Political Advocacy Made Easy at the LLS

I'm the first to admit that I'm not the greatest when it comes to lobbying my elected officials, even when the cause is dear to me. The process of writing a letter or email, determining where to send it, and believing that it'll make a difference—these things tend to deter me. And I don't think I'm alone.

Fortunately the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society makes it really easy by way of their Office of Public Policy and their Action Center.

When you go to the Action Center, you can see the legislation they're advocating and, after filling out a very brief profile, you can add your voice to the cause. Because you enter your address in the profile, the site takes care of determining who your elected officials are, at both the state and federal levels.

Right now, you can easily send an email to your elected officials urging them to take action on:

The Cancer Clinical Trials Act (S. 488 and H.R. 716), which "would prevent health care plans – both state-based and ERISA-based – from denying patients enrolled in clinical trials services that would have been covered under their plan had they participated in what is considered standard therapy."

The formation of a bipartisan Pediatric Cancer Caucus "to provide a voice for children in this country who are suffering from cancer. The caucus is still being formed and looking for members."