By Gordon Schiff, MD

Know the values, needs, and issues of the audience/organization
Be sure to have a good conversation before your talk with someone from the organization (perhaps the person arranging the talk), and read up on the group’s literature. One highly effective practice is to come early, listen to their issues at their (business/residency) meeting, and refer back to these issues while you talk. Every organization you speak with is a potential ally in a coalition.

Use humor and modesty to win over the audience
So many of our opponents are arrogant, uncaring, thoughtless, and non-clinical. This often makes it easy and important to distinguish them from ourselves.

If possible, go in a pair
Bring a partner. If you are more experienced, bring along someone new to help you and learn from you. If newer, go along with someone more experienced and take notes on their tricks and audience responses. Share constructive criticism and feedback when you debrief each other.

Be self-critical, and honestly introspective 
Identify the weaknesses of single payer (past strategic miscalculations, Canadian weaknesses) – without being apologetic. However there is nothing worse than a speaker who begins by apologizing and persists in doing so throughout the talk. Don’t apologize for any speaking weaknesses and certainly don’t be apologetic for your bold ideas – put these forward distinctly and forcefully.

Get names
Sign-in sheets allow the local chapter to continually build its list of names and contact information. If you are speaking with physicians who would like more information or to become a member, feel free to contact the national PNHP office for assistance. If you are with another single-payer activist, they may be able to pass around a clipboard during your presentation. Be sure to follow-up on all requests in a timely manner.

Pass out information
Bring pamphlets and brochures with you to each talk. If you are speaking to physicians, PNHP can supply you with physician-targeted information. If you are speaking to community group, Healthcare Now can assist in providing materials. PNHP will donate $100 for lunches to any medical student organization that hosts a PNHP speaker.

Solicit other speaking engagements
Many people are involved in more than one organization. Feel free to let your audience know that you are available to speak with other groups on the importance of single payer. If you can’t meet a request, you can always forward the request to the national office for follow-up.

Revised 5/05 Gordy Schiff, MD. Transcribed/revised 11/09

By Martha Livingston, Ph.D.

1. I have a Ph.D. and teach health policy. But you don’t need a degree to understand this issue: we all need health care, a lot of us are dying without it, and we have all the money it would take to give it to everybody. Plenty of people will try to confuse you about this and make the issue more complex than it needs to be: that is, make you feel as thought you don’t know what you’re talking about and that you’re not capable of understanding such a complex question. Don’t believe them: of course you understand this issue – it’s about health care justice, and you can speak about that!

2. We are the richest country on the planet, and we spend way more on health care than any other country does ($2.5 trillion, 17.7% of GDP; more than 1/6 of the economy, $8,160 per person; other countries spend no more than roughly 10% of their GDP, or more than $4,000 a person, and they cover everyone!). In fact, our government spends more on health care (60% of this $2.5 trillion) than any other government on the planet!

3. And yet 46 million people in the US are insured, and tens of millions are underinsured. About 45,000 people died last year because they couldn’t access health care when they needed it. Millions more walk around with serious conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol undiagnosed, and millions have to choose between paying the rent or filling their prescriptions. Medical bills are the main reason for personal bankruptcy in America – more than half were caused by them!

4. Where does all the money go? Into the pockets of the rich: the insurance companies, Big PhRMA, the HMOs, and health care CEOs are making killing. And while Medicare spends less than 4% of its budget on administration costs, private health care companies spend anywhere from 15-33% of theirs – all while denying many the care they need!

5. Too many politicians are in the pockets of the health care industry – and we have to remember that they need our votes. We need them to accept the only solution that saves money and covers everyone: Medicare-for-All! That’s right, the same old Medicare – just that it will start at age zero, rather than 65. And with all the money we’ll save, we’ll be able to improve Medicare’s coverage so that it covers all the care that people need – drugs, glasses, long-term care, and so forth.

6. How can we get Medicare for all? Get on your elected representatives, get them behind H.R. 676, the Medicare-for-All bill, and vote ‘em out if they’d rather support health-care profiteers (or, if they are health-care profiteers themselves, like Senator Bill Frist!)

By Martha Livingston, Ph.D., NYC speakers’ training 4//2005. Statistics updated by Nic Miller 11/2009

Before the event:

Plan ahead. Start planning 6 weeks ahead of time so that you’ll never feel like you’re in a rush. If you’re hosting a PNHP speaker, make a list of everyone that you would like to invite, and then double it. Don’t forget to include people you know from your place of worship, neighborhood association, and any civic organization. Decide if you would like to include other entertainment, food, or beverages.
 
Send out an invite about a month ahead of time. Invitations can be sent by regular mail, email, or even Facebook, depending on your audience. It’s important to include basic information about the event, including RSVP information, food or drink offerings, the time and date, and directions to the house. If working by email or Facebook, it’s a good idea to send out a reminder message 2 weeks before the event.

Call up the people that you still haven’t heard from a week before the event and personally invite them. The time and effort of a phone conversation can make all the difference for the event.

During the House Party:

Have a table set up near guests that has 2-3 informational handouts, a sign-in sheet, pens, and name tags (if guests are unlikely to already know each other).

Once everyone has arrived, introduce the speaker (if you’re the host) and ask people to sign in. If you’re the speaker, try and present the case for single payer in less than 20 minutes and give some time for people to ask questions. Be sure to mention “action items” people can do to advocate for single payer in their communities. 

After the talk, consider asking for money. Either the host or the speaker can do this. It’s a great practice for building up our efforts. When people contribute money to a cause, their chances of donating again, volunteering in the future, and talking with their friends and family about the issue dramatically increase. See the PNHP handout on fundraising for more information.

Afterward:

Compile all the sign-ins for the event and send them a quick thank-you note (ideally via email). This is also your chance to say anything you may have forgotten to add during the event. Add the sign-ins to your local chapter list and then send the list to the appropriate national group, either PNHP or Healthcare Now. We’ll add them to our lists and follow-up with them.

Complete all your follow-up work, such as sending more information, or answering lingering questions. This is the hardest part of any event, and the easiest to forget. The main purpose of a House Party is to build for the future, and following-up is essential to get — and keep — new people involved.

For a PNHP speaker, information, or assistance, please contact Emily Henkels at e.henkels@pnhp.org, (312) 782-6006.