Category: Congress

Hello, Congress? It’s nurses. We need to talk.

  

Nurses have the power to change the conversation on health care – starting with your senators, right now.

Can you speak out for your patients today? A two-minute phone call could make all the difference for patients who are on the brink of losing their health insurance.

Just dial 1-202-224-3121 to reach the Capitol Switchboard and an operator will connect you to your senator’s office.

When you’re connected, here are some pointers to guide your conversation:

  • Share your name and your town or city so they’ll know you’re a constituent.
  • Tell the staffer that you are a nurse, and you’re concerned that patients like yours could lose access to health care if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.
  • Remind them that insurance costs were skyrocketing before the ACA went into effect, and that without it, millions of people would have simply been priced out of healthcare already.1
  • Explain that, as a nurse, you want to share your personal story of how you experience the healthcare system. Share your vision for what is working and what is not, and what Washington can do to fix those problems.
  • Finally, thank them for their time. If you have another minute, call the switchboard again and ask to speak to your other senator’s office.

Once you’re done, let us know you’ve made your call so we can keep track of which senators are hearing from nurses and hold them accountable here in Washington.

Yes, I called my senator’s office and spoke with a staffer.

Yes, I called both my senators’ offices and spoke with their staff.

No, I wasn’t able to get through, but I’ll try again later!

Thank you for taking care of your patients every day, and thank you for speaking out today. Nurses like you truly are making a difference in Washington!

Congress vs. Patients

  

Just a few days into the new year, the U.S. Senate has already taken its first steps towards repealing the Affordable Care Act striping away health coverage from 30 million Americans.

With a 51-48 Senate vote fell almost entirely along party lines, an early sign of the contentiousness surrounding Republican plans to undo President Obama’s signature health-care law.

Senate Republicans held together to defeat Democratic amendments aimed at defending popular portions of the Affordable Care Act, including expanded Medicaid and Medicare drug benefits and allowing kids to stay on their parents’ insurance until 26.

The House is planning to vote on the budget and we need Congress to hear from you!

Nurses are one of the few groups Congress will listen to. You’re part of America’s most trusted profession, and everybody knows that nurses stand with patients.

Stand with your patients now, and tell Congress: Don’t take health coverage away from millions of Americans!

With a new Administration set to step into the White House, the moment of truth is here… We’ve sent the Trump transition team a detailed set of principles they should follow as they seek to dismantle and replace our existing healthcare system. But Congress is in such a rush to repeal without a thoughtful replacement that they haven’t stopped to consider the effect their actions will have on the people you see every day in your clinics, in your hospitals, in your classrooms – and in your communities.

Preventative care, prescriptions, coverage for pre-existing conditions, parents keeping their children on their insurance until age 26 – it’s all on the line. And millions of your patients are wondering what it will mean for them.

Take action now – Send a message and make sure Congress knows that nurses aren’t going to let their patients lose access to the care they need.

Tips and tricks for visiting your Senator’s office

  

Letters and phone calls can make a huge difference on Capitol Hill. But to really make Congress understand what nurses see every day on the job, a face-to-face meeting with a lawmaker or their staff is hard to beat. An office visit shows them the human face of your profession and your patients.

Here’s a quick guide to planning your office visit.

How to set up your meeting:

• Pick a day during the week of January 16th when you could stop by your Senator’s local office.

• Pick which of your two U.S. Senators you’re going to meet with. You should choose whichever Senator you prefer.

• Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator’s office. Tell the staffer you’d like to request a meeting with the staff at your nearest district office about health care – the staffer you speak with can tell you where the closest office is. You probably don’t need to make an appointment, but it’s helpful to make one so you can be sure a knowledgeable staffer will be available.

• Fill out this form to let us know when you’ve set up your visit.

Once you’ve scheduled a date and time:

• Do a little homework and figure out where your Representative stands on repealing the Affordable Care Act. You can often find press releases on their websites. Don’t forget: ANA staff is here to help! Feel free to reach out to us in the comments below.

• Jot down a couple notes about how you’ll introduce yourself – your background in nursing, what kind of patients you see or what classes you teach. The staffers you meet will be grateful to have a little context.

• Decide what YOUR number-one worry is about healthcare in America. Is it providing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions? Is it making sure young people can stay on their parents’ health insurance? Is it lifetime coverage caps, or something else entirely? For more ideas and background, check out the rest of the Capitol Beat blog, and be sure to read this letter we sent to the incoming Trump administration about ANA’s principles for any changes made to our health care system. You don’t have to speak to every issue, just what’s important to you personally.

• Remember, you’ll be meeting with staffers who probably don’t know the ins and outs of healthcare as well as you do. Be ready for them to ask you to explain technical terms.

Last but not least, make sure you thank the staffer for their time and attention!

Any questions, concerns, or clarifications? Let us know in the comments!