Advocacy plays a central role in shaping health care policy and protecting the ability of physicians to care for patients, according to a recent letter from the president of the Colorado Medical Society (CMS). The letter emphasizes that advocacy is considered the top member benefit of CMS and is relied upon by all Colorado physicians, regardless of their membership status.
The importance of physician involvement in advocacy was highlighted through examples such as efforts to address prior authorization issues. These efforts required years of relationship building, surveys, data analysis, and collecting stories from both patients and physicians, as well as two legislative sessions with an active bill.
The letter also recalled the long-standing work on medical liability caps in Colorado. CMS leaders were instrumental in championing tort reforms in the late 1980s and early 1990s and helped found Copic when other liability insurance carriers exited the state due to rising premiums. Since then, CMS has closely monitored threats to Colorado’s stable medical liability climate during each legislative session.
Twelve years ago, CMS helped form Coloradans Protecting Patient Access (CPPA) by bringing together physicians and the business community. The coalition played a significant role during a recent legislative session when trial attorneys attempted to eliminate all caps on liability and confidentiality in peer review. According to the letter: “We came through that fight keeping a cap and peer review intact, and avoided a costly ballot fight.”
CMS’s history of coalition-building was also noted in relation to public health initiatives such as advocating for the ban on smoking in indoor public spaces nearly 20 years ago. Despite opposition from businesses and the tobacco industry, bipartisan support led to the passage of the Colorado Clean Air Act.
“Advocacy is the backbone of our profession. It shapes policy, protects our ability to care for patients, and ensures that health care policy is heavily influenced by physicians: the people who understand it best. It is also the top member benefit of the Colorado Medical Society, and one all Colorado physicians rely on – regardless of membership,” said the author.
“For me, advocacy is personal. It’s about using my expertise as a physician to inform decision-makers and shape better policies. It’s about the privilege of walking into the Capitol, engaging directly with legislators, and having my voice heard. Building relationships with policymakers, sharing the perspective of practicing physicians—even when we disagree—demonstrates why physicians’ involvement is crucial. Legislators don’t always have a deep understanding of evidence-based medicine, and it’s our job to bridge that gap,” they added.
The letter concludes with an appeal for increased membership within CMS: “Advocacy doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it requires numbers, resources and strategic action. Membership growth is a key priority for our organization because the strength of our voice in the legislature is directly tied to the size of our membership and the resources we can allocate to advocacy efforts.”
