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March 18, 2013 (Cleveland)

Contact your Legislator Webpage Facilitates Communication with Lawmakers

The Center for Health Affairs’ contact your legislator webpage has recently been updated and aims to make communication with lawmakers easier. Visitors will find contact information and direct links to Northeast Ohio legislators’ websites from this updated webpage. The list of legislators is organized by The Center’s member hospitals, making communication with lawmakers about important policy issues affecting your hospitals and community, such as Medicaid expansion, easier than ever. 

On average, Congress receives over 200 million emails a year, so in order for your message to make it through the clutter, be sure to make your message noticeable. 

Writing a letter is a popular mode of communication with lawmakers, but other options include calling, emailing or even meeting with your legislator under certain circumstances. If you decide to write a letter, this list of suggestions can help improve the effectiveness of the message: 

• Be courteous, to the point, and include key information, using examples to support your position. 
• Address only one issue in each letter and keep the letter to one page, if possible. When you’re writing to lawmakers, remember to tell your story. 
• Explain how this issue is affecting your patients and community in personal terms. You speak for hundreds of other voters who didn’t take the time to write, so choose your words carefully. 

It is important that your voice is heard. Taking the time to express your opinion about key issues in the community by opening the line of communication with lawmakers is crucial. 

For more information on public policy and advocacy visit www.healthpolicyissues.com, or contact Deanna Moore at deanna.moore@chanet.org or 216.255.3614.