PACT Takes Respiratory Message to Capitol Hill

March 18, 2008

Our elected officials in Washington, DC, learned more about the respiratory care profession and key legislation impacting respiratory patients during the AARC’s annual Capitol Hill Lobby Day on March 11.

For the ninth year in a row, members of the Association’s Political Advocacy Contact Team (PACT) joined AARC leaders in a march up “The Hill,” bringing important information about the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative, the pulmonary rehabilitation acts, and other bills focused on the provision of respiratory services, to legislators and their health care staff.

The event drew PACT members from across the country—110 were on hand from 46 states, together visiting nearly 300 Congressional offices.

“The 2008 Capitol Hill Lobby Day was a huge success,” notes AARC Director of Government Affairs Cheryl West. “We want to thank the state respiratory therapy societies for partnering with the AARC to fund this important event. And certainly we thank all of our PACT members who took time from their home and jobs to  come and lobby for their profession. Without their support, we would not be making the impact we are today in Washington, DC.”

The event kicked off on March 10, as PACT members gathered to learn more about the issues at hand, receive tips on lobbying, and prep for the March 11 visits. As they are every year, the 2008 visits were built on the foundation laid during previous visits, making it easier and easier to get the respiratory message across to members of Congress.

This year’s agenda focused heavily on HR 3968, the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative, and its companion bill in the Senate, S 2704, which was introduced just days before PACT members made their way to Washington.

“This legislation will permit qualified respiratory therapists to provide certain respiratory therapy services, such as smoking cessation, asthma management, and MDI device and medication education, while under the general supervision of a physician in settings other than the acute care hospital,” says Miriam O’Day, the AARC’s Legislative Director. “That essentially means RTs could be much more easily employed in alternate sites like physicians’ offices than they are today, bringing much needed services to respiratory patients.”

The AARC launched the legislative initiative last year, and has been more than pleased with the progress so far. “To already have the legislation introduced into both houses of Congress is a major accomplishment,” says West.

The pulmonary rehabilitation legislation (HR 552/S 329) was chief on the agenda as well. PACT members used the latest trip to reinforce messages they’ve been delivering for the past several years and were well rewarded for their efforts by increasing the number of Congressional co-sponsors, which are essential in passing any legislation.

“After our trip, the number of co-sponsors on the House side went from 164 to 172, and we gained an additional co-sponsor on the Senate side as well, which puts the number of co-sponsors there at 41,” saysO’Day. “That really shows how quickly our visits pay off in terms of garnering support.”

For more information about these and other important respiratory bills, visit our Government Affairs page. Then consider what you can do to support respiratory legislation too. While the PACT won’t gather in our nation’s capitol again until next year, anytime is a good time to write your members of Congress, schedule visits with them or their staffs in your local area, or invite them out to your facility to see first hand how important respiratory therapists are to the care and treatment of people with respiratory conditions.