Thank You Note to Congressional Offices
Please thank the Congressional staff that you met with during the Hill Day! You may find a draft thank you note below for guidance. Customize the thank you email by adding any relevant information and/or details from your Capitol Hill meetings, and then send to the Congressional staffer you met with. Their emails can be found in your meeting schedules. This will show appreciation and reinforce your advocacy. If you were on a team, the team leader may send one thank you note on behalf of the group. If you are the sender, please cc the other members of the team on the email.
Sample Subject Line: Thank You and Follow Up from 6/11 Meeting
Dear [Name of Staffer/Representative/Senator]:
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me [and additionalparticipants] on June 11th regarding measures needed to increase access to mental and behavioral health services through supporting treatment innovations like telehealth and integrated care, as well as removing unnecessary barriers to treatment in Medicare. We are heartened by the interest Congress is showing in mental health access issues right now and hope your office will lend support to the proposals listed below that we discussed during our meeting.
Cosponsor the Telemental Health Care Access Act (3432/S. 3651). This bill would repeal a Medicare requirement that patients must be seen in-person for continued coverage of their tele-mental health services. The six-month in-person service requirement is an unnecessary barrier to treatment that perpetuates biases against mental health services.
Cosponsor the Increasing Mental Health Options Act (H.R. 8458/S.669). This bill would increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to mental health care by removing outdated Medicare requirements for physician oversight and referral for services provided by psychologists. These provisions are causing unnecessary and detrimental delays for Medicare patients, especially in emergency situations. The requirement for physician sign-off in Medicare is not the norm, as the VA, TRICARE, Medicaid / CHIP and private sector insurance plans all allow psychologists to practice independently in all settings.
Cosponsor the COMPLETE Care Act (H.R. 5819/S. 1378) This bill would increase access to mental and behavioral health services by adopting a “model-neutral” approach to assisting practitioners with adoption of integrated care. Integrating mental and behavioral health specialists into team-based primary care systems can improve access to behavioral health treatment, especially in rural and underserved communities where primary care is the default health system.
[Please add in any additional information regarding local needs that you may have mentioned in your meeting.]
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or require more information. We look forward to continuing to work with you to invest in our nation’s mental health and improve equitable access to mental and behavioral health services for those who need them most.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with your office.
Sincerely,
[Name/Title]
[University/Institution]
[Address]
[Phone]