2021 Legislative Conference: FAQs

When and where will the conference take place?
The 2021 AADA Virtual Legislative Conference will take place September 23-28, 2021.

What is the AADA Legislative Conference?
The AADA Legislative Conference is the specialty’s foremost meeting focused on legislative, regulatory, and political issues that affect dermatology. More than 300 dermatologists, patient group leaders, practice administrators/managers, and political insiders are expected to participate in the conference.

The conference is a unique opportunity to hear from health policy experts, discuss dermatology issues with colleagues, attend advocacy training taught by D.C. insiders, and become the trusted and influential voice your members of Congress can rely on.

The AADA Legislative Conference typically takes place in Washington, D.C. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 public health emergency in early 2021, AADA leaders made the decision that the 2021 conference will be held virtually. All U.S.-based AADA members are welcome to participate, even if they haven’t participated in the conference previously.

What are the goals of the conference?
The AADA has three main goals for the 2021 Legislative Conference:

1. Provide participants with a unique opportunity to learn about the AADA’s advocacy process and how health policy affects dermatology practices and patients every day.

2. Boost attendees’ ability to advocate on behalf of the specialty through participation in interactive training sessions.

3. Position participants as the experts on issues that are important to the specialty by providing the unique opportunity for attendees to meet with members of Congress.

How do I register?
Online registration for the 2021 AADA Legislative Conference is now open. Visit the 2021 AADA Legislative Conference page for more information. Space is limited, so register early.

What are the costs associated with attending?
There is no cost associated with participating in the 2021 AADA Virtual Legislative Conference.

What is the schedule for the conference?

• Thursday, September 23, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. Eastern
  Welcome Webinar* with Keynote Speaker Jim VandeHei CEO of Axios, Dr. Kenneth Tomecki, and Dr. Renée J. Mathur

• Sunday, September 26, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Eastern
  Overview of Legislative Asks Webinar* and Advocacy Training with Dr. Bruce Brod, Dr. Kelley Pagliai Redbord, and legislative staff

• Monday, September 27, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Local Time
  Individual State Prep Calls

• Tuesday, September 28, varying times between 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern
  Calls with members of Congress
  
  *Sessions will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing

Will participating in the conference interfere with seeing my patients?
The only part of the conference that will take place during business hours are meetings with Congress on Tuesday, September 28. We ask participants to hold the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern for these calls, as congressional calendars can change at the last minute, causing meetings to shift. All other webinars and trainings associated with the conference will take place on evenings or weekends, and will also be recorded and available for on-demand viewing.

How much do I need to know about policy, legislative process, and the legislators before coming?
You don’t need to be an expert on policy, the legislative process, or the legislators. You are meeting with legislators as an expert in dermatology and patient care. During the conference, the AADA will provide you with background materials on your legislators, a copy of the AADA legislative priorities, and a brief training on advocacy.

How do the meetings with my members of Congress work?
The AADA works with its partners to schedule all Capitol Hill meetings for attendees. We use your home and office addresses to determine who your members of Congress are and then contact their offices to schedule meetings for you.

Meetings with Congress will be held via video conference or phone, determined by the legislator’s office. You will have a chance to talk with other participants from your state to prepare prior to the meetings.

Before meeting with your members of Congress and their staffers, the AADA will provide you with specific information about legislative priorities, talking points, and other resources.

Because of the constantly changing congressional schedule, your meeting times will not be available until a week before conference. Meeting schedules are subject to change at any point before the meeting takes place. For this reason, we ask all participants to reserve 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, September 28, for congressional meetings.

How will I receive materials for the conference?
Materials for the conference, background policy information, videos, and recorded webinars will be available for participants on a dedicated conference website. In addition, the AADA Legislative Conference Web page will be updated with the agenda, and other important information, as it becomes available.

Is CME offered?
Details are still being finalized, but we plan to offer CME credits as part of the AADA Virtual Legislative Conference. More information on CME will be provided when it is available.

I have additional questions about the conference. Where do I go for more information?
Please email AADA staff at grassroots@aad.org.

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