Capitol Hill Lobbying Day a Huge Success
March 17, 2005
Congressional offices all over Washington, DC, were filled to capacity with AARC members the first week in March, as the Association made its annual trek to the nation’s Capitol to lobby for key issues in the respiratory care profession.
Spearheaded by more than 90 members of the AARC’s Political Advocacy Contact Team (PACT), the event featured over 200 individual meetings with legislators and/or their staff. Topping the agenda was the newly reintroduced bill in Congress to include respiratory therapists under the Medicare home health benefit. PACT members also discussed greater support for COPD patients via the Congressional COPD Caucus; the Allied Health Reinvestment Act, also newly reintroduced into Congress and considered vital to increasing the number of respiratory therapists and other health professionals nationwide; and the need to institute officer status for RTs in the military.
The Biggest Turnout Ever
“Over 90 PACT coordinators from 44 states, the biggest turnout ever for this meeting, discussed the reintroduction of the home health bill , HR 964, by Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona,” says AARC Director of Government Affairs Jill Eicher, who was on hand throughout the two-day event on March 7 and 8 to assist PACT members in their efforts. “HR 964 recognizes respiratory therapy services when provided by RTs under the Medicare home health services benefit and would give homebound patients needing respiratory therapy access to RTs.”
The bill received considerable support during the sessions. “We felt good that Senator Lott would most likely reintroduce from the Senate another Companion Bill to take the place of the S 2707 from last year,” says Jerry S. Bridgers, AASD, CRT, LRCP, co-chair of the AARC House of Delegates’ Ad Hoc Committee on Home Care Recognition and senior member of the PACT delegation from Mississippi. “We also felt that we had some good support from Senator Cochran's office, as well as from the offices of the members of Congress.”
While he notes follow up correspondence will give the group a better idea of overall support, the Mississippians felt the legislators and staff they spoke with all seemed to have an improved understanding of the home care bill over last year. “They all seem to agree that this language change is budget neutral and that the patient would be the benefactor of this change.” Bridgers says he and his colleagues made sure to leave a copy of the newly reintroduced HR 964 with staffers in each of the Congressional offices.
Michael R. Jackson, RRT-NPS, CPFT, senior member of the team from Massachusetts, says his group of six PACT members — three of whom traveled to D.C. at their own expense — enjoyed similar success. “We visited the offices of all ten of our representatives and both senators,” says the registered respiratory therapist. Two representatives met personally with the group. “These two meetings were quite cordial, and both resulted in promises of full support for HR 964,” says Jackson, noting the group had “a surprisingly successful visit with Rep. Barney Frank” and “Rep. McGovern greeted us warmly, as he has for three years running.”
Jackson says these legislators, and the staff they visited with at the other offices, all seemed to respond favorably to the RTs’ message, which was that the mushrooming health care needs of COPD patients really require greater access to RTs in the home. “All ten representatives’ offices said that they supported our initiative. We expect from them to soon have between five and seven Massachusetts cosponsors of HR 964.”
Partnering with Patients
PACT members were joined at the lobbying event by Vlady Rozenbaum, PhD, founder and moderator of the patient support group COPD-ALERT. In a presentation before the entire AARC delegation, he talked about the need for COPD patient advocacy, telling his audience how important it is for the patient community to interact directly with respiratory therapists so both groups can work towards common goals. “To many COPD patients respiratory therapists are a therapeutic and educational bridge between patients and doctors. It is very important that we maintain this bridge and keep it strong.”
Dr. Rozenbaum, who is from Maryland, also joined PACT members from the Maryland/DC Society on their rounds of Congressional offices, focusing on patient issues such as Medicare cuts in DME reimbursements that have affected patients using supplementary oxygen and nebulized medications, the FAA rule on the use of portable oxygen concentrators during flights, the UNOS proposed policy on donor lung allocations, and the safety of compounded aqueous-based drugs for inhalation.
“I found the meeting with the therapists very enjoyable and educational,” says Dr. Rozenbaum. “We found a number of common issues to focus on and we saw benefits of working as partners.”
Making Good Progress
The PACT delegation from Arkansas met personally with several members of Congress from their state as well, including Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Rep. John Bozeman, Rep. Mike Ross, and Rep. Vic Snyder, and also met with staffers from the offices of Sen. Mark Pryor and Rep. Marion Berry.
Reaction to the home health legislation was “very positive,” says John Campbell, MA, RRT-NPS, RPFT, Arkansas PACT co-chair. “Rep. Mike Ross is an originator of the legislation along with Rep. Renzi. Rep. Vic Snyder was a cosponsor previously and will cosponsor again. Sen. Lincoln said she would speak with Sen. Trent Lott about sponsoring the legislation in the Senate.”
Rep. Snyder also responded favorably to the group’s request that RTs with a bachelor’s degree be allowed officer status in the military, asking one of his aides look into the issue further.
The group from Connecticut visited the offices of all five of their members of Congress and both senators, advocating for RT inclusion under the home health benefit and other issues key to the profession. Frank Salvatore, Jr., BS, RRT, FAARC, who hails from the state and is also chair of the AARC’s Government Affairs Committee, believes the group made a lot of headway this year and says the annual lobbying day is having its intended effect. “Members of Congress and their staff are more aware now after four years of lobbying that there is a profession of respiratory care.”
Growing Expertise
Cheryl West, the AARC’s director of state government affairs, also attended the two-day lobbying event and says the ability of these AARC members and others to make such great progress on HR 964 and other issues is testament to their growing expertise when it comes to dealing with elected officials.
“What really struck me was how accomplished and totally at ease with the lobbying process the respiratory therapists were,” says West. “The AARC staff would ask if any of the state reps wanted us to go along to the meetings with them, kind of help things along, and everyone said they were doing just fine, thank you very much. I think that goes to the notion that many of the therapists are veterans of this Hill lobby day and know the issues cold and feel comfortable meeting with Congressional staff.”
AARC President John Hiser, MEd, RRT, FAARC, took part in the event as well, meeting with legislators and staff from his home state of Texas, including Senator John Cornyn, along with the Texas PACT delegation, and joining AARC Executive Director Sam Giordano, MBA, RRT, FAARC, in visits to the offices of Arizona Senator John McCain and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, who helped form the Congressional COPD Caucus.
“I think the lobbying day went very well,” says Hiser. “The group was focused and energetic. They spent a day going over the issues and discussing strategy and then spent the next day making visits. The members of the Governmental Affairs Committee, along with the members of the PACT, are essential to the success of any legislative efforts that the AARC might be involved in. We are not going to be successful without them.”
As for the therapists themselves, they wholeheartedly believe the annual lobbying event on Capitol Hill is gaining momentum. Says Michael Jackson, “Persistence has paid off. Representatives that were standoffish years ago have warmed up to supporting us this year. We gain more strength every year.”
Jerry Bridgers agrees. “We feel that the response we got was very positive. I think that the hard work of the last three years is about to pay off.”
Now It’s Your Turn
Of course, one annual lobbying event alone won’t get the job done — therapists everywhere need to do their part too by writing to their members of Congress in support of HR 964 and other issues – even if they don’t feel like those particular issues directly affect their careers. Says Frank Salvatore, “The issue of respiratory therapy recognition under the Medicare home health benefit may not seem like it impacts you directly. But in the grand scheme of things, it does. If we garner the necessary recognition by the federal government, it will steam roll into other areas that will impact our ability to care for our patients.”
John Campbell says member support is crucial. “It is much easier for us to discuss these issues when AARC members and other constituents write to their legislative representatives. The efforts are not just for this one day. All of our members need to be active and encourage others in telephone and writing campaigns so that needed legislation becomes a reality.”
Bridgers says that concept was driven home big time during one of the lobbying day sessions. “There was a report of a Congressional staffer at one meeting holding up 100 letters and saying, ‘This is the reason you got our support.’”
So even though this year’s lobbying event has come to an end, you can still make a difference by writing to your members of Congress and encouraging your patients to do the same. Writing a letter is easy: you can find everything you need on the AARC’s Capitol Connection web page.
These 95 RTs met with over 200 legislators. Click to Enlarge
Brenda Laurie of Massachusetts signs in at a Congressional office.
The Texas PACT made 32 visits including this
one with Senator John Cornyn. Tony Flores, Caryn Pope and AARC President John Hiser made the visit.
AARC President John Hiser (left) was grateful for the
participation of patient advocate, Vlady Rozenbaum.
AARC staff and officers celebrate the colors of
Connecticut with those PACT delegates.
Frank Miller (left), Cheri Schuler, and Bill Cohagen of Arizona
set out Monday morning to a full day of lobbying.
Cheri Schuler and Bill Cohagen paid a visit to
Congressman Raul Grijava of the Arizona 7th District.
North Dakota PACT representatives Mike Runge, Val Tomhave, and Sandi Sanford meet with ND Congressman Earl Pomeroy.
