Importance of a Proclamation

A proclamation is:

  • A highly effective way to involve your state's governor in the Medical Billing Process
  • Provides a forum to raise public awareness on the importance of Medical Billing
  • Focuses attention on specific events or activities
  • Provides a way to produce media coverage leading to increased awareness and public interest

Write to your Governor

Some points to remember:
    • Most offices will ask for submission of a proposed proclamation with your request. .
    • Get the mailing address and time frame for submitting a proclamation.
    • In the cover letter, ask the governor to proclaim Medical Biller's Day on March 27, 2008

When a Public Official Can Issue a Proclamation without Legislative Approval

  1. Call your governor’s office to determine how proclamations are issued. Some states list Proclamation instructions on the internet, so a search for your state name and the word "proclamation" may provide that information. If you call, be prepared to learn that the process may take several weeks or even longer. Also, have your materials ready, such as the sample proclamation below. Simply explain why Medical Biller's Day should be recognized by your  state.
     
  2. Try to elicit support from other leaders in state or Local Chapter. Letters from several billers will reflect statewide interest and support.
     
  3. When a proclamation is issued, express your thanks and appreciation. Remember to inform AMBA so we can also thank your Governor and let the media know about Medical Biller's Day and the official attention we have received. Finally, send a letter of appreciation to the official after the day's activities are over.

When Legislative Action is Required to Issue a Proclamation

  1. If you need to work through the state legislature, start now. Again, start by finding out what the process is for getting official recognition. Your local representative’s office can tell you how to start (even if you intend to ask another representative in your state to sponsor the proclamation).
     
  2. A resolution will need to be sponsored by a member of the appropriate governmental body. Find someone who is supportive of career and technical education or who has voiced an interest in Health care concerns. (This would also be a good time to educate a government official who has not worked with you.)
     
  3. Again, have prepared materials for use in drafting a resolution or proclamation. Be ready to share your insight about specific areas where Medical Billers are helpful to medical providers and their patients. For example, indicate how billers provide a necessary service in helping providers get paid for the services they perform and the valuable contribution they make to the community, how much the resolution will mean to the Medical Billers, and how this recognition might have a positive impact on the overall Medical Billing community.
     
  4. Find out how you can help your sponsor ensure passage of the resolution. Like any bill, you have to lobby. This will require a plan and some hard work. You may need to get other legislators to co-sponsor the resolution. You can start by writing your legislators about the resolution and soliciting their support. Telephone follow-up may be needed with your sponsor and with other legislators to remind them of the importance of this issue to Medical Billers. They may be in a good position to help your sponsor in moving the bill.
     
  5. After the resolution is passed, show appreciation to your sponsor and to everyone who supported the resolution.

    Sample Proclamation  

    WHEREAS, Medical Billers provide a much needed service to doctors and other healthcare providers and provide a vital segment of the health care industry; and

    WHEREAS, increasingly, health care providers rely on billing companies to assist them in processing claims in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations. Additionally, health care providers consult with billing companies for advice regarding reimbursement matters, as well as overall business decision-making; and

    WHEREAS, Medical Billers strive to provide a high level of ethical and lawful conduct throughout the entire health care industry; and  

    WHEREAS, Medical Billers can offer expertise in program reimbursement requirements, help ensure that claims are accurately prepared, and free physicians and other practitioners to devote their energies to the care of their patients; and

    WHEREAS, Medical Billers continue to influence the billing process in a positive and credible manner and should be recognized for their efforts and their loyalty to the Medical Billing Profession.

    Now, therefore, being a Member of AMBA, I ask that you hereby proclaim Thursday, March 27, 2008 and the last Thursday of March, each year, as National Medical Biller's Day.

    Please help us to officially recognize this day for hard working, Independent, Professional Medical Billers.

Notify AMBA if you have questions about getting an official proclamation in your state or if you need assistance. If you plan to notify your Governor, please fax a copy of your request to us at 580 622-5810 or mail a copy to our office at 4297 Forrest Dr. Sulphur, OK 73086.

Sample Letter to Governor

[Date]

The Honorable _______________

Address

Dear Governor [LAST NAME],

I am writing to you as a member of the American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) and as a resident of [CITY,STATE]. The AMBA is a professional association of Medical Billers that work with doctors and other health care providers from across the nation to help them get insurance claims paid.

Medical Billers comply with a whole host of state and Federal regulations. They utilize processes and information technologies that doctors may not be able to invest in to collect health care dollars. Medical Billers allow providers to concentrate on their patients without maintaining the high costs associated with running a billing office. Medical Billers provide crucial and integral services required of the reimbursement process.

Your support in officially recognizing Medical Billers for their efforts and professionalism would mean a great deal to our industry and individually to our members.

The AMBA has declared March 27, 2008  “National Medical Biller's Day” and I am requesting that the same day be proclaimed “National Medical Biller's Day” in [YOUR STATE].

Would you please consider proclaiming March 27, 2008 "National Medical Biller's Day? If so, I would appreciate it if you would forward me a copy of the proclamation, so that I may present it to my Association.

If you or members of your staff have any questions about "National Medical Biller's Day", please feel free to call me at [PHONE NUMBER].

Thank you for considering this request.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

We need your support and assistance in bringing awareness to the efforts and achievements of Medical Billers nationwide. If your chapter would like to participate in the official recognition process, please notify AMBA. Again, we need to know if you submit a request to your state so that we do not duplicate your effort.

If you would like to place a banner on your website, you may use one of the banner's below:

Code: <a href="http://www.ambanet.net/nbd2.htm><img src="http://www.ambanet.net/nmbd.gif" border="0" alt="National Medical Biller's Day, March 27, 2008"></a><br><br>

Code: <a href="http://www.ambanet.net/nbd2.htm><img src="http://www.ambanet.net/NMBD_banner1.jpg" border="0" alt="National Medical Biller's Day, March 27, 2008"></a><br><br>

Code: <a href="http://www.ambanet.net/nbd2.htm><img src="http://www.ambanet.net/NMBD_banner2.jpg" border="0" alt="National Medical Biller's Day, March 27, 2008"></a><br><br>

Code: <a href="http://www.ambanet.net/nbd2.htm><img src="http://www.ambanet.net/NMBD_banner3.jpg" border="0" alt="National Medical Biller's Day, March 27, 2008"></a><br><br>

Code: <a href="http://www.ambanet.net/nbd2.htm><img src="http://www.ambanet.net/NMBD_banner4.jpg" border="0" alt="National Medical Biller's Day, March 27, 2008"></a><br><br>

 

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