DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT

ACG Members Need to Educate and Take Action -- If You Want to Effect Change in Washington, D.C. or in Your State, You've Got to Be Involved in Educating Your Elected Representatives and Actively Advocating for the Issues that Matter to You and Your Fellow Gastroenterologists!

ACG's online advocacy center is a tool that makes it easy for ACG members to become involved in America's legislative process, whether it is at the federal or state level.  Now, in just a few clicks, you can find out who represents you on Capitol Hill and in the statehouse and how to contact them.  You can also email your legislators and access ACG public policy materials to help you convey your concerns in writing or on the phone.

"I'm not a political person, why should I get involved?"  -- In a perfect world, gastroenterologists and other physicians would not have to advocate for adequate Medicare reimbursement, coverage for preventive medical procedures, medical liability reform, increased funding for clinical research, and other issues.  The unfortunate reality is that ACG in particular, and organized medicine in general, has to battle for each of these issues on a daily basis.  More to the point, the ACG Board of Trustees, the ACG National Affairs Committee, and ACG Public Policy staff cannot do it alone.  We need every ACG member to become an active participant in our nation's democratic legislative process.

YOU Are an Expert in Health Care -- Legislators WANT to Hear from You -- Congress and the state legislatures deal with numerous health care policy issues throughout the year.  Nevertheless, even U.S. Senators only have one or two persons on staff that have any significant knowledge on general health care issues, let alone specific issues that affect gastroenterologists and their patients.  Most state legislators have no dedicated health policy staff.  Elected officials are looking to you, the experts, to inform and advise them on key issues.  The more you learn about and participate in the legislative process, the better chance you have at becoming a trusted source of information for decision makers in Washington and in the states.

TAKE ACTION NOW!