Advocacy Tool
Diabetes is a significant health issue that is facing most American adults in the United States. Disability among seniors is also a significant concern for improved healthcare (Trewin et al., 2019). Older adults in the US find it difficult to live with this condition as it involves daily medication. This document discusses advocacy tools to deal with this challenge, showing procedures taken to develop and implement the proposed actions.
Advocacy tool refers to the channel used in reaching the target, who was the United States president. Two tools were used, including sending out a letter and creating a call centre script. Writing a letter included pointing out the significant benefits of passing the bill and highlighting some policies which needed change. I selected this tool since it targets the primary person responsible for implementing and enforcing the accounts that have been passed. He can therefore look into the existing gaps and make necessary changes for the benefit of most people.
A call center script gives ethical guidance to be followed when communicating with important government officials. This tool is effective to avoid conflicts that may occur during the interactions. It reduces errors while speaking, and they provide the officials with answers to guide the citizens efficiently and accurately. Respect is seen, and the official’s morale and efforts to serve the citizens improve.
Steps Taken to Develop and Implement the Action
To communicate with the US president on issues concerning the diabetes bill, I followed the following steps. The first and most crucial procedure was to identify me as a constituent. This is because politicians and other government officials prefer to reply to such emails. I wrote my significant points and tried to summarize them to avoid ambiguity. My position in the health care facility was stated for easy understanding of the considerable concern being addressed. I used polite language to reduce the chances of sounding rude. Facts were used in handling the presidents to avoid exaggerations and lies. The message sent was timely and strict to the content for quicker response. To ensure the implementation and consideration of my plea, I sent a copy of the letter to the government officials so it could reach the president.
Tool-Related Materials Used to Communicate With the President
Online channels like the White House websites checked letters to pass information to the presidents. I used the phone numbers provided online to write my comments and concerns on the bill amendment. Messages were also written to the congresspersons who were addressing the president. They are responsible for passing this information to the president since they represent him. I used testimonials in public gatherings where the president was invited as the primary guest of honor. Lastly, I used the petition approach, which involved sharing my ideas with other members of the public. The white house officials were contacted to comply with my opinions and inform the president.
Advocacy Letter
Dear President,
As one of the social workers in a health facility, I am writing to request your support of Bill S. 3665, passed on 03/31/2022 on the Affordable Insulin Now Act. The bill aims at limiting the cost-sharing of insulin between the Medicare prescription drug benefit and private health insurance (Warnock 2022). This bill will support many residents, especially the ageing, who find it hard to control this condition (Knox, 2020). Since creating awareness is essential in curbing diabetes, this bill will facilitate the education of the aging on diabetes preventive measures. The bill advocates for a monthly supply of insulin-covered products at a 25% negotiated price, even for the private sector. It will also help the local community improve hospital care services.
From my perspective, I feel that some of the policy changes can be beneficial if accompanied by the bill. The guidelines should consider both the uninsured and the insured patients since affording them is difficult due to poverty (Ebbinghaus, 2021). The policy of insulin products should be regulated to limit pharmaceutical companies from looting prices for their benefit. Insulin equipment like syringes, strips and pumps should be affordable. Most importantly, I would request that the proposed price be lowered from $35 to $25. The aging diabetes patients will benefit significantly if the above amendments are made. I strongly persuade you to pass Bill S.3665 to help many patients fight diabetes.
Script for Phone Calls
Contacting state house officials needs a specific procedure to make the communication a success. The first step taken is to search for the contact representative. The position of the office should be chosen if they are the House of Representatives, governor, senator, or mayor. A brief introduction is made and the state of residence. A detailed and straightforward explanation of the reason why the call is made follows. One should air issues of concern to the target person. Finally, a person should end the call respectively and thank the respondent for their time (Woydack & Lockwood, 2020). By following the above procedure, effective communication will be enhanced between the citizens and the congress members of the office.
Diabetes ageing patients in the US face many challenges in dealing with this condition. Some of the problems faced by older adults with diabetes include the higher cost of insulin and Voracity. The government should also ensure equal distribution of resources to old and disabled diabetic patients (Heslop et al., 2019). To help them, the government advocated for the affordable insulin now act, which would include 3% of the population uninsured.
References
Ebbinghaus, B. (2021). Inequalities and poverty risks in old age across Europe: The double‐edged income effect of pension systems. Social Policy & Administration, 55(3), 440-455. Web.
Heslop, P., Turner, S., Read, S., Tucker, J., Seaton, S., & Evans, B. (2019). Implementing reasonable adjustments for -disabled people in healthcare services.Nursing Standard, 34(8), 29-34. Web.
Knox, R. (2020). Insulin insulated: barriers to competition and affordability in the United States insulin market. Journal Of Law And The Biosciences, 7(1). Web.
Trewin, S., Basson, S., Muller, M., Branham, S., Treviranus, J., Gruen, D., Hebert, D., Lyckowski, N. & Manser, E. (2019). Considerations for AI fairness for people with disabilities.AI Matters, 5(3), 40-63. Web.
Warnock, R. (n.d.). H.R.6833 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Affordable insulin… Congress. GOV. Web.
Woydack, J., & Lockwood, J. (2020). Affordances for language learning in a call center.English For Specific Purposes, 60, 159-178. Web.