PA profession
Your business card

What if I can't get an appointment or if there are no town meetings near me? You can still communicate with your legislators; send an email and call today. You can also assemble a packet of information (see Leave Behinds, above) and drop it off at your legislator's district office.

Where can I learn more about health care reform in general? Click here for more resources.

Should I report back on my activity? Most definitely! Let AAPA know what you've done, and whether additional follow-up is needed from AAPA staff.

Personal Visits with Legislators

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One of the best ways to communicate with legislators is a face-to-face visit, either in Washington or in the district office. Here are some tips to making your visit run smoothly.

Before the Meeting:

Call the Washington or District office and ask to make an appointment with your legislator. Go to AAPA's Legislative Action Center to determine your Members of Congress and get contact information for local and Washington DC offices. If the legislator is unavailable to meet with you, ask to meet with the staffer handling health issues.

If you don't know your Member of Congress personally, try to learn a bit about his/her background¸ previous occupation, and where the Member stands on the issues you will be discussing. You can find bios and learn whether he or she has cosponsored AAPA priority legislation on the Legislative Action Center.

If you arrive to find that the legislator has unavailable to make your scheduled appointment, be gracious and offer to meet with the staff handling health issues.

During the Meeting:

Introduce yourself as a PA. Tell the legislator and/or staff where you work, what you do, the kinds of patients you treat, what you contribute to the community. Let the Member know if you are a constituent, and if you have any family, social, business, or political ties to your legislators, or are active in your community, share that as well.

Don't assume the legislator/staff knows what a PA is. Offer to give a "quick and dirty" overview of the profession (how and where PAs are trained, scope of practice, areas of practice, etc).

Be organized. Know the key points you need to make and try to make them in one or two minutes.

If there are several of you in the same meeting, plan beforehand what each person is going to say.

Use examples of how the issue impacts the community - especially your patients, clinic, hospital, etc. After all, what the Member really wants to know is how the issue will impact his or her constituents.

Be clear about what your position is and what you would like your legislator to do (cosponsor a bill, vote for a bill in committee, include PA provisions, etc). Identify the bill by name and number whenever possible.

Leave a fact sheet and issue papers with the Member or staff, and offer to follow up with the staffer with supplementary information and further assistance. Be sure your business card or other identifying information is attached.

Offer to become a resource for your Member on health issues in your Congressional district.

Always be courteous in dealing with your legislators, and be sure to be on time.

After Each Meeting:

Send the Member of Congress a thank-you letter. (Thank staffers by name, too, and your letter is likely to end up on the Member's desk.) In your letter, re-state your position and the action you want the Member to take, and attach any information you promised to provide during the meeting. Consider inviting the Member/staff to speak at an upcoming meeting, or visit your facility or practice.

Report back to AAPA on the results of your meeting, especially if he or she expresses strong opinions about an issue.

Touch base with the staffer from time to time, but don't be a pest.

Attending Town Hall Meetings

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Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings, health care forums and other community discussions over the August Recess. Here are some tips for PAs attending these gatherings.

Before the Meeting:

Find out if and when the legislator will be holding community forums. To do so :

Call the district office and inquire. Phone numbers for local offices can be found on AAPA's Legislative Action Center.

Visit the legislator's web page. Often town hall meetings are publicized online via press releases, RSS feeds, or event announcements.

Sign up online to receive legislators' email updates; meetings are often announced via email.

AAPA will be communicating directly with PAs throughout the month of August about town hall meetings as we learn of them. Keep an eye on your e-mail.

If you don't know what your legislator looks like, check out his or her picture online so that you are prepared should you find yourself walking in with them.

During the Meeting:

Look the part. Wear business-casual attire, or perhaps wear something that identifies you as a PA, such as a button from AAPA or your chapter, your white coat, or other identifying article of clothing.

Arrive early. You can get a good seat at the front (within the legislator's line of sight) where you are more likely to be called upon during the question and answer portion of the meeting. Also, it gives you opportunity to introduce yourself to staff if they, too, are early.
Prepare. Know what your "ask" will be, and have it ready. You can write it down on a note card if you worry about nerves when asked to speak.

Have a back-up question. If someone else asks your question or makes your point for you, have a second point in your back pocket. It can be as simple as saying that "PAs are a vital part of the community and that you'd like the legislator to support them in health reform".

Ask early, ask loudly. Don't be afraid to get your hand up early in the discussion. Be sure to speak clearly and loudly, and say it with a smile.

Identify yourself. Introduce yourself as a Physician Assistant. Tell the legislator and/or staff where you work, what you do, the kinds of patients you treat, what you contribute to the community.

Be courteous. Thank the legislator after asking your question. Offer to be a resource for additional information on health care in your community.

Listen. Listen to the legislator's answer. Does he/she make a commitment of support? Sound like he/she needs followup with additional information? Also, listen for the names of staff as they are introduced.

After the Meeting:

Offer thanks. Immediately after the meeting concludes, try to approach the legislator or staff and give a final quick "thank you". Have your business card and any fact sheets or issue papers you wish to leave behind ready. Shake hands and thank the legislator for convening the meeting and offer once again to be a health care resource.

Follow up with staff. Send the staff an email or written note thanking them for their time, reminding them of your comments at the forum, and restate your offer to be a health care resource.