HI FOLKS,
First the action rquested of ALL Lyme patients across
the country.:

A) IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED:

1) IF YOU HAVE NOT CALLED AND EMAILED GOVERNOR PATAKI
SINCE SATURDAY NOVEMBER 6th, PLEASE DO SO NOW. We ask that people both call and email so as to increase
the pressure on the Governor.

TELL GOVERNOR PATAKI THAT YOU WANT HIM TO SIGN THE
OPMC REFORM BILL A4274b THIS YEAR.

EMAIL:
Click here to email Governor Pataki: http://161.11.3.75/ Scroll to the middle of the
page to send Governor Pataki an email.

CALL Governor Pataki's office:
518-474-8390

2) IF YOU HAVE CONTACTED THE GOVERNOR AFTER NOVEMBER 6TH, THEN PLEASE ENLIST EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO CONTACT
HIM. The OPMC Reform bill gives a measure of due process to all physicians, thereby protecting the
right to care of all patients.

3) HELP GET THE FLYER/LETTER BELOW TO PHYSICIANS IN
NEW YORK STATE.

Although the Governor will be influenced by requests from people across the country,
requests from NYS doctors hold particular weight ,
since they are the ones effected by the bill.

IF YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK, PLEASE GO TO THE NEAREST
HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL ARTS BUILDING AND DISTRIBUTE THIS
FLYER/LETTER.

4) PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU CAN HELP BY FAXING AND MAKING TELEPHONE CALLS THIS WEEK!!
[email protected]

B) EXPLANATION OF WHERE WE'RE AT NOW:

The battle to keep the OPMC from being able to take
away the medical licenses of our doctors has been
going on for 5 years!!

If the Governor signs the bill before the end of the year, we will have won a MAJOR political battle.

The next meeting between the Governors counsel
and the bill's sponsors will be this Friday, November
19th. .

The decision whether to veto or sign the bill could come at
that time.

Unfortunately, though, the Governor has until the end of the year to sign or veto.

BUT we have got to look at it as if every planned meeting with the Governor's staff could mean success
or failure for us. We MUST look at every minute between now and the end of the year as "do or die" time,

So please act NOW. The letter to be distributed to New York State docs is on the post below.
Thanks all,
Ellen

PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PHYSICIANS AND THEIR PATIENTS

NOVEMBER 2004

Dear Doctor,
A bill of great interest to physicians was recently passed by the New York State legislature and is about to be sent to Governor Pataki for his signature.

The OPMC Reform bill, A4274b, will provide a measure of due process to physicians in dealing with the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct,(OPMC).

Under the existing law, insurance companies, HMO's, and other physicians who may hold a grudge against you have been able to report you to the Office of
Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC)

This can be a time consuming and expensive
investigation that could cost you your reputation and license, with little legal right to defend yourself.

We are asking that you join many other physicians who
have been fighting to make the OPMC process fair.

PLEASE CALL GOVERNOR PATAKI'S OFFICE AT
(518)-474-8390.

Please keep the phone calls and emails going to the Governor. Friday is a meeting in Albany that could be the last.

Get the message out!