inMotion Magazine

May | June 2019 16 The Amputee Coalition converged on Capitol Hill for its annual Hill Day in April and held its largest Hill Day to date! With over 130 registered attendees and meetings with legislative offices in Washington D.C., we saw great progress on Insurance Fairness and funding for programs and research. The Hill Day event provided a half day of training for attendees about the issues and the role their story plays in advocacy. Individual stories when advocating for access to care issues highlight each person’s journey to receive access to quality prosthetic care. These stories differ greatly, but they can all be used to argue for proper access to care. Often individuals express their challenges with denials and appeals or, if they’ve been able to access the care they need, have affirmed that everyone should have the same experience. Each attendee’s unique story is compelling. The Amputee Coalition emphasizes the need for better access to care and that when given that care, individuals have success in living the life they want to live. Regardless of the details of your own story, the Amputee Coalition and its Hill Day attendees had the opportunity to see the power of stories in action. This year saw stories that produced reactions ranging from concern to outright confusion over the frequent denials that people face or the fact that some prosthetic devices were not covered without caps or restrictions. Some meetings even saw members of Congress and staffers connect their personal experiences to the experiences of attendees and express clear understanding for supporting the Insurance Fairness for Amputees Act and funding for the National Limb Loss Resource Center. One meeting in particular stands out where a member of Congress stated a family member would have benefited greatly from the National Limb Loss Resource Center had it existed before 1986. Even if you were unable to join us for Hill Day, you can still share your story with your elected officials. The AmplifyYourself.org platform allows you to tell your story and send it directly to your health insurance company and elected officials. The stories told on the Hill and on Amplify are the catalysts needed to progress Insurance Fairness to introduce and work to pass legislation that would benefit all 2.1 million Americans living with limb loss/limb difference. If you are interested in telling your story or advocating alongside the Amputee Coalition, please reach out through AmplifyYourself.org or email us at amplify@amputee-coalition.org . THE POWER OF A STORY By Jeremy Haines