Meeting Roles and Scripts 2022 - Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
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Meeting Roles and Scripts 2022
Team Roles and Meeting Structure
Virtual legislative meetings can be tough without visual cues. To help coordinate your team in virtual
legislative meetings, assign each teammate one or more of the below roles. Give yourselves the
flexibility you need to succeed; roles can change between meetings, and team members may have
multiple roles.
Team Roles
eam
T Story ote
N
Asker
Leader Tellers Taker
• Directs flow of •H
as story relevant • Clearly states the • Captures pertinent
meeting to an ask and/or yes/no ask information and
• Keeps track of time can describe IBD follow-up items
• Calls on others to •P
referably a • Sends notes to team
participate constituent and the Foundation
Meeting Structure
1. Say thanks Team Leader thanks the staffer for their time
eam Leader facilitates introductions
T
2. Introductions
Keep it short, for example: name, town, and IBD connection
3. State the “ask” Team Leader states the ask
eam Leader asks a Storyteller to describe IBD
T
4. Describe IBD Ask a question, for example: “Are you familiar with Crohn’s disease and
ulcerative colitis?”
5. Tell your story Team Leader calls on each Storyteller to share their experience
Asker makes a yes/no ask
6. Restate the “ask” For example: “Will the representative/senator co-sponsor the Safe
Step Act?”
Team Leader again thanks the staffer for their time
7. Close Note Taker requests contact information and sends out notes to team
and the FoundationSample Script & Messaging Guide
for Your Day on the Hill Meeting
The following is a sample script you can follow in your Virtual Day on the Hill meetings. This will also serve
as your talking points guide. The script does not need to be followed word for word. Please note that
Congressional staff are looking to you to lead and set the pace of the meeting. Further, the script below
is written as if you are meeting with staff and not directly with your legislator. This is OK! Staff can be
very influential and are often experts on legislative issues. Please adapt the script as needed if you meet
directly with your legislator. Have fun getting to know the people that represent you in policymaking!
Team Roles
eam
T Story ote
N
Asker
Leader Tellers Taker
1 Say Thanks
Duration: 30 seconds
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today, we are here today representing the
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.”
2 Introductions
Duration: 2 Minutes
“My name is Name and I am a constituent from City, State. I am an IBD patient/caregiver/
provider. Now I will pass it on to next team member’s name.”
Continue until all team members have briefly introduced themselves. Do not go into detail about your
personal story just yet, that will come later in the meeting. After the final team member gives their intro,
pass it back to the Team Leader:
“Now I will pass it back to Team Leader.”3 State the Ask Duration: 1 Minute
“We are meeting with you today to ask your boss to:
• (All Offices) Co-sponsor and request a mark-up of S 464/HR 2163, the Safe Step Act,
related to insurance-mandated step therapy reform.
• (All Offices) Co-sponsor S 2013/HR 3783, the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, related to
coverage for medical foods.
• (House) Join the Congressional Crohn’s and Colitis Caucus.”
• (Senate) Sign on to the Blumenthal/Cassidy IBD Research Letter
4 Describe IBD Duration: 2 Minutes
“Are you familiar with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic conditions collectively known as inflammatory
bowel disease or IBD. As many as 3.1 million Americans live with IBD. Each patient experiences
IBD differently, and patients need access to the right treatments at the right time.
Now I will pass it on to Storyteller 1 who can share with you more about their experience
and how these initiatives could help patients with IBD.”
5a Share Your Story and Expand on the Safe Step Act
Duration: 3 Minutes
Tell your IBD story and why timely access to medicines is important to you. For example: “When I was
18, I was required by my insurer to go through a step therapy protocol, during which time I became
sicker and sicker. By the time I was approved for the treatment my doctor and I initially wanted, I was
too sick to be a good candidate for that treatment and had to undergo surgery.”
“Insurance-mandated step therapy is when a health plan requires patients to fail first
on an insurer-preferred treatment, before the insurer will agree to cover the treatment
selected by the patient and their provider.
Step therapy can delay treatment, and in the worse cases, lead to much worse health
outcomes and higher expenses.
S 464/HR 2163 would 1) require health plans to offer a clear step therapy exceptions
process, 2) establish a time frame in which insurers must respond to an exceptions request,
and 3) establish medically reasonable circumstances in which a patient should be granted
a step therapy exception.
Will Senator/Representative Last Name co-sponsor the Safe Step Act?
Would Senator/Representative Last Name be willing to reach out to fellow legislators
in the committees of jurisdiction and encourage them to hold a mark-up on the Safe Step
Act? This member-to-member outreach can help the Safe Step Act gain momentum. The
Committees are:
• The House Education & Labor Committee
• The Senate HELP Committee
Now I will pass it on to Storyteller 2 who can share their experience.”5b Share Your Story & Expand on the MNEA
Duration: 3 Minutes
Tell your IBD story and why coverage for medically necessary foods is important to you. For example: “I am
a caregiver to a child with IBD who needed enterally administered formula, which was very expensive and
not covered by insurance.”
“Medically necessary foods are an important treatment option for IBD patients.
However, formula is often not covered by insurance, and families that can’t pay out of pocket
may opt instead for covered treatments like steroids or biologics.
S 2013/HR 3783, the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, would ensure that both government and
private insurance plans cover medically necessary foods.
Will Senator/Representative Last Name co-sponsor the Medical Nutrition Equity Act?
Now I will pass it on to Storyteller 3 who can share their experience.”
5c House: Share Your Story & Expand on the Caucus
Duration: 3 Minutes
Tell your IBD story and why the Congressional Crohn’s and Colitis Caucus is important to you. For example:
“In my experience with IBD, treatments options are limited and more research is needed to improve the
quality of life of patients and ultimately find cures. As a constituent, it would be meaningful to me for your
boss to join the Caucus and participate in their efforts to fund IBD medical research.”
“The Congressional Crohn’s and Colitis Caucus, led by Representatives Maloney (D-NY-12) and
Rutherford (R-FL-4), is bipartisan and works together to raise awareness of IBD in Congress,
support IBD medical research, and protect patient access to care.
Will Senator/Representative Last Name join the Congressional Crohn’s & Colitis Caucus?
Now I will pass it on to Asker.”
5d Senate: Share Your Story & Expand on the
Blumenthal/Cassidy IBD Research Letter
Duration: 3 Minutes
Tell your IBD story and why IBD research is important to you. For example: “In my experience with IBD,
treatment options are limited and more research is needed to improve the quality of life of patients
and ultimately find cures. As a constituent, it would be meaningful to me for your boss to sign on to the
Blumenthal/Cassidy IBD research letter to support funding for IBD medical research.”
“Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are writing a joint letter asking
for robust funding for IBD medical research.
Will Senator Last Name sign on to this letter?
Now I will pass it on to Asker.”6 Restate the Ask Duration: 1 Minute
“As discussed, will your boss co-sponsor the Safe Step Act, and the Medical Nutrition Equity
Act, and House join the Congressional Crohn’s and Colitis Caucus?
What other information can we provide as you consider these asks?”
7 Close Duration: 1 Minute
Note Taker “Thanks again for meeting with us. We will follow up with you on the questions
you asked. Can we get an email to reach you?”
Team Leader “We appreciate your consideration of these issues. We will follow up shortly”.
Personalize it: Ask for a photo with them and post it on social media, tagging the legislator.Sample Thank-You Note
Virtual Day on the Hill 2022
It is important to follow up on meetings with your House representative and two U.S. senators with a
thank-you note. In addition, Virtual Day on the Hill provides an opportunity to begin an ongoing relationship
with the staff you meet. Following up and maintaining an ongoing relationship makes it more likely the
legislator will take the action you want. In addition, your relationship will allow you to easily contact the
staff person when you have a new ask or want to provide an update. Below is a sample thank-you note for
your meetings, as well as tips to get you started on the road to year-round advocacy.
Template ‘Thank-You’ Email for the 2022 Virtual Day on the Hill
Hi [Staff First Name]—Thank you for meeting with me on April 28 during the Crohn’s & Colitis
Foundation’s Virtual Day on the Hill. As discussed, I am a constituent from [town] and an IBD
[patient/caregiver/provider]. I hope [Congressman/Senator Last Name] will:
• Cosponsor S 464, HR 2163, the Safe Step Act
• Reach out to fellow legislators in the [House Education & Labor Committee/Senate
HELP Committee] and request a mark-up on the Safe Step Act
• Cosponsor the Medical Nutrition Equity Act.
• [For House Representatives Only] Join the Congressional Crohn’s & Colitis Caucus.
[Share your brief IBD story—consider a couple sentences about how long you have had IBD or
supported someone with IBD, your IBD journey, how you have experienced step therapy
or medical nutrition coverage, how you got involved with the Foundation, etc.]
I appreciate the time you spent with me and your interest in these issues. Please keep me
updated on whether [Representative/Senator Last Name] cosponsors the Safe Step Act
and the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, [and joins the Congressional Crohn’s & Colitis Caucus].
Sincerely,
[Name]Tips for Developing a Relationship
with Congressional Staff
• Request the staff person’s email address at the end of each legislative meeting.
• Save pertinent information where you can easily find it throughout the year – for your House
Representative and two Senators, you will need to know:
• The name of your legislator, party, and district for House Representatives
• The name of the staff person you met
• The email for the staff person
• Notes on what you discussed and any questions/responses from the office
• Send a ‘thank you’ email to the staff person after the meeting. Your email should:
• Remind the staff person of the public policy asks you made
• Address any questions from the staff person or legislator
• Request an update on the action the legislator takes to respond to your ask
• Continue to follow up with the staff persons you met via email and/or phone calls using the
Foundation’s 2022 Advocacy Roadmap, and Advocacy Network emails as guides. We recommend
pacing your outreach every week or two during the month of May after Virtual Day on the Hill, and
every month or two thereafter.
Are you working on developing a relationship with your legislators and their staff? Let us know how we can
help, and share your progress with us at advocacy@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.You can also read
