What is Congressional recess?
Congressional recess means that your Member of Congress is in your home district. Policymakers use the recess to connect with their constituents.
Why is advocacy still crucial during Congressional recess?
Even though Congress is out of session, your Member of Congress uses this time to ensure that they’re listening to the needs of their constituents before the upcoming session.
Gearing up for the critical bills being reviewed and debated in Congress this Fall, it’s important to stand up for care and tell your Member of Congress to safeguard access to hospital-based care! It’s more important now than ever to let your Member of Congress know about the issues impacting healthcare and patients.
What legislation do we care about?
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is convening in September to mark-up The Primary Care and Health Workforce Expansion Act that would have a significantly negative impact on hospital based care for patients.
– This proposed legislation would serve as a huge transfer of funds from hospitals to insurers.
– If passed, it could jeopardize or even eliminate access to many of the essential services that hospitals provide, leading to hospital closures in rural areas.
- The House Committee on Ways and Means has passed The Health Care Price Transparency Act which includes unprecedented cuts to hospital care through so-called “site-neutral” provisions.
– If this legislation moves forward, it would severely impact patients across the country, especially those in rural and medically underserved communities.
– It would cut billions of dollars in Medicare payments for hospital care over the next decade.
- The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has a series of health-related bills that may be debated in the coming months, with expanded site-neutral provisions that would cut funding for hospital-based care.
– These proposed reductions would worsen Medicare’s ability to cover the cost of care and jeopardize patients’ access to quality care.
– If these bills are passed, it could result in a major cut for hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) that provide essential services.
What can you do right now to protect care?
- You can attend events while your Member of Congress is home, so that you can make your voice heard in person. You might find that your Member is meeting constituents like you at:
– local fairs
– coffee shops
– town hall meetings
– Labor Day parades
- You can continue to write letters to your Members of Congress encouraging them to reject provisions in proposed legislation that would decrease access to hospital-based care for patients.
- You can share your thoughts about upcoming bills on social media tagging your Congressperson.
We know that what Members of Congress hear about when they’re home helps to inform them about what to prioritize in Washington. When your Member of Congress is making decisions about bills when they’re back in session, make sure they’ve heard your voice.