There is a Senate Bill in Pennsylvania that was supposed to be decided on in the fall that would help people with Lyme Disease get better medical treatment, better insurance coverage, and promote much needed Lyme education, but because of the Fall election it was stalled. We now have a chance, once again, to get it passed!
But I desperately need your help! Please consider two ways below to help get this bill passed! (Note: only PA residents can help)
**We need 1000 signatures on the online petition (right now we have about 750).
**We need as many people as possible to contact their senators and representatives (call, email, mail a letter) and urge them to join Senator Greenleaf and get this bill passed.
++And we need all this done by the January 8, 2011, deadline!!!++
Below, is all the information you need to do these two things. Please continue reading! Please consider signing! Your involvement might make all the future difference for you or a loved one.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for information about the bill http://www.lymeactionpa.com/
Provisions in the bill include the following, excerpted directly from the bill: To ensure that: 1.) Physicians, insurers, patients and governmental agencies are educated that multiple standards of care exist. 2.) Physicians and other medical professionals provide patients with sufficient information about all standards of care to enable patients to make an informed choice as part of informed consent and respect the autonomy of that choice. 3.) Insurance reimbursement be provided for treatment rendered in accordance with the standard of care chosen. 4.) Pennsylvania government agencies provide unbiased information regarding multiple standards of care.
I am writing to you to ask you to support Senate Bill #1199, Lyme and Related Tick-Borne Disease Education, Prevention and Treatment Act. This bill is very important to me (or our family, our group...)
because: Personalize this by inserting a short paragraph describing the impact that Lyme has had on you, your friends, and/or family, and how the bill will address these issues.
Remember the key components of the bill are 1) to protect doctors from being sanctioned for treating lyme long-term - this should decrease the current "chilling" environment on doctors who are today afraid to even touch lyme; 2) requiring insurance coverage for the treatment plan decided upon between doctor and patient recognizing that there are multiple standards of care including ILADS and IDSA; 3) setting up a task force that will ensure education of medical professionals, schools, DNCR, and general public regarding the broad spectrum of scientific views on lyme, multiple standards of care including long-term treatment, and the importance of prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.
I am specifically asking you to contact Senator Greenleaf, the primary sponsor of the bill, and Senator Don White, the Chair of the Banking and Insurance Committee to which the bill has been assigned, requesting that this bill be considered, and asking for a public hearing.
This committee needs to know that this bill is very important to us, and necessary to the public of PA. These diseases have been growing astronomically, and the seriousness of their impact as well.
We cannot ignore them any longer - it is unconscionable that patients afflicted by these diseases are not getting access to treatment that restores functionality, and returns good health.
Science has long over-turned the dated notions that underpin the narrow, acute understanding of these diseases reflected in the practices of the majority of medical practitioners today.
Sincerely,
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
Thank you, Hens!
Posted by Starfall (Member # 26795) on :
Thanks, Hens. Done.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
Petition up to 847. Need 1000.
I don't know if people can still sign up or if it's too late. Would be worth trying though.
I know it takes multiple family members as my husband and I each signed from the same email address.
Is there anyone else we can forward this info to who would sign it?
Posted by sad1 (Member # 26837) on :
Just checking...did we make it?? I sure hope so. I'm sooo tired of argueing with doctors and insurance companies!!