This quote from Congressman Charlie Norwood gives some insight into the politics of legislation on Capitol Hill. When the people at home feel strongly about an issue, and speak up in significant enough numbers, the politicians hear and are goaded into action.
Congressman Norwood has said he is more than willing to fight our battle in Congress, but he needs our help if he's going to win.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he'll bring the Patient Access to Responsible Care Act (PARCA) bill to the House floor when it has 200 co-sponsors. At press time, there was a bi-partisan coalition of 155 congressional representatives co-sponsoring the bill. You do the math.
PARCA is designed to end the discrimination in health insurance plans (including managed care and self-insured ERISA plans) against providers based on "license" (e.g., chiropractors). On the patient side, the PARCA bill would require every employee in the U.S. to have access to a point of service plan (POS). POS plans would give your patients access to chiropractic for a small fee, even if you don't belong to their network.
Congressman Norwood wants every DC to ask their patients to sign a form letter showing their support of PARCA. Get your patients to support legislation that makes it easier to continue to see you. You will speak with the voice of many. This is all you have to do:
- Find the form letter insert in this issue.
- Make three copies, one for your congressional representative, and one each for your two senators.
- Type in the name of each representative at the top of the page ("The Honorable"), and their last name in the salutation ("Dear Representative").
- Make copies of the three letters for your patients to sign.
- Put the letters on separate clipboards with pens. Your patients need only print their names and addresses on the lines at the top, and sign the bottom.
- After two weeks, check and collect the form letters, place them in three separate envelopes, and mail them off to your three national representatives.
- After another two weeks, send off a second batch of letters.
Imagine the impact of envelopes pouring into your representatives' offices, each one containing hundreds of letters.
It isn't hard, and it isn't expensive. For the cost of a few hundred photocopies, and the postage on six large envelopes, you could help change the face of health care for every employee in the United States.
As Congressman Norwood said:
"That's how you win. That's how you get the laggards in Congress to finally throw up their hands, give up, and say, 'I can't stand one more meeting with (or letter from) the constituents at home clamoring for passage of PARCA.'"Donald M. Petersen Jr. BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h)
Editor/Publisher Dynamic Chiropractic
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