27 My communication plan for my elected representative, Senator Davidson Consider the person’s relationship to the cause. Why should they care? q A friend or family member has MS q They provide services that people with MS may use q Theyareinvolvedincreatingpolicies,procedures,orlawsthataffectpeoplewithMS q They know someone with a disability or chronic illness and may relate to MS What need is my advocacy effort seeking to meet? q Increased awareness and understanding of MS so people will feel more connected to the cause q Protecting the rights of people with MS or their access to treatment q Raising funds for programs that support people with MS q Improving community services for people with MS q Greater participation in research How can I explain the challenges people with MS face that led to my advocacy effort? People with MS have many treatment options, but not all people with MS respond to all treatments. Without the treatment that works best for each one of us, our health is put at risk. We might have more relapses or more disease progression, and as of now, that can’t be reversed. We need the law to support access to all FDA-approved treatments for people with MS on Medicare and Medicaid. Do I need to modify this explanation to refer to the person’s relationship to the cause? If so, how? Senator Davidson is on the Budget Committee. I can point out that even expensive MS medications are less costly than several hospitalizations per year for relapse treatment if a person has active disease on a medication that isn’t effective for them. What do I specifically want to ask the person to do? Co-sponsor the bill introduced by Senator James. What follow-up can I provide to keep the person involved? I will send a thank you letter for her time today, another if she signs on as a co-sponsor, and attend her town hall meeting next month. x x