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Grassroots Lobbying It's Our Business
With the many Medicare changes (and when do we not have to deal with various legislative, regulatory and other policy changes?), every provider in our industry must first take the time to understand how important it is to get to know his or her legislators, and second, to spend time educating these legislators about our businesses, the products and services we provide and the consumers we serve.
For those of you who have resisted over the years, now is the time to act. No one can do a better job than you. The following step-by-step primer focuses on how to lobby federal legislators, but the same rules apply to state representatives and senators.
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Identify Your Legislators — You may have connections to more than one representative if you live and work in different districts. If so, contact both. If you don't know who your congressmen are, locate them on the Web. For federal legislators, visit: http://thomas.loc.gov:8081/home/legbranch/legbranch.html. You will find state district maps to identify your congressional district, the names of the congressmen representing your areas in Washington and links to their individual Web sites.
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Do Some Homework — Take a moment to review your legislators' Web sites; they will provide information about voting records, issues and legislation, and their positions on various policy issues.
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Prepare Your Message — Write down the important messages you want to deliver to your legislators. Then write down the points you need to make to educate your legislators about your business and the consumers you serve. Explain how your business works, and explain in chronological order how you provide products and services, starting with a call from a referral through delivery of the items and follow-up service.
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Make the Call — Call your senators and representatives and ask to set up a meeting with them and/or their health staff. Ask if the legislator would like to visit your business or visit a patient in his or her home to have a fuller appreciation of the range of products and related services you provide. Be persistent, and don't take “no” for an answer. Remember, you are their constituent; they must pay attention to you.
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Keep the First Meeting Simple — On your first meeting, limit your objective to educating your legislators about your business. On subsequent visits or phone calls, ask for assistance with a particular issue of concern to you.
