Media & Advocacy Workshop for Medical

Professionals

February 2009 2

AGENDA FOR THE DAY

Introductions

Messaging Overview

HCAN’s Messages

Delivering Your Message

Media Tips & Techniques

Questions & Feedback

“Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.”

President Barack Obama February 24, 2009

“Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.”

President Barack Obama February 24, 2009

February 2009 3

GETTING STARTED

What experience do you have with media?

What would you like to improve?

What’s your biggest fear in dealing with the media or speaking publicly?

Who’s your favorite spokesperson and why?

MESSAGINGOVERVIEW

MESSAGINGOVERVIEW

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MESSAGING OVERVIEW

What are messages? Messages are the language you use to describe your positioning,

services and attributes.

Messages are your drumbeat – the core ideas you want to put across every chance you get.

February 2009 6

MESSAGING OVERVIEW

General rules of messaging Don’t have more than three or four messages.

All messages should support the organization or campaign’s main goals.

Messages are not sound bites – they are ideas you are trying to get across.

Messages are reinforced by sound bites, phrases, statistics and anecdotes.

For messages to have impact, they have to be repeated over and over again.

Messages must be simple. They are ideas that can be explained in a sentence or two. If they require a paragraph or more, keep working.

HCAN’s Message

February 2009 8

HCAN’s MESSAGE

We need an American solution to the health care crisis that guarantees quality, affordable health care we all can count on.

Any Health Care Plan Must Include:

- Coverage You Can Afford

- Comprehensive Benefits You Can Count On

- Choice of Private or Public Health Insurance Plan

- Equal Access to Quality Care

Medical Providers’MESSAGES

Medical Providers’MESSAGES

Medical Professional’s Role in Delivering the Message

•Your personal story will illustrate the need for change in America, put a human face on the complex public policy issue and inspire others to join the fight.

•Your story will highlight the HCAN principles for comprehensive reform.

•Think about your patients…• Couldn’t pay for cancer care or went bankrupt trying

• Didn’t take medications because the cost was too high

• Insurance wouldn’t cover basic chronic care, but would cover complications, so the patients makes themselves sicker to get catastrophic care.

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The Right Stories to Share

•Stories about specific patients you have worked with. You don’t need to share the patient name (privacy)—just the basic story.

•Denied coverage for needed medical treatments

•Interference of insurance companies in health care decisions.

• Difficulties with filing paperwork and fighting for approvals to administer the proper care.

•Patients who forgo care because of no insurance or underinsurance.

•Lack of adherence to medical advice because of costs.

February 2009 11

Examples of Good Story Telling by Doctors

Reporter Question: So we’re talking about comparative effectiveness research and the price of drugs. Does this mean I’m going to get the cheaper drug or the better drug?

Good Answer: So let’s imagine a study of a brand new, very expensive drug to treat high blood pressure and compares it to a generic drug that costs maybe a few cents. The study finds that the generic much less expensive drug is actually more effective than the brand new really expensive drug. So now, with that information, doctors can really make the best decisions for individual patients and they save that money—they save money for that particular patient because they’re able to buy the generic drug and at the same time they improve their health because they’re giving them the medication that actually works.

TV or Radio Answer: Comparative effectiveness research will allow us to look at data that shows which drug will work best for our patients. If the cheaper one works as well as the expensive drug, we can prescribe the lower-cost medication and rest assured that we are giving the best treatment at the best cost.

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Examples of Good Story Telling by Doctors

Reporter Question: With a public health insurance option, aren’t we talking about government-run health insurance?

Good Answer: We’re told that having the choice of a public insurance plan will somehow impact the doctor-patient relationship--it’ll somehow impact my ability to care for my patients. I find that strange because I know that having the option of a public insurance plan will allow me to tell my patients that they have guaranteed coverage in case of any loss of a job they will still have an option that’s available for them to get the health care that they deserve and that they need.

TV or Radio Answer: No. A public health insurance plan option will provide my patients with guaranteed health benefits that they can count on. When they get sick, they can focus on getting the necessary care to get better, rather than worrying about going bankrupt.

February 2009 13

Examples of Good Story Telling by Doctors

Reporter Question: Just because we have a public plan, doesn’t mean there will be better access to care in rural areas does it?

Good Answer: The nearest population center to my town is 50 miles away and that’s where my referral base is so in my community we have primary care docs only. If my patients need to a see a cardiologist, or a urologist, or something like that, I need to send them about 50 miles away. And, just last week, one patient—his health insurance plan does not cover the one urology clinic that is located in my referral center. So that patient needed to either fight with his insurance company or I need to fight with his insurance company or he needed to drive 120 miles away to Portland where his insurance plan would cover him. A public plan would allow my patient to visit the closest doctor.

TV or Radio Answer: At times I have to send patients up to 120 miles away to get specialty care because their insurance only supports certain specialists. A public health insurance plan option would allow them to get the care closest to home without fighting with an insurance company first.

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February 2009 15

Delivering Your Message

Come prepared and confident. Before an interview, think about the story you want to tell.

Practice telling the story to family, friends or colleagues.

Develop talking points to support your story. For example, write down some bullet points that you don’t want to forget during the interview.

Think about potential tough questions a reporter might ask (what they will ask, what they could ask, and how you will respond).

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Delivering Your Message

Concisely deliver your message. Listen—for question, tone and body language.

Decide how to answer—just because the question is asked one way, you don’t have to answer it exactly.

Respond—what key points should you make and in what order?

Expand—give one or two points as background only if necessary.

Stop—make your point and stop talking. Don’t say too much.

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CONTROL THE INTERVIEW

Flagging—get to the point! Signal the importance of key messages:

“The bottom line is …”

“The most important thing to recognize is …”

“The biggest problem is …”

Examples:

“The bottom line is that my patients need insurance they can count on when they are sick.”

“The most important thing to remember is that my patients need access to quality, affordable coverage that allows me to prescribe the best treatment for their specific condition.”

“The biggest problem is that insurance companies dictate how we provide care. How can doctors provide the best care when the insurance companies refuse to cover these treatment options.”

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CONTROL THE INTERVIEW

Bridging Bring the focus back to your key messages when responding to

tough questions:

“Don’t doctors want a single-payer system?”

“Isn’t this just socialized medicine?”

Bring the focus back to your key messages when asked a question that could throw you off track:

“The best reform is that in which my patients will receive comprehensive benefits that are affordable and available to everyone in America.”

“My patients need quality, affordable coverage that allows me to provide the best possible care without worrying about cost.”

MEDIA TIPS &TECHNIQUESMEDIA TIPS &TECHNIQUES

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WORKING WITH REPORTERS

Maintain control You do not need to always answer the reporter’s questions exactly

how it is asked; it’s your job to deliver your story.

This is YOUR interview. You are the media’s news source. They need you for the story. Remember, you are the expert.

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INTERVIEW TIPS

Print: Speak in quotable sound bites.

Paint a picture with your words/tell a story.

To make sure you are quoted accurately, repeat your message a few different times.

Remember that the person you are communicating with isn’t the reporter, but the person who will read the story the next day.

If you hear a reporter typing while doing a phone interview, slow down to let the reporter catch up.

Assume everything you say is on the record. Just because the pencil has been put away doesn’t mean that the reporter might not use something you say on the way to the door.

Be a resource.

Be personal and personable.

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INTERVIEW TIPS

TV and Radio: Assume you are always on the air. No off the cuff remarks.

If you are being taped, stop if you make a mistake and start over

Avoid the dreaded monotone. Modulate your voice, make it as expressive as possible.

Speak at a normal volume. Stress key points by raising your intensity level and pitch, not your voice.

Use words to create an image or paint a picture of your story.

Feel free to have notes in front of you to remind you of your message points, key facts and figures, etc.

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INTERVIEW TIPS

Television:

How to Sound Warm up your voice beforehand.

Vary tone, intonation and emphasize words.

Speak in quotable sound bites.

Hit the main message early.

Make sure not to speak too quickly.

Speak genuinely, credibly, confidently.

What to Avoid Excessive or distracting hand gestures.

Tapping a foot or pen.

Pause words (uh, um, like).

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INTERVIEW TIPS

Television:

Where to look Look at the interviewer, not the camera (unless instructed otherwise).

Look at the same place throughout. It’s important not to appear nervous, uncomfortable or fidgety… otherwise you give the impression that you are not telling the truth.

How to stand Stand upright but not too rigid.

One foot slightly in front of the other (no rocking).

Keep hands on a podium, clasped in front or behind your back (not in your pockets.

How to sit Sit upright 1-2 inches from the back of the chair.

Keep clothing from bunching or bulging.

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WARDROBE TIPS

Suits: Solid color or subtle plaid; white or colorful blouse.

Dresses: Patterns should not be too busy.

Nylons: Neutral tones, no patterns or seams.

Hair: Keep hair brushed away from your face.

Jewelry: Avoid dangling earrings or necklaces. Pearls or matte

types are best; as they don’t reflect much light.

Suits: Navy or gray, plain or pinstripes.

Shirts: Pastels, off-white work best for TV. Long sleeves give a finished look.

Vests: Optional for presentations or speeches. Not recommended for TV. Vests add 10-15 lbs to you, bunch up, and make you hot.

Glasses: If you wear glasses most of the time, then wear your glasses; but consider glare-proof

glasses.

Clothes: Do wear grays, blues, browns. Don’t wear all white (it glows on TV)

or patterns (checks, stripes, dots, etc.)

WOMEN MEN

ALL

ROLE PLAYING

Share YOUR Story

ROLE PLAYING

Share YOUR Story

The Right Stuff: Really Good Media Hits

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Question #1What is comparative effectiveness research and

what does it do?

Question #1What is comparative effectiveness research and

what does it do?

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer

Question #2Private insurers say a public health insurance

plan will create an unfair playing field. Are you worried about that?

Question #2Private insurers say a public health insurance

plan will create an unfair playing field. Are you worried about that?

CBS’s Katie Couric

Question #3How can we afford to do health care reform now?

Question #3How can we afford to do health care reform now?

NBC’s Brian Williams

Question #4How can you say you want government-run health care?

Doesn’t this mean you’ll make less money?

Question #4How can you say you want government-run health care?

Doesn’t this mean you’ll make less money?

Fox News’ Bill Oreilly

Next Steps:Next Steps:1. HCAN will email you a set of documents that recap tonight’s presentation. There

will be overviews of each topic so you can refresh your memory at any time.

2. Please fill out the Speakers’ Bureau Information Sheet. This will help us place you with the best possible media interviews. Please fill out the form and email to vmaltin@healthcareforamericanow.org.

3. The last form is a guide to lobbying your member of Congress. Use this form to share your story with elected officials.

If you have any questions or need help, contact us at any time!

Vanessa Maltin Jacki Schechner

vmaltin@healthcareforamericanow.orgjschechner@healthcareforamericanow.org

Thank You!Thank You!