Legislators rely on stakeholder input to understand how proposed policies will affect their communities. Data and staff analysis are essential, but firsthand perspectives like yours can help lawmakers connect policy to the real world. Your expertise is grounded in lived, professional experience, with local context that the national data can miss, which is why your representatives need to hear from you directly. Additionally, your voice reminds your elected officials that you feel the impact of decisions made in Washington.
While the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) prepares for the upcoming Engage 2026 conference, Jan. 22-24, and its accompanying lobby day on Capitol Hill, your voice at home is even more important. Your peer doctors and students will be in the halls of Congress ensuring that chiropractic remains of the utmost importance in the policymaking process. To support them in this endeavor, make sure your member of Congress hears from you first, and keep chiropractic increasingly visible in Washington.
VoterVoice makes advocacy accessible and targeted, when in-person meetings and testimony can be hard to access. You can still make your voice heard by your representatives without traveling to Washington, D.C. Credible, coordinated, and timely engagement from stakeholders who are directly affected by policy decisions are what can actually cut through all the noise in the legislative environment. By participating in VoterVoice actions online, you can ensure your thoughts are part of the policymaking conversation.
Whether you are an experienced doctor of chiropractic, a student who wants to improve the future of health care, or a patient who wants better access to high-quality chiropractic services, your representatives want and need to hear from you. When stakeholders engage together, they can help move legislation that is effective and responsive to the needs of their community.
Congress has a bill, introduced last year, that would modernize chiropractic coverage under Medicare, and with healthcare expected to take the center stage spotlight in the upcoming weeks in Washington, there is no better time to share your perspective with your representatives. By doing so, you can help ensure that chiropractic remains central during healthcare policy development.
Now is the time to take action. Stay informed and use tools such as VoterVoice to make your voice heard where it counts most.
Emma Meehan is ACA’s associate manager of federal government relations.
