What is a Key Contact?

A key contact should be prepared to do the following:

• Meet with your Members of Congress and staff at least once a year either in their local district office or in Washington, D.C.



• Take action in response to AACE Legislative Alerts that you receive, and report feedback you obtain.



• Follow up on the issues addressed during meetings, letters, and telephone conversations with your legislator. Keep track of their promises, opinions, and activities with regard to health care issues – these records are often useful in determining how reliable they will be on future issues.



• Offer your help. Offer to become an informational resource for your Member of Congress and staff, especially when health care policy is at the forefront of legislative activities. Volunteer your time and efforts to his or hear Health Issues Advisory Committee, and if you member of Congress does not have such a Committee, express your interest in coordinating one in your home district. Offer to participate as an informational source at town meetings. Remember: The relationship between you and your Member of Congress is a two-way street; you should expect to give something in return.



• Support your legislator in his or her election campaign. In addition to being a good spokesperson and maintaining a good relationship with your Member of Congress, you should also demonstrate your willingness to support the political campaign. By volunteering your time through various activities as well as making financial contributions to the campaign, you are demonstrating your support not only for the candidate, but also for issues that are of concern to both of you. In addition, you are in the position to influence your colleagues to get behind the candidate who is supportive of issues directly affecting them. As you well know, the more people involved at the grass-roots level, the more impact the efforts will have in the long run.



• Cultivate the relationship by doing all of the above on a regular basis, and keeping your Member of Congress continually informed about issues that directly affect you and your patients.

A Key Contact program is ongoing and the only way to maintain its effectiveness is to be persistent and enthusiastic. If you communicate on a regular basis, you r Member of Congress and their staff will become more familiar with you and the issues that you feel are most important. Ultimately, they will begin to rely on your opinion and information as a resource, representative of the greater constituency. Above all, always remember to thank your Member of Congress for his or her time, efforts or support for a particular issue. Reinforcing your appreciation is a constructive way of fostering a positive relationship with our Members of Congress, which provides a more favorable light for the next communication.

Being a key contact involves a great deal of commitment and persistence. Do not get discouraged if your Members of Congress have a full schedule or provide a form letter response to your concerns. With perseverance and initiative, you can establish a relationship, and the task at hand may not be as difficult or overwhelming as it initially appears.