Protect Our Care’s model for policy advocacy combines an action-oriented approach with a best-in-class communications program, an effective inside game with policymakers, and deep engagement at the state and grassroots level. Our national War Room staff (described below) work closely with our teams in 10-15 states. This model is designed to help us achieve our goals to expand health coverage, lower the cost of care, and improve equity in the health care system.
Our Approach
- Action-Oriented: In addition to our rigorous long-term planning, we also set out to win on our issues every day. We are nimble, we continually adjust our strategies and plans, and our rapid response capabilities enable us to respond effectively to new developments in the health policy landscape.
- Leading on Message, Media, and Communications: We are the communications and messaging hub for the health care advocacy community. We run tightly orchestrated, narrative-shaping initiatives that integrate the voices of policymakers with those of the people and families who are impacted by health care policies. Our earned media program has placed thousands of op-eds and clips in national, state, and local media.
- Deep Policy Expertise and an Effective Inside Game: Our team is composed of staff and consultants who have worked on numerous presidential campaigns; in House and Senate leadership; in the executive branch; and at the top think tanks and political committees. Our access to decision-makers at the highest levels of government is unparalleled.
Our State Teams
Since our founding in 2017, we have had teams in more than 25 states. They operate under the POC brand and function much like a state office or chapter. Our staff in the states are highly experienced and well-connected political and issue advocacy professionals. At the start of 2025, we have teams in thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. We have the ability to add new states quickly and seamlessly and/or to expand the scope of work of the current state teams. Our state teams are desked centrally by our Communications, Legislative, Research, Digital, and Organizing staff in our national War Room.
Our State Work
Federal Policy Advocacy: Our state teams support our education and advocacy work related to federal policies such as the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and the Inflation Reduction Act. They engage directly with the state and district staff of Members of Congress and plan and organize numerous events with constituents and Members.
State Advocacy: Our state teams interact regularly with state and local elected officials and other state-based advocacy organizations. We believe that our model can be particularly useful in this arena. Our specific focus will be on expanding the insulin, inflation cap, and Medicare-negotiated drug pricing to commercial markets, increasing access to affordable coverage (both Medicaid and the ACA), addressing systemic inequities in care, and reducing overall health care costs.Earned Media: We conduct an annual cross country bus tour to drive our message at the local level by connecting health care activists with each other, with the media and with their elected officials. We empower people to tell their stories and to demand a better health care system for them