Friday, July 7, 2017

How to Talk to Congress

I am way out of practice when it comes to trekking in heels all over the unforgiving, marble halls of Congress. When I went to DC last week, I thought I was being sensible with 2-inch pumps instead of the stilettos I wore in my twenties. I was wrong. My feet are still healing from the ensuing blisters.

Was it worth it? To the extent it meant getting in front of legislative staff for my Senators and telling them my story -- absolutely. I'm not sure if I changed any minds, but here's what I can report and some advice for talking to your own Senators, whether you can make it to DC or not. 

Here I am after meeting with Helen Heiden, legislative assistant for Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). 


I realize I look slightly annoyed. Some of that may have been my sore feet, but it's also the fact that Senator Flake has not said one way or another how he'll vote on the proposed replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act. This legislation, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA for short), will gut Medicaid spending by nearly $800 BILLION, allow states to opt out of the requirement that insurance companies include essential health benefits (EHBs) in their plans, and give massive tax cuts to the wealthiest people in this country. It is hardly a healthcare bill.

For Arizona alone, the proposed legislation would cost more than $7 billion over the next ten years. More than 400,000 Arizonans would lose coverage. We are a state that expanded Medicaid services under the Affordable Care Act, and it has been a success story. As Sen. McCain's staffer put it to me, "We don't want Medicaid to change in Arizona! Enrollment is up, and costs are down. It's exactly what we want to see." Even our governor, Republican Doug Ducey, has spoken out against the current draft of the Senate legislation.

Over this July 4th recess period, new proposals to amend the BCRA have emerged, including an amendment by Texas Senator Ted Cruz that would strip the few remaining protections for those of us with pre-existing conditions. This proposal makes the legislation even worse for the estimated 16 million cancer survivors in this country, not to mention all of the people with other conditions -- such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, anxiety, and the like -- who would no longer be eligible for affordable care. The Cruz Amendment sounds dreadful, but has been hailed by a few more conservative senators as a requirement for moving this legislation forward.

So what can you do to help stop this? How can you talk to your Senators about this legislation?
  • Call. I have my own senators' DC and local numbers programmed into my phone, and make a point to call and talk to a staffer every day. You can also call 844-257-6227 to be connected to the senators in your state.
  • Write letters. 
  • In any case: identify yourself as a constituent. Be polite, be brief, but make sure to share your personal story about why gutting Medicaid, or defunding Planned Parenthood, or stripping protections for pre-existing conditions or essential health benefits is bad for you and your family.
  • If you can't think of how this affects you personally, feel free to share my story. Or my friend Danya's, who also lives here in Phoenix. 

After my meeting with McCain's staffer last week, I pressed the button for the elevator, and out walked Senator McCain himself. I introduced myself, and said I was in town from Phoenix to talk to his staff about my experience as a cancer survivor. "I'm one, too," he responded as he shook my hand. "I know, sir," I said, then explained to him that I hoped he'd continue doing what's best for Arizona and voting against legislation that's not good for cancer survivors or our state.

And if your senators are opposed to this legislation? Please still call them and share your stories. They need to hear appreciation for their stances, and need to know why this matters so very much.