Speak Up!

Individuals in our group have tried to communicate their needs and concerns with their government representatives. Without one strong voice, many felt that they weren’t being heard. Unfortunately, our communication can appear as negative to the legislators and to others. But Medicaid does good things, right? Medicaid helps people to thrive; it gives people a future; without a doubt, Medicaid saves lives. Whenever possible, we need to be spreading that message as well.

During the session, it can be difficult to contact legislators, and we often get discouraged and criticize them for being unavailable. However, we need to use our time and effort more effectively. We should be building relationships with them now, so that when they are busy in session, they won’t disregard our emails due to volume. The most effective way to be remembered by them is to call them and set up a face-to-face meeting. Many say that it takes three times of meeting them for them to be familiar with your name and face out of the thousands they serve. Second, handwritten notes or phone calls are effective.