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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Leave Them in the Know — Don’t overload the legislator and his/her staff. Develop a one-page report to leave behind after each visit, and be sure to keep it to one page. You can provide additional information later.
7. Become a Credible Source of Information in Your Community — Make sure your legislator knows that he or she and his or her staff should look to you as a health care expert in your field. Your objective is to be viewed as a credible information resource on HME issues and business. Remember, you are the expert!
8. Stay in Touch — Develop your new relationship by providing value-added information about important issues impacting your business. Forward your lawmakers relevant newspaper articles and other information to help educate them about the business.
9. When You Need Their Intervention — When you or your business need your legislators’ help — for instance, to write a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on your behalf — you should have already laid the groundwork. At this point, you can e-mail or call the health staff and/or the legislators to explain the issue and what you would like them to do on your behalf. Make it easy. For example, provide the legislator with a draft letter to CMS. Make sure your request is reasonable.
10. Keep the Relationship Healthy — Maintain communication with your legislators’ offices. When new health staff members come in, meet with them to make sure they are up to speed on your business and issues.
11. Get Involved in the Campaign — If your legislators are helpful, get involved with their campaign. This means offering financial support and encouraging your colleagues to do the same.

A specialist in health care legislation, regulations and government relations, Cara C. Bachenheimer is vice president, government relations, for Invacare Corp., Elyria, Ohio. Bachenheimer previously worked at the law firm of Epstein, Becker & Green in Washington, D.C., and at the American Association for Homecare and the Health Industry Distributors Association. You can reach her by phone at 440/329-6226 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Top 10 Reasons You Need to Lobby Your Legislators

1. They are your representatives — they work for you.
2. You vote to keep them in or out of office — consider their track record on issues you care about this November.
3. It’s their job to represent their constituents, including you, your employees and all the consumers you serve.
4. Grassroots action does work. Legislators’ offices keep track of the input they receive from their constituents.
5. Your individual company can and will benefit if you can develop an open relationship.
6. You have nothing to lose. If, in a worst-case scenario, you find out your legislator is not a supporter, move on to others.
7. Nobody can educate your legislators about your business better than you can.
8. HME lobbyists are rare. No one else will do it if you don’t.
9. It’s really just a sales call. The sales pitch is support for you, your company and the consumers you serve.
10. It will help your business and our industry overall.