Published: May 18, 2026

Five-Minute Advocacy Efforts That You Can Do Today

Take these simple steps to add your voice to the collective otolaryngology community.

Anna Hall, AAO-HNS Manager, Health Policy & Regulatory Affairs

The AAO-HNS advocacy infrastructure is only as strong as its members. As an otolaryngologist and a trusted voice in your community, you are uniquely positioned to shape the policies that affect your patients and your practice. Equally essential is that elected officials rely on physician expertise to do it. Below are some simple actions that you can start today to add your voice to the collective otolaryngology community.

1. Sign Up for The ENT Advocate and ENT Advocacy Network—it’s Free!
The ENT Advocate is a free monthly e-newsletter sent to members of the ENT Advocacy Network. Each edition summarizes the latest developments in federal, state, and health policy advocacy, and often includes updates on grassroots initiatives and ENT PAC activities. The ENT Advocacy Network is your gateway to becoming an active advocate: by joining, you’ll receive the tools you need to contact members of Congress, host legislators at your practice, and access Academy briefing materials and draft letters for contacting lawmakers.

Sign up for The ENT Advocate
Join the ENT Advocacy Network
Questions? Email govtaffairs@entnet.org

2. Contribute to the ENT PAC*
ENT PAC is the AAO-HNS's non-partisan, issue-driven federal political action committee, funded entirely by voluntary U.S. based member contributions. These funds are essential in ensuring otolaryngology has a seat at the table on critical issues like physician payment reform, prior authorization, and scope of practice.

Contribute to ENT PAC (log in with your AAO-HNS member ID and password)
Questions? Email entpac@entnet.org

3. Learn Who Your State and Federal Representatives Are
Do you know the names of your U.S. Senators or Representative and state legislators? Knowing who represents you is the first step to building a relationship with them. Elected officials are far more responsive when they hear directly from constituents in their own districts, and no one makes a more credible messenger than a physician (read more about the 2026 Congressional Advocacy Hill Day).

Identify your federal legislators.
Join Project 535, the Academy’s effort to recruit an AAO-HNS member to serve as a “key contact” for each of the 535 U.S. congressional seats (website log-in required).
Explore the AAO-HNS State Advocacy Hub to view legislative tracking by state, understand state-level priority issues, or sign up to become a State Tracker.

4. Respond to Action Alerts
The Academy’s Action Alerts are the fastest way to make your voice heard. When a critical piece of legislation needs member support (whether at the state or federal levels), the Academy sends an alert with a pre-written message you can send directly to your representatives or senators. This only takes two to three minutes, but each message amplifies the Academy's collective voice on Capitol Hill and in state capitals on issues like prior authorization reform, Medicare physician payment, and scope-of-practice protections.

Be on the lookout for communications from our Advocacy team
Follow the AAO-HNS Advocacy Team on X (Twitter) for real-time updates: @ENTAdvocacy

5. Stay Connected on ENT Connect
ENT Connect is the AAO-HNS's online member community and a forum for members to stay connected with colleagues, share advocacy experiences, and engage in Academy-led discussions. Want to gauge your colleague’s thoughts on a particular advocacy topic? Post on Open Forum and get the conversation started.

6. Explore Academy Advocacy Resources
The AAO-HNS federal, state, and health policy webpages are a one-stop hub for resources you need to advocate effectively. Browse the Academy's current federal and state legislative priorities, Position Statements, comment letters, coverage policy resources, and more.

If you want to learn more about any of these efforts, contact the Academy’s Legislative Advocacy and Health Policy Teams.

_{*Contributions to ENT PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are voluntary, and all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Federal law prohibits ENT PAC from accepting contributions from foreign nationals. By law, if your contributions are made using a personal check or credit card, ENT PAC may use your contribution only to support candidates in federal elections. All corporate contributions to ENT PAC will be used for educational and administrative fees of ENT PAC, and other activities permissible under federal law. Federal law requires ENT PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.}