The value of making your voice heard and partnering for advocacy
By IPN
For the past two decades, the global communications firm
Edelman has developed the annual Trust Barometer. In 2021, they found that the
people interviewed believed government leaders, business leaders, and
journalists were misleading them. The pandemic heightened the mistrust and
highlighted that many respondents are not verifying the information they read
or hear.1
From time to time, national and regional initiatives that
impact specialty providers’ ability to effectively operate will arise. At that
time, it will be imperative that community providers and their partners become
active in legislative outreach and advocacy.
Many legislators do not understand the cost savings and quality of care that specialty community providers offer. They may listen to patients or influencers talk about the cost of a surgical procedure or treatment, or the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost for a life-saving drug for a patient.
How does a community-based practice make their legislators understand that healthcare providers should be recognized for the services they provide, receive fair reimbursement for their services, and maintain access to patients in the most appropriate site of care?
Some tactics to consider when battling misinformation or indifference, or even to highlight the value of community practice:
- Consider inviting local legislators to your practice to discuss your quality of care and the access provided to patients. At this time, you may have to consider a video chat or call, until it is safe for in-person visits.
- As issues relevant to your operations, your patients’ access or reimbursements are presented or gaining momentum in conversations, consider writing to your legislators to voice your concerns.
- Join with your specialty societies or other practices to add impact to your voice. And encourage your patients to voice their concerns as well.
Community Counts is an advocacy initiative initiated by IPN
and ION Solutions, aimed at supporting the needs of community-based specialty providers.
A website designed to highlight the current issues and provide resources on how
to work with partners on your behalf can be found at communitycountsadvocacy.org.
1. https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer/press-release
