• About the Committee
• Issues, Information, and Resources
• Get Involved

About the Committee

The MSS Committee on Legislation and Advocacy (COLA) is responsible for creating and maintaining a network of MSS chapters to promote grassroots political action. COLA provides sample letters, talking points, and additional information and resources to assist students in responding to specific legislative issues.  COLA also advances key student issues through a coordinated campaign at each national meeting and works with the MSS Governing Council on accomplishing specific legislative advocacy goals.

Meet your 2007-2008 Committee on Legislation and Advocacy

Contact your Committee on Legislation and Advocacy

• Committee Chair - Maya Babu
• Committee Vice Chair - Erin Schneider
• Committee Vice Chair - Andrew Landstrom

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Issues, Information, and Resources

COLA has developed Issue Briefs and Presentations on a wide range of health policy issues, tailored to meet the needs and interests of medical students.  These Issue Briefs and Presentations are provided below, along with relevant materials produced by the AMA and links to more information.  Please feel free to distribute these materials widely.  And be sure to check back often for new Issue Briefs and Presentations.    

Note: The presentations below are saved as PDFs.  PDFs can be viewed as full screen slide shows by hitting "Ctrl + L" and using the down arrow to advance to the next "slide."  If you would like the PowerPoint file, please email  Keith Voogd.

Covering the Uninsured/ Access to Care

• COLA Issue Brief (Access to Care) (PDF, 107KB)
• COLA Issue Brief (Medicaid/SCHIP) (PDF, 259KB)
• COLA Medicaid/SCHIP Presentation (PDF, 161KB)
• Expanding Health Insurance: The AMA Proposal for Reform (PDF, 929KB)
• AMA Plan Presentation (PPT, 2MB) and Script (Word, 138KB)
• More information

Medical student debt

• COLA Debt Issue Brief (PDF, 74KB)
• COLA Debt Presentation (PDF, 258KB)
• AMA Issue Brief (PDF, 44KB)
• More information

Economic hardship deferment (20/220)

• COLA Presentation - 20/220 and Your Finances (PDF, 174KB)
• COLA Issue Brief - 20/220 and Your Finances (PDF, 63KB)
• COLA Issue Brief - 20/220 and Access to Care (PDF, 67KB)
• More information

Higher Education Act

• COLA HEA Issue Brief (PDF, 56KB)
• COLA HEA Presentation (PDF, 182KB)
• AMA Recommendations for HEA Reauthorization (PDF, 44KB)
• More information

Resident work hours

• COLA Issue Brief (PDF, 224KB)
• COLA Presentation (PDF, 176KB)

Health information technology

• COLA Presentation (PDF, 169KB)

Medicare/SGR reform

• COLA Issue brief (PDF, 38KB)
• COLA Presentation (PDF, 116KB)
• More information

Medical liability reform

• AMA Issue Brief  (PDF, 329KB)
• More information

Please visit the MSS Advocacy and Policy Web page  for information and resources on other issues of interest to medical students.

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Get Involved

There are many ways you can get involved with AMA and MSS health policy legislation and advocacy efforts. 

• Participate in the COLA Grassroots Action Network
  Maintained by COLA, the MSS Grassroots Action Network facilitates coordinated national campaigns on important medical student issues such as medical student debt and the implementation of the Clinical Skills Assessment Exam.
  
  
• Visit the AMA's Grassroots Action Center
  The AMA Grassroots Action Center, better know as Capwiz, provides contact information for your elected officials, information on pending legislation of importance to physicians and the medical community, and records of your elected officials' votes on key health policy legislation.  You can even send letters/emails/faxes to your elected officials letting them know how you, as a medical student and future physician, feel about the issues and their impact on the future of medicine.
  
  
• Join AMPAC
  The American Medical Political Action Committee (AMPAC) is the bipartisan political action committee of the American Medical Association. Its goal is to support and elect pro-medicine candidates on the federal level.  Learn more about AMPAC and how you can get involved!

• Apply for the Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) and spend your summer working on health policy issues in Washington, D.C. 
  
  
• Apply for the Government Relations Advocacy Fellowship (GRAF) and spend a year working on important health policy issues in the AMA's Washington, D.C. office.
  

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Meet COLA

Meet the chair and members of the Committee on Legislation and Advocacy (COLA)

Advocacy and Legislative Issues

Learn more about our key issues, such as covering the uninsured and debt, and find out how you can get involved in health policy through our fellowship and internship programs.

COLA Grassroots Action Network

Join the COLA Grassroots Action Network to keep up-to-date on the key issues of the MSS.

Get Involved and Stay Connected

COLA has compiled this list of health policy Web sites and listservs to help you get more involved and stay connected.

Meet and Contact the GRAF!

Each year, a medical student member of the AMA serves as a Fellow in our Washington, DC office...meet the current Fellow and learn how you can apply for this position!

MSS Chapter Advocacy Events

Learn about advocacy events organized by MSS chapters across the country.