What if My Representative Disagrees with My Position?
A legislator does not like to disagree with a constituent and therefore may avoid expressing opposition to your position directly. Ask him or her to clearly state a position and the reasons behind it. If he/she wants to "look into the matter", ask that he/she get back to you as soon as possible. Once you know his/her concerns, respond with facts, data and anecdotes which support your perspective on the issue. Never intentionally distort the facts to support your position. You will lose credibility with the legislator, his/her staff and potential allies. If the facts do not support your position, be able to explain why.
Example: For the last few years hospital representatives have been telling legislators that all hospitals are losing money and will soon close if they don't get additional funding from Medicare. The facts, however, show that, though most hospitals are doing poorly, a few hospitals are doing well. Also, the financial health of hospitals is affected by multiple factors--not just the level of payment for government-sponsored patients. Your success in the legislative arena rests on the integrity of your arguments.
Additionally, if you attempt to prove your position with data, make sure that the data will tell the same story to a layman that it does to a health care professional. Remember, few legislators know as much about the health care system as you do. Data, anecdotes and information should be put in the simplest possible terms.
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