Congress is in recess August 11 through September 5. During this time, members of Congress are meeting with constituents in their district offices, so this is a great opportunity for you to:
- Contact your senators and representative in their district offices;
- Attend town hall meetings; and
- Invite your elected officials to your office for a first-hand look at a rheumatology facility.
As this is an election year, members of Congress will be campaigning in your area and will be eager to speak with constituents on issues that affect them.
Legislators are concerned with access to quality and affordable healthcare, which includes fair reimbursement for DXA scans, as well as Medicare physician reimbursement, which is continuously threatened with reductions.
Additionally, ACR members can encourage support of the “Arthritis Prevention Control and Cure Act of 2007” (H.R.1283/S.626) and the “Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act” (H.R.4206/S.2702), as well as an increase in funding for the NIH—specifically the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
It is essential that ACR and ARHP members contact their members of Congress both in the district and in Washington, D.C., to ensure awareness and support of issues that affect the rheumatology community.
If you are a U.S. voter, you elected these lawmakers to represent you and your interests; it is your right and duty to inform your legislators of these issues, and your actions will directly affect your specialty for years to come.
For additional information on advocacy, please contact Aiken Hackett at [email protected] or (404) 633-3777.
