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Writing letters to elected official

Letter writing can be effective way to communicate with legislators.  Letters can deal with the general medical and psychological concerns of geriatric patients or they can discuss a specific issue.  Communicating your concerns to state and local politicians can help mold legislation that is effective in aiding the elderly.  A letter to your local representatives will let them know that you are an important and informed constituency that is monitoring their activities.  It is extremely important for representatives to hear from their constituencies in order to understand the constituencies’ perspective.  Writing to officials, too, will establish your affiliate as a locus of expertise in geriatrics.  You are an important constituency that representatives will want to hear from.

Here are some general points to bear in mind when writing letters to political representatives:

• If your representative is on a committee that would address the topic you are writing about, acknowledge his or her role on that committee.  If your representative is not on any relevant committees, ask him/her to urge his colleagues on those committees to address your concerns.
  
  
• When writing on behalf of your affiliate, make this clear in the beginning of the letter.  A letter from a group of interested individuals is more powerful than a letter from an individual.
  
  
• Try to focus on one issue within your letter, especially referring to current legislative topic.  Also try to provide constructive advice from a physician’s perspective.
  
  
• Always ask your representative to clarify his/her role on the issue you are discussing; this will encourage him/her to reply to your letter.
  
  
• Use AGS sample letters for pertinent information and as a guide, but try to write personal letters that express your own experiences or common experiences of your colleagues.
  
  
• Send the AGS copies of your letters.  If it is a letter to a state or local representative, our Washington representative, who works with state and local representatives, should be informed of any communication between the representative and the affiliate.  The copies should be blind, not marked “cc” to the AGS.