health-advocacy-letter-to-an-elected-official-one-page
1.Obtain the name of your U.S. representative, senator, governor, state, or local representative and write a letter to one of them addressing either a particular public health legislative priority for your particular town, city, or state, or one of the Healthy People 2020 health objectives https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectiv… that interests you and you would like for them to support.
2.You can look up your local government officials at https://www.usa.gov/local-governments state legislators at https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites; your US Senator at www.senate.gov; your Representative at www.house.govand your governor at https://www.usa.gov/state-governor
3. Hint: if you are wondering about public health priorities where you live, you could search for the state affiliate of the American Public Health Association to see if they have produced a list of priorities similar to what was shared about Maryland’s public health priorities: prescription drug affordability, lowering blood lead action levels for kids, increasing the sale of age for tobacco products.)
Follow tips from the guest lecture on advocacy:
- Keep it brief (not to exceed one page)
- State who you are and what you want up front
- Hit your three most important points
- Personalize your letter and relationship with the health concern and/or relationship to the official
- You are the expert (after all, you are almost finished a semester of “Introduction to Public Health”!)
- End with a short but powerful ending that summarizes the need for addressing the health issue
- Thank the official for his/her time and interest in the matter
City Name: washington DC,
Topic: medicare.
Personal experience: I had a small wound on my head and went to the emergency room of the hospital. Then I bought the insurance at school and let me pay $6,000. I finally agreed to help me by calling the insurance company several times. Pay a part of the cost.
