Speak out for your patients and your profession!
In 2003, AAPA embarked on a new - and by all accounts, very promising - program of scheduling individual visits by PAs with targeted members of Congress.
The AAPA Congressional Visit Program strategically positions PAs on Capitol Hill throughout the year. All members of the Academy are invited to be part of this aggressive effort to make needed changes in federal health care policy so that patients can have better access to quality medical care.
A typical congressional visit involves about 24 hours in Washington , DC, with PAs flying into the city one evening, having an early morning briefing with AAPA staff, visiting legislators, then spending a little time debriefing and evaluating the meeting before flying home. Travel and expenses are paid for by AAPA. Appointments with lawmakers typically are scheduled mid-week, such as Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, although some flexibility is possible.
The program welcomes PAs with experience in legislative advocacy and established connections, as well as new PAs and PA students with no experience in order to provide exposure and training. Experienced PAs may be accompanied by "first-time" PAs and PA students during these meetings. This way, the "next generation" of PAs will become proficient in Academy lobbying efforts. Each visit also includes a member of the AAPA federal affairs staff.
What Are the Issues ?
The subjects discussed during the congressional visits are taken directly from the Academy's legislative agenda, and the visits target legislators who are key players on key committees - people who can make things happen.
In addition to supporting "big picture" issues, such as coverage for the uninsured, universal access to health care, and Medicare payment levels, three key PA issues were selected from the Academy's legislative agenda for 2004.
- The ability of PAs to order home health, hospice, and post-hospital skilled nursing facility care under Medicare, as well as the ability to provide hospice care to Medicare beneficiaries who elect the hospice benefit
- Update of the Federal Workers' Compensation Act to allow PAs to diagnose and treat injured federal employees
- Increased funding for health professions education programs
How to Learn More
For more information about the Congressional Visit Program or to volunteer, call 703/836-2272, ext. 3205, write to Sandy Harding, director of federal affairs, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or click here to fill out the online form.
To learn about your members of Congress and about the Academy's federal legislative agenda, visit AAPA's Legislative Action Center, the Academy's one-stop Web page for government information. It provides sample messages to legislators on current issues and includes information about registering to vote and the media.
