DO Day on the Hill Information Session

1
DO Day on the HillInformation Session

• Wed. April 6th
• 5pm
• Ginsburg Auditorium

2
What is your role at DO Day on the Hill?

• You will be in a group of 20 physicians/students
  from your voting district
• AOA has set up appointments to meet with 2
  Senators and 1 Representative
  (as available)
• You will be lobbying for the 3 issues that the
  AOA has chosen and supports

3
Why are you here today?

• To become more familiar with these 3 issues
• Find out what YOU should do to prepare yourself
  (..who are your representatives?? How did they
  vote on those issues??)
• To be come a more affective lobbyist

4
The 3 Major Issues

• Medical Liability Reform (HEALTH ACT)
• Higher Education Act
• Medicare Physician Payments

5
I. Medical Liability Reform

• Top legislative priority of AOA
• Whats the Problem?
• Increasing liability costs are pushing
  physicians out of certain specialties and
  geographical locations
• Physicians are practicing defensive medicine
  due to fear of lawsuits

6
Medical Liability Reform

• Patients are suffering too!!!! ? due to loss of
  access to essential health care services (ex.
  OB/GYN and Neurosurgery)
• The HEALTH ACT (Help, Efficient, Accesible, Low
  Cost Timely, Health Care Act) of 2003 passed in
  the House of Representatives, but has failed to
  do so in the Senate.
• You can help lobby Congress to pass this
  important act!!

7
Medical Liability Reform

• AOAs 6 Provisions
• Limitations on Non-Economic Damages
• Joint and Several Liability Reforms
• Collateral Source Reform
• Establish Uniform Statues of Limitations
• Periodic Repayment of Future Expenses or Losses
• Limitations on Attorney Fees

8
II. Higher Education Act

• (HEA) Higher Education Act of 1965, expired in
  2003, and was reinstated in 2004 with some
  provisions.
• Goal of HEA is to make medical education more
  affordable for EVERYONE
• This includes loans, interest rates, repayment
  etc.

9
Higher Education Act

• How does this affect you ?
• Osteopathic medical students graduate with
  128,000 in debt (HIGHEST of ALL health
  professions!!!!)
• gt60 become family practitioners (soul of the
  osteopathic profession)
• Due to financial pressures, many medical students
  pursue medical specialties, with a higher earning
  potential.
• This is not helping the national shortage of
  family physicians.

10
Higher Education Act

• Title IV of HEA was added in Oct. 2004
• It included (Stafford loan increase limit from
  10,000 to 12,000 allowed for moving of all
  loans to a variable rate, eliminating the single
  holder rule and reducing fees from 3 to 1

11
Higher Education Act

• Higher Education Affordability and Equity Act
  (HEAEA) was passed in March 2005
• Current Provisions of the HEAEA
• Student loan interest deduction
• Higher Education Expenses
• Room and Board Tax Treatment
• Hope Scholarship Tax Credit
• And Others..

12
III. Medicare Physician Payments

• Enacted in 1965, with the goal to ensure health
  care services to millions of Americans
• 40 million Americans currently depend on the
  system, but as the population ages, the system
  has become STRAINED

13
Medicare Physician Payments

• How are physicians affected?
• Reimbursements for physicians have continuously
  decreased over the years (in 2002 decreased by
  5.4)
• Looking to the future?
• According to the Medicare Trustee Report we
  face reductions of at least 5/yr from 2006
  through 2012.

14
Medicare Physician Payments

• Although Congress in 2004 and 2005, with the MMA
  (Medicare, Prescription Drug Improvement and
  Modernization Act) slightly increased physician
  payment rates, MORE reform is needed.
• As more medicare services (ex. Preventative
  medicine) are being provided, physicians are
  being financially penalized by the system.
• This needs to STOP!!!

15
What should you do before the Day?

• Find out who are your representatives and
  senators?
• www.capwiz.com/aoa-aoia
• MAKE SURE YOU GO ON THIS
• Tells you how they voted on our issues
• Do your own research on these topics!!!
• read agenda e-mailed to you last weeklots of
  great links to learn more about the issues and
  your representatives.

16
What should you do before the Day?

• Check to see if your member of Congress is on one
  of these 4 Committees
• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
  Committee Jurisdiction
• Senate Finance Committee Jurisdiction
• House Committee on Energy and Commerce
  Jurisdiction
• House Committee on Ways and Means Jurisdiction
• http//www.gpoaccess.gov/cprints/ (check this or
  other similar links to find out)

17
What should you do before the day?

• Learn about the Process.
• How a law is made http//thomas.loc.gov/home/laws
  made.toc.html
• Enactment of a law
• http//thomas.loc.gov/home/enactment/e nactlawto
  c.html

18
The Dos and Donts of Meeting with a Member of
Congress/Staff

• Dos
• Be polite and personable
• Stay focused
• Be ready to answer questions on your issue
• Use anecdotal situations to support your issue
• Leave packet with every office

19
The Dos and Donts of Meeting with a Member of
Congress/Staff

• Donts
• Dont misinform. Dont be afraid to say I dont
  know. If you are asked a question and you are
  unsure, take note of the question and give the
  info to an AOA staff member
• Dont argue or antagonize
• Dont steer away from the issues
• Dont be offended by inconvenience

20
Words of Advice

• Issues
• Be brief. Dont let the representative or staffer
  side-track the meeting.
• Be prepared when you arrive. Know what you are
  going to say.
• Present your opinion, bolstered by facts, figures
  and a PERSONAL STORY.
• Know and understand opposing arguments. Be
  prepared to discuss them
• Gently remind your representative that youre a
  constituent and that you always vote. All
  politics is local.
• Be passionate (not emotional), and never leave in
  anger.

21
Words of Advice

• Closing
• Leave when your time is up.
• Ask for a commitment from the member to support
  your position-but do not apply pressure or be
  threatening.
• After every contact with a legislator, be sure to
  say the magic words -- THANK YOU.

22
Words of Advice

• Choose a leader! This person is responsible for
  facilitating the meeting and will introduce the
  group.
• Its important to establish a relationship
  between the 3 parties the staff member (lets
  call him John), the leader, and the group.
• Dont be afraid to step up and take the leader
  position.

23
Step 1 Introduction

• Thank the staff member (John) for his time!
• Who we are?
• Who are you?
• Can we introduce ourselves?
• Home, school, political activity..
• What is Johns reaction?

24
Step 2 Hopes for the Session

• The Leader must establish with John what he or
  she hopes to receive from session.
• How much time do we have?
• John, how much do you know about these issues?
• John, What are your goals from this session?

25
Step 2 Hopes for the Session

• JohnThese are our HOPES for this session..
• 1.offer prospective from med school student,
  future physician, on these issues
• 2.tell you our concerns
• 3.tell you why these issues are important to us
  and to the voting constituency back in our home
  states.

26
Step 3 Discuss the Issues

• Is John ready to listen?
• Ask John, Is it OK if I start here?
• Clarify the situation and continuously CONTRACT
  with John what you as a group will be discussing.
• Ask John, if the Senator would like or is
  available to meet with us, as we are discussing
  these issues.

27
Step 4 Closing

• At 5 Minutes to the end, the Leader must inform
  John that our meeting ends in 5 minutes, but we
  can continue our conversation if you would like.
• At the end Remember to always THANK John and
  dont forget to leave the Hill Packet with him.
• Consider leaving a small gift with the office

28
Thanks for your time!!!!

• Look for an e-mail with a complete list of links
  of the web-sites mentioned.
• E-mail me if you have any problems finding the
  necessary information on these topics.