Members Encouraged to Get Involved in ACOS Advocacy Efforts

By: Carter L. Alleman, JD

When all stakeholders in the advocacy process work together, favorable results occur. After years of advocacy work by the ACOS and other organizations, Medicare SGR reform was enacted on April 16 and ACOS was invited to the White House celebration of this momentous accomplishment. So how does advocacy begin and how does it work?

How Does Advocacy Begin?

Advocacy starts with a message that communicates how an organization wants to influence an action. Messages are created in boardrooms, in interest group meetings, on the back of a cocktail napkin, or on loose sheets of paper. Once the message is put on paper, it should be evaluated and refined to fit within the scope of the organization making the statement. For ACOS, the scope of any message will concern osteopathic surgeons and their practices. For the last decade the College’s message has been pass SGR reform and save surgeons from the uncertainty of temporary payment fixes so they can treat their patients without worrying about payment.

How Does Advocacy Work?

When the message is refined and polished it must be tailored to the intended audience. In Washington, D.C. that audience is Congress and federal regulators. Where it would appear that action occurs at breakneck speed, the federal government moves at a glacial pace. Nothing happens until someone says something. One voice will start to get the ball moving. However, decision makers only listen when a host of voices heard together.

Although ACOS does not have the loudest voice because of its small size and limited funding, its voice is still heard. ACOS works with coalitions of healthcare professions to craft common messages. ACOS sits at many tables, not only in the osteopathic world, but also allopathic with the American College of Surgeons and the American Medical Association. ACOS staff have made deep connections and works regularly with these groups when messages are formed and promoted to ensure that the voice of osteopathic surgeons are heard.
However, advocacy does not just occur when ACOS staffers attend meetings. Each time ACOS sends an email to members asking them to call their congressional representatives about important issues, members respond and became advocates. Your active participation in the advocacy process is key for the ACOS because member engagement makes the College stronger.

Members are welcome to contact Carter Alleman, Manager of Health Policy about becoming an advocate and with thoughts or concerns about legislative and regulatory changes at [email protected] or (800) 888-1312 ext. 112.