By Walter Gorski, AOPA Government Affairs Department

Tom DeLay, Scooter Libby and Jack Abramoff are fast becoming household names, as recently alleged charges of influence peddling, ethical lapses and corruption shake the halls of Congress.

"Business as usual" in Washington, D.C., is about to change dramatically.

In the wake of these ongoing scandals, the new atmosphere in Washington should make lawmakers and their staffers even more responsive to their constituents. So, now is the time to reach out to your members of Congress and let them know what O&P is all about.

With focused efforts, we have an excellent chance of leaving a lasting impression of the positive impact O&P professionals have on patients' lives. These impressions will help us receive fair treatment in legislative efforts addressing Medicare reform and provider payment issues.

A facility tour is one of the most effective ways to educate your lawmakers about your work and its importance. O&P is a profession about which the average member of Congress or office staffer will know very little. Bringing a lawmaker to your facility provides the chance to see and explore what you do every day.

Facility tour guidelines

Lawmakers are accustomed to meeting with constituents and arranging facility tours. A call to your representative's office should get the ball rolling. Explain that you are a constituent and that you'd like to invite the lawmaker or a staff member to visit your practice or business.

Once you've arranged your facility tour, there are some practical matters that you need to work out before the visit begins.

Plan what you want to accomplish during the meeting and identify the specific issues you want to raise. Lawmakers are exceptionally busy people—they have a limited amount of time. Having an organized and thoughtful plan will help you convey the most important messages.

AOPA can help you with this. We have prepared papers detailing the specific issues most important to the profession.

Keep in mind that you can also raise individual concerns that may not have national prominence. Remember, this is your meeting. It is your chance to create an understanding of O&P with policy makers and to seek help on issues affecting your facility, your patients and the practice of O&P.

No time for a tour?

Although facility tours are an outstanding way of making contact with your elected representatives, they are not practical for everyone. There are still several other ways to make your lawmaker aware of your business.

It never hurts to write a letter or make a phone call to a congressional office.

Attending fundraisers and town hall meetings can also be an effective forum for voicing your concerns or even praising a lawmaker's actions, especially in an election year.

You can also lend your expertise on health care issues and serve as a health care advisor for your lawmaker. Few members of Congress will profess to know everything about all the intricacies of our health care system.

While advocacy in Washington, D.C., continues to be an important part of getting our message out to lawmakers and their staffs, it is certainly beneficial to take advantage of every method to tell our story.

Making personal contact with your elected representatives in their home territory is a great way to get involved in protecting the future of O&P.

Walter Gorski is the director of legislative and regulatory affairs for the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA). Nick Morse, AOPA's government affairs assistant, contributed to this article.

Through government relations efforts, AOPA works to influence policies affecting the future of the O&P profession. Questions? Call (571) 431-0876 or visit www.AOPAnet.org.