Congress Needs to Hear from You

Capitol Hill

Let the Advocacy Begin! In a few short weeks over 120 respiratory therapists from nearly every state in the country will head to Washington, D.C. for the 18th annual Respiratory Therapy Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. They will be joined by an additional contingent of local RT students and pulmonary patients. Respiratory therapists and their colleagues have spent the early part of this year scheduling meetings set for April 4 with their Congressional delegations to advocate for AARC’s 2017 legislative agenda. 

With a new Administration and Republican-controlled Congress, it is unclear what will happen with telehealth legislation moving forward. So, for 2017 our request is to include respiratory therapists in any telehealth legislation introduced into this Congress rather than supporting a single bill. We are also asking Congress to include language in the FY 2018 Labor-HHS Appropriations Report that would task the Medicare program to conduct an analysis of COPD claims data and report back to Congress on the findings which will help demonstrate the clinical expertise and value respiratory therapists bring to improving their patients’ health outcomes in a variety of settings.

You can help pave the way for the PACT RTs just before they arrive for Hill Day by participating in our Virtual Lobby Week. Sending a message is simple via AARC’s Capital Connection. We have suggested emails you can send to your Senators and House of Representative Member based on your relationship to the respiratory profession, or you can personalize them as you see fit.

It couldn’t be easier! It’s important that Members of Congress hear from RTs, patients, and other supporters from “back home.” So while you might not walk the halls of Congress your voice can still be heard and you can make a difference!

How to Be Heard  (It’s Easy!)

Email your members of Congress Learn how…

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