And the issues are important at every level. Locally, the future of schools, hospitals, social services and many other community essentials is in the hands of local governing bodies. Nationally, of course, there is Medicare. The AMA and others have warned for years that Congress must act to shore up the financial structure of this program before bankruptcy is imminent. It appears that, at long last, Washington is hearing that message, and if the issue is not resolved this year, the Congress elected in 1998 will be under tremendous pressure to act.
Political involvement can take many forms.
At the basic level, it means being informed about the issues, speaking out on topics you consider important, and registering to vote - and voting. Then there is actual support of a candidate or candidates. Many physicians provide this support through the American Medical Political Action Committee or through various state or specialty PACs. Even more valued by many candidates are the hundreds of physicians and spouses who serve campaign workers and volunteers, performing tasks ranging from stuffing envelopes and distributing leaflets to hands-on campaign management. They serve in Congress, in statehouses, in legislatures, and in county and city offices all over our nation.