Congressmen and Their Staff Are People Too
Advocacy in healthcare can sometimes feel like a dry, distant topic—something relegated to the realm of policy wonks and political insiders. But every once in a while, a conversation cuts through the noise and reminds us why this work matters on a deeply human level. What many of us may not realize is that the individuals we engage with on Capitol Hill—Congressmen, Congresswomen, and their staff—aren’t just policymakers. They’re people, too. And just like the patients we care for every day, they often have their own personal, and sometimes painful, stories of navigating our fractured healthcare system.
Like many of us working in healthcare, I used to think that members of Congress and their staff were largely insulated from the daily struggles patients face. It often seemed their policy decisions were made at a distance—untouched by the realities of crowded waiting rooms, denied authorizations, or surprise medical bills. My skepticism deepened when I learned about the controversy surrounding whether they would fully participate in Affordable Care Act coverage, as some sought exceptions to maintain special benefits. It felt like yet another example of Washington creating rules for others while shielding themselves from the consequences. But recently, that perception shifted in a profound way.
On an AAOE advocacy call with a congressional office, this reality hit home. The legislative aide candidly shared his own struggles within our healthcare system. Having previously worked as a medical assistant, he was no stranger to the daily challenges faced by both providers and patients. After earning his master’s in biomedical science, he had hoped to attend medical school—but life had other plans. A spinal cord disorder forced him into a new and painful reality: battling for his own care while navigating denials, appeals, and the exhausting bureaucracy of insurance kickbacks. His passion for supporting independent medical practices is deeply personal. His most recent role was with the only remaining independent OBGYN group in town—now embroiled in litigation after being overwhelmed by a hospital system that acquired them.
This isn’t an isolated story.
Another conversation brought even more perspective: one aide shared the ongoing struggle of securing prior authorizations for his daughter’s life-saving cystic fibrosis treatments. He expressed how deeply he resonated with the findings of the 20201 American Medical Association survey, which reported that 34 percent of physicians had experienced a serious adverse event—such as death, hospitalization, permanent disability, or other life-threatening situations—as a direct result of prior authorization delays. His personal experience underscored just how real and dangerous these bureaucratic barriers can be.
An aide shared that his Congresswoman—pregnant and representing a rural district—spoke openly about the devastating impact of her local hospital’s closure. She now has to travel significantly farther just to receive basic prenatal care. One of her recent hospital bills totaled tens of thousands of dollars—an experience that has made her a strong opponent of further hospital consolidation.
The aide expressed appreciation for a study published on June 23, 2023, in JAMA Network Open, which found that commercial and cash prices for common services in physician-owned hospitals are approximately one-third lower than in non-physician-owned hospitals.2 For the Congresswoman, this issue goes beyond policy—it’s deeply personal. While she may not have a medical background like some of her colleagues in Congress, the aide emphasized that she is fully committed to supporting policies that protect patient access and promote healthcare affordability.
These stories were more passionate, more raw, and more determined than the stories we often get from our own practice administrators when it comes to advocacy engagement. While it's easy to think of Congressional offices as bureaucratic or distant, the reality is that many of them live with the same frustrations our patients do—fighting for access, affordability, and fairness.
We often talk about connecting with lawmakers through statistics, policy white papers, and proposed bills—and those things are critical. But never underestimate the power of shared experience. These individuals get it—because they’ve lived it. And sometimes, their passion for fixing the system exceeds even ours, because their stories aren’t just in the charts—they’re in their homes, their families, and their own bodies.
So the next time you're feeling disillusioned about advocacy or wondering if your voice really matters—remember: Congressmen and their staff are people too. And they might just be the most powerful allies we have.
References
- 2020 AMA prior authorization (PA) physician survey. American Medical Association, 17 May 2021, https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2021-04/prior-authorization-survey.pdf
- Comparison of Commercial Negotiated Price and Cash Price Between Physician-Owned Hospitals and Other Hospitals in the Same Hospital Referral Region. Yang Wang, PhD1; Elizabeth Plummer, PhD, CPA2,3; Yuchen Wang, BS1; et al. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2806510