LymeNet Flash: PA Lyme bill passes in House, need your help in Senate

This is topic PA Lyme bill passes in House, need your help in Senate in forum General Support at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :

(This message was copied and pasted from another forum. Feel sure they would want all the attention they can get.)

HB 1534, which would allow doctors to treat Lyme disease and provide insurance
coverage for Lyme disease, passed the State House of Representatives today
on a 163-29 vote. Pennsylvania residents should contact their State Senator
and ask them to support this bill. Out of state individuals should also
call any or all state Senators and ask for their support.

Thanks to all those who worked hard to get this bill introduced and through
House passage again!

Call, email or write your PA State Senator:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senators_alpha\
.cfm

If in Pennsylvania, you can look up who your State Senator is by using this
link:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L

Sincerely,
Luke Halinski
Lyme Disease Society
Member, Lyme Disease Community Caucus

[This message has been edited by lou (edited 14 June 2005).]

Posted by janet thomas (Member # 7122) on :

I'm on it- Everybody take action.

Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :

Thanks, lou!

This is so important and state by state legislation seems to be the directed path.

Where have you been? Miss your voice.

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

No. 1534

Senators witrh email addresses

Find your senator Pa

[This message has been edited by treepatrol (edited 15 June 2005).]

Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :

Here are the email addresses seperated out:

I hope that helps everyone and encourages them to take the time to do this--it is really important--this is for our kids.

Linda

[This message has been edited by Linda LD (edited 15 June 2005).]

Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :

Treepatrol and Linda,

How wonderful to be able to read the bill and have the email addresses.

Thanks!

Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :

I hope everyone will write to support this bill. Here is my "out-of-stater's" reply.

I had the bill number in the subject slot, too.

Ann-OH
(quote)
The bill described below passed the Pennsylvania House recently. It is a very thorough approach to making sure my friends and relatives and yours are protected and insured decent treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

Lyme disease is the fastest-growing tick-borne disease and second only to AIDS in the number of people infected in the US. It can become chronic if not treated effectively and early enough. Attention must be paid to this dibilitating, expensive to treat, devastating disease.

Thank you for your consideration and please vote "YES" when this bill comes before the Senate.>>

HB 1534 Printer's No. 1889.

An Act establishing a task force on Lyme disease and related
maladies; and providing for powers and duties of the task force, the
Department of Health, the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, for certain antibiotic
therapies and for misconduct proceedings. (Representatives Phillips and
others)

Third consideration and final passage, June 14, 2005 (163-29) (end quote)

Posted by ArtnSoul (Member # 4561) on :

Thank you for posting this! And to all who provided the emails...

I emailed all of them!
ArtnSoul

Posted by bg (Member # 46416) on :

Remember,

copy/paste the list of ALL senators emails and put them in the BCC, blind carbon copy area.

Send this to YOURSELF, your own nickname ... this way the long list of senator's names are NOT shown and it is more personalized.

I'll email now.... Thanks for bill/email addys.

bettyg, Iowa

Posted by bg (Member # 46416) on :

PROBLEM; I copied/pasted, but LEMMOND needs to be deleted from this list since it is their WEB SITE page; not an email.

Rest should go as is. I'm back to copy someone's text without me rewriting it.

bettyg

Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :

Lemmond's fax number is:

570.820.4848

I didn't see an email address on his site.

Linda

Posted by sizzled (Member # 1357) on :

Done!

Let's get Pa. to do this!!!!

Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :

That is a WONDERFUL bill, but alittle worried about whose treatment protocols they will use as guideline. Still, PA is where I got lyme in 1991 and have written to my family and everyone I know there to write/call.

I will write a quicky email too!

Thanks for all the concise and accurate info and LINKS!
Trails

Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :

Here is the letter I emailed to my state senator.

Representative Armstrong:

HB 1534, which would allow doctors to treat Lyme disease and provide insurance coverage for Lyme disease, passed the State House of Representatives recently on a 163-29 vote.

Please support this bill when it is voted on in the State Senate.

I have had Lyme Disease for 17 years, but my doctors were unable to recognize the symptoms. The lab tests are inadequate, and the AMA guidelines for treating it are total crap.

The few doctors who are knowledgeable and willing to treat Lyme Disease run the risk of persecution from the insurance companies, due to the expense. Treatment with intravenous antibiotics can cost $1000 per week. Treatment with oral antibiotics routinely takes years.

A Lyme patient overheard a doctor telling a student, "Don't get involved with Lyme patients, you could lose your license."

There are many people with Lyme Disease who cannot get adequate treatment because their doctors are afraid to treat, or because the insurance companies refuse to pay.

This situation is appalling.
Please support HB 1534.

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

up for PA

Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :

up

Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :

up

Posted by FightFireWithWater (Member # 5781) on :

Up.

Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :

thanks Lou!

------------------
C O L O R A D O * S U P P O R T * S Y S T E M
[email protected]

Posted by Starphoenix (Member # 2402) on :

Done!

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

up

Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :

up again, when is the last day--Thursday? Or is that New York?