If you have not seen them yet, you soon will: yard signs, television, radio and online ads, mailers, door-to-door solicitations, and candidate meet-and-greets. Election season is here. While Election Day 2022 is not until Nov. 8, campaign season is already heating up, and will continue to do so throughout the summer and fall months.
In the months ahead, August and October particularly, members of Congress will focus on their local campaigns. Washington, D.C., will grow quiet as candidates head home to host town halls, attend county and state fairs, walk in parades, and interact and connect with as many potential voters as possible.
Candidates Want to Hear From You
Candidates will look for any opportunity for face time with you. They want to tell you about what they have done as elected officials, and/or what they plan to do if elected. Likewise, candidates want to hear from you – and the issues you support or need supported. They want you to know that they hear you, care about you, and if elected, will advocate for you. They want to secure your vote.
Candidates also like to hear how the work they do benefits voters. For the acupuncture profession, this encompasses patients (current and future), small-business owners (many of you), and those seeking to enter the acupuncture profession (students and prospective students). This is why the 2022 midterm campaign season is an ideal time to talk about the profession's ongoing effort to obtain Medicare recognition.
Your Voice Is Powerful
Remember that big ideas start small – and small voices can grow in strength with effective grassroots advocacy. Many decisions are made in Washington, D.C., but initiatives that become law often start as ideas – from regular voters like you. In telling your congressional candidates about the need for Medicare recognition, you are raising awareness among those who can make a difference in Washington, D.C.
Without our continuous and multi-faceted advocacy efforts, most members of Congress – and those running for Congress – may not know that Medicare covers acupuncture services, but cannot yet cover acupuncturists. They may not know that as a result, most acupuncturists have to turn away Medicare beneficiaries, which means that millions of seniors are unable to access your care.
Your voice this campaign season can help show policymakers how current policy hurts patients and acupuncturists alike; and how their support can make a lasting difference.
Candidates want to be Your Problem Solver
Candidates like to provide solutions to voters' problems, and a solution they can provide is supporting the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act (H.R. 4803). This bill, as many of you know, would authorize Medicare to recognize acupuncturists as providers. This recognition would enable the profession to treat Medicare patients without the need for supervision, the need for business relationships with physicians, or the need to comply with incident-to billing rules currently required of acupuncturists.
Tools to Find Your Campaign Voice
Campaigning for the acupuncture profession requires many different voices with the same message. Your voice this summer and fall, joined with others, could help advance the acupuncturist profession. The ASA and the NCCAOM have resources to help you voice your support for the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act.
This summer and fall, acupuncturists, patients and allies from all over the country will be discussing our Medicare recognition efforts with candidates. You can join this effort by telling congressional candidates about the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act and asking them to commit their support to the initiative.
The ASA and the NCCAOM are on hand to assist (
) in your advocacy efforts this campaign season. Here are some tips for mobilizing a campaign-style advocacy effort at home:
Identify Opportunities to Meet Candidates and Recruit Voices:
- Check local newspapers, online community forums and community bulletins for congressional candidates' campaign schedules. Remember that these candidates want to connect with as many voters as possible. They want to hear from you so they can show you how they can help.
- Every voice can make a difference – and many voices, united in message, are even more powerful. Recruit your acupuncturist colleagues, patients, friends and supporters to help raise candidates' awareness of the profession's effort.
- Successful grassroots efforts are welcoming, easy to join and fun.
Prepare Your Message
- Develop your message; you are the subject-matter expert. Your story is about making a positive difference in patients' lives and seeing the effect the lack of Medicare recognition has on patients.
- Be organized and open to ideas, but remember to keep it simple and focused. You are looking for the congressional candidates who will support Medicare recognition for acupuncturists.
Message and Mobilize
- Communicating the need and call to action is critical. Be sure to develop standard language and talking points around your "ask," and develop easy-to-use and easy-to-understand messaging.
- You have power as a voter – and even more as a mobilizer. Let candidates know you are seeking to publicly endorse candidates who support your cause. Let your networks know (social media is great for this) which candidates support Medicare recognition efforts.
Engage and Educate
- Policymakers and candidates have to juggle numerous topics and issues, and often are not aware of specific problems (or their solutions) facing constituents. That is why they look to you – especially during campaign season – to learn how they can help earn your vote.
- Many policymakers have heard from the ASA and the NCCAOM while in Washington, D.C. Your follow-up messaging as a subject-matter expert and voter can be a decisive factor in their support for Medicare recognition efforts.
- Go to the ASA and NCCAOM websites for talking points, fact sheets and other resources to help you advocate for acupuncture recognition.
Evaluate, Evolve, Expand
- It is always good to evaluate your efforts to see what went right and what you would do differently next time, so you can improve or strengthen your strategy.
- Remember that advocacy efforts do not get resolved overnight. It takes time and multiple attempts that often require returning to the drawing board.
- As the momentum grows, your strategy may also evolve. Just remember to keep it positive, focused and fun.
And Finally, Keep in Touch!
- Let the ASA (
) and NCCAOM Advocacy (
) Team know about your campaign efforts! We'd love to hear stories and see photos of your campaign experiences this summer and fall.
- Your communications will also help us follow up with elected officials who support our federal effort on the campaign trail.
Advocacy takes many voices, but it starts with just one: yours. Remember that in advocating for Medicare recognition, you are advocating for your patients, your profession and your practice. Your voice is important and can make all the difference.