Do You Have 20/20 “I” Vision?
On May 20 & 21, 2013 Kellie Antinori-Lent and I joined approximately 50 other diabetes educators and AADE leadership in Washington DC for the Public Policy Forum. This would be a unique opportunity to put a face on living with diabetes and the impact of diabetes self management education for the federal legislators. Over 100 meetings had been scheduled for diabetes educators either with aids or the actual Representative or Senator for their state. Kellie and I were there to tell the story of diabetes in Pennsylvania.
Prior to the meetings it was important that we know how to present the most effective “message” and what was our “message”. Monday, May 20, 2013 was spent listening to speakers who work Washington and knew how best to verbalize our concerns. Our Keynote Speaker was Tom Dashchle former democratic senator from South Dakota and past senate majority leader. The focus of his talk was the Affordable Care Act and maybe one of the best organized explanations I have had an opportunity to hear. That could be its own blog! But very impressive was the question he asked that I use as the title of this blog: “Do you have 20/20 “I” vision? In other words are you Interested and Involved? Sitting there, I thought, I am always interested but truly was I involved. This one question engaged me and motivated me to meet these legislative aides and tell them the most important story they would hear: people with diabetes need access to diabetes educators and we save money! They hear that from the lobbyist, but only an educator can actually describe those events.
Every time I receive an “Action Alert” it always said, make it personal! Well I was never really sure how to do that, but now realize only an educator can describe the process of our work. Each one of us has that success story, but who knows about it? These Action / Advocacy alerts are unique opportunities to “make it personal”. When you sign the message include that story, show exactly what was accomplished, weather it was helping someone navigate the system and improved access or were you able to prevent an admission saving the system thousands of dollars. Did you know 1 out of every $3 Medicare spends is on someone living with diabetes?
So what are the bills? HR 1274 & S. 945; both making the Credentialed Diabetes Educator (CDE / BC-ADM) provider status in Medicare. These are Federal bills; our state representatives do not have an impact on these bills.
Use these links to see who represent you in Washington DC. Make sure they know you live in their district, and ask them to co-sign on these bills!
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/