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
26, 2009
AMBA will post the official
proclamation on our website once you receive it
AMBA will also send your
Governor a thank you letter
When a Public
Official Can Issue a Proclamation without
Legislative Approval
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.
Try to elicit
support from other leaders in state or
Local Chapter. Letters from several
billers will reflect statewide interest
and support.
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
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).
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.)
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.
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.
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, lawful and professional
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 to 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 and a resident of the state of
_____________, I ask that you hereby
proclaim Thursday, March 26, 2009 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 26, 2009
“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 26, 2009
"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.
AMBA
4297 Forrest Drive
Sulphur, OK 73086
(580) 622-5809
Email Us
