The November 2014 elections are right around the corner; members of Congress, governors and state legislators are all running. Now is a good time to talk frankly about our overall political involvement.
How's that worked so far? With all due respect, doctors, that doesn't appear to be a winning strategy.
Let's talk about Medicare: There are 435 representatives and 100 senators in Washington, D.C. We have a handful of lobbyists who work for the chiropractic profession. At the same time, some 15,000 full-time lobbyists live in D.C. and are on The Hill almost every day, representing thousands of special interests. Clearly, we face tough competition in getting our message across.
How do you compete with them? There is a way. But let's set the stage a bit first.
Our Challenge – and Opportunity
We have struggled for more than 50 years attempting to get a fair shake in Medicare and most state worker's compensation programs. And if you have ever had occasion to treat a federal work comp patient, you are keenly aware of the struggle – not only for permission to treat, but also in getting paid. The only help I have ever had with a federal worker's comp case, such as an injured postal worker, has been to appeal, often unsuccessfully, to my congressperson for assistance.
Florida, my state, has 27 congressional districts. At the 2013 National Chiropractic Legislative Conference (NCLC) in Washington, D.C., Florida doctors of chiropractic visited 26 of them (one Florida congressperson actually refused to give the visiting DCs an appointment). Of the 26 who gave our people an appointment, only six saw fit to visit personally with the chiropractors who'd traveled from Florida to Capitol Hill to see them. In the other 20 offices, the NCLC delegates were only allowed to speak to the staff – which ranks up there with stating your position on Medicare reimbursement to your barber.
Clearly, as a profession we need to be far more effective politically. The good news is that it is within our power to do just that – and without the expenditure of much money.
The record shows that it's often very hard – if not impossible – to make a sitting legislator an enthusiastic advocate of our initiatives once they are elected. It follows, then, that the best time to turn any legislator's attention to our issues is when they are actively looking for help to get elected – like now.
In just a few weeks, people across the U.S. will be voting for members of Congress, their next governor and a number of state legislators. You are seeing some of their ads, and perhaps received a phone call or letter from some of them. They are all running now. They want our help and they want it bad. Believe me, they are listening harder now than they will after they are elected. This is the perfect time to approach them.
What can you do? Here are a few simple suggestions.
3 Ways to Get Involved
- Write to them (emails are too frequent to be effective – a first-class letter still has real power). So write – on your office letterhead. You don't have to mention anything about our issues; just let them know you are a chiropractor who will vote for them and will speak to your friends on their behalf. That's all it takes. It will show the candidate that chiropractors are working for them. Believe me, as simple as this appears, to a candidate it is pure gold!
Most of us think candidates want money. Truth to tell, money is really secondary. What they really want is what they hope money will buy – votes – and votes are exactly what we have! That brings me to a second suggestion.
- Through our day-to-day contacts, each of us has the power to influence the votes of a number of friends, patients and relatives. That costs nothing and is worth a fortune to any candidate. It's time we used that power by getting up to speed on current congressional, state representative and governor races. Politely talk to people about the issues that concern chiropractic.
- And if you are so inclined, I offer a third suggestion: Actively help candidates you favor. There is still time to call their campaign headquarters and offer to help. They may have you manning phones or doing clerical work. You can work as little or as much as you want; no restrictions.
The Advantages of Activism
There are a number of hard-dollar advantages to becoming more active in political affairs. You will be able to attend meetings, where you can often meet the candidates and speak to them personally. In addition, you will meet decision-makers from various companies and professions working in your area. You will often meet state legislators who vote on important issues that affect us at the state level.
And of course, every one of the people with whom you come in contact is a prospective patient – or referral source.
I have eaten fried chicken with my congressman more than once as I talked to him about our Medicare problems and other issues. I visited with him often at our county Republican banquet and annual Republican picnic. He understood our issues and was "with us."
Trouble is, we need more than a single congressman voting our way in order to get things done. Remember, there are a total of 535 legislators in Washington, D.C. In order to see change, we need hundreds of them on our side.
One thing the big-spending special interests cannot buy is personal involvement – and that is our strong suit. So, to reiterate, I suggest you do one (or all) of the following now – and in every election year:
- Write your federal and state legislators, pledging your support.
- Talk to your patients and friends.
- Serve as a campaign volunteer.
Together, doctors, we are a mighty force. We have the power to influence a great number of votes. Let's use that power. The price is right. Talk to your colleagues, doctors. Think about getting more involved. Let's do more. It's so easy and the promise is great.
Dr. John Gantner is a retired 50-year practitioner who now sells Florida chiropractic practices (www.floridapracticesales.net). He also writes a monthly newsletter regarding practice sales, along with timely clinical, practice building and other information of value to a practicing chiropractor. You can subscribe at
or call 239-362-7302.