tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
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URGENT ACTION ALERT: Immediate Action Needed to Pass House Bill 1326 in the New Hampshire Senate
Dear Members of the Lyme Community, The New Hampshire Lyme Legislation Committee is working with state Representatives Gary Daniels and Carol Vita to pass House Bill 1326, which protects physicians' and patients' rights in the treatment of Lyme disease.
The bill came before the Senate Executive Departments and Administration (EDA) Committee last Thursday and was deadlocked in a 2-2 vote.
In the Senate, a deadlock goes to the Senate floor as ITL, or Inexpedient to Legislate, which is a recommendation to kill the bill.
However, the 300-56 vote in the House clearly demonstrates that it is possible to overturn a committee recommendation and call the original bill on the floor.
That is our plan. And it is going to require a groundswell of grassroots support to make it happen. HB 1326 will go to the full Senate NEXT WEDNESDAY. Mark your calendars!!
When we know the exact time we will send out another Action Alert. For now, we want you to understand the urgent need for action. WHAT YOU CAN DO:
I. Please contact your state Senator and ask him or her to vote Ought to Pass (OTP) when the bill comes before the Senate this week. The bi-partisan support of our bill is growing. But we need more Senators on board. Send this note to friends and family. It is critical that the Senators across the state hear from those who elected them into office, and who are the most severely impacted by this disease. Your calls have already made a difference! We urge you to set aside time to make these personal appeals.
II. Come to the State House on Wednesday. Put this on your calendar NOW! A big turn-out will have a large impact. We will send notification of the time HB 1326 will be heard as soon as we receive that information.
Member City HomePhone WorkPhone Barnes, Jr., John S Raymond 6038959352 6032716931 Boutin, David R Hooksett 6034855153 Bradley, Jeb Wolfeboro 6033872365 6032713073 Bragdon, Peter E Milford 6032712675 Carson, Sharon M Londonderry 6034342489 Cilley, Jacalyn L Barrington 6036645597 6032712642 D'Allesandro, Lou Manchester 6036693494 6032712600 DeVries, Betsi L Concord 6032716933 Downing, Michael W Salem 6032718630 Fuller Clark, Martha Concord 6032716933 Gallus, John T Berlin 6037521066 6032713077 Gilmour, Peggy Hollis 6034652336 Hassan, Margaret W Concord 6037724187 Houde, Matthew S Meriden 6035042744 Janeway, Harold W Webster 6032713041 Kelly, Molly M Keene 6033575118 6032717803 Larsen, Sylvia B Concord 6032256130 6032712111 Lasky, Bette R Nashua 6038885557 Letourneau, Robert J Derry 6032712118 Merrill, Amanda A Durham 6038682491 Odell, Bob Lempster 6032716733 Reynolds, Deborah R Plymouth 6035365553 6032713569 Roberge, Sheila Bedford 6034728391 6032712166 Sgambati, Kathleen G Tilton 6032868931 6032713074 Please be mindful of calling during Mother's Day, as we do not want to interrupt family gatherings. Today might be a perfect rainy day for calling!
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR CALLING YOUR STATE SENATOR:
"Hello, may I please speak to ________ . I am calling to ask you to support New Hampshire House Bill 1326, which will give doctors the freedom to use all of their skills and training to assist Lyme patients without fear of retribution. (You can either stop here and tell your personal story, or continue on with the script)
House Bill 1326 does NOT legislate medical care or carve out exemptions for doctors. It simply states that prescription of long-term antibiotics for Lyme patients, in and of itself, is insufficient grounds for a medical board investigation. House Bill 1326 is also a reaffirmation of the legislature's commitment to strong relationships between doctors and patients giving our physicians the freedom of choice to make Lyme-disease related treatment decisions on a case-by-case basis.
HB 1326 does NOT prohibit the board of medicine's ability to oversee physicians. Nothing in HB 1326 protects physicians who are negligent in treating patients. HB 1326 simply clarifies that the prescription of long-term antibiotics, in and of itself, is insufficient grounds for a medical board investigation. Removing this physician concern opens the door for patients to receive expanded treatment information and options, and honors patient choice.
I believe the New Hampshire House of Representatives did the right thing when they passed this bill 300-56 and trust the Senate will do the same. Please know that I am not asking you to do something that has not been done before. I AM asking you to address what has become one of our country's fastest-growing public health care threats. Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and California have already enacted legislation to protect the rights of physicians to treat Lyme disease patients with long-term antibiotics based on their clinical evaluation. In fact, the Connecticut House and Senate passed very similar legislation UNANIMOUSLY. I am asking that you now do the same for New Hampshire residents like myself.
Thank you for your time, and for paying attention to this very important public health issue."
PLEASE NOTE: If you receive positive confirmation from a Senator, indicating s/he will support HB1326, please contact the committee member that sent this note to you so we can keep our records accurate and up-to-date.
YOU CAN FOLLOW YOUR PHONE CALL WITH AN EMAIL: SAMPLE LETTER: Copy and paste the letter below OR draft your own letter and use it. Make sure you include the town you are from on the subject line.
Dear Senator ___________,
I am writing to ask you to support House Bill 1326. This bill will give New Hampshire doctors the freedom to use all of their skills and training to assist Lyme patients without fear of retribution.
We live in the state with the highest reported incidence of Lyme disease in the country. We must respond to this public health epidemic by allowing physicians in our state to provide treatment to their patients based on individualized clinical evaluation, without fear of retaliation from state medical boards. Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and California have already passed similar legislation, and Virginia, Massachusetts and Minnesota are reviewing bills with the same purpose.
Although there are two standards of care, the New Hampshire Health and Human Services website still links to only one. Like patients who suffer from other diseases, it is important that physicians in New Hampshire tell patients about all available treatment options, as required by the American Medical Association.
Too many of your constituents are refused long-term treatment in New Hampshire and must cross state lines to find Lyme-literate doctors who will treat chronic Lyme disease based on a clinical evaluation. Many of these Granite State residents, once seriously disabled by Lyme or tick-borne diseases, have seen significant improvement with long-term antibiotic treatment. It is time we support New Hampshire physicians who seek to provide treatment for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases based on their own clinical training and research of medical-based evidence.
To do so opens the door for patients to receive expanded treatment options and information, an individualized approach to care, and honors patient choice. Patients who are diagnosed with cancer, back pain, etc. actually have more treatment options available to them than Lyme patients. I believe House Bill 1326 actually extends the medical board's mission of protection to Lyme patients and the physicians caring for them and, thus, serves the public good.
Thank you in advance for giving serious and thoughtful consideration to this bill. Please know I am available to speak with you about my own story at any time.
___________________________ (your name) (your district) (your contact information) We thank each of you for your time, energy and passion, The New Hampshire Lyme Disease Legislation Committee
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Up for NH.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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