The following insurance companies are counting on Sue Kelly, and supporting her financially http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/memberprofile.asp?cid=N00001020&cycle=2004&expand=F09

click on the box that says insurance, and it will expand to show all the insurance companies supporting her.

ACE INA
$3,000

AEGON USA
$3,500

AFLAC Inc
$4,000

Allstate Insurance
$1,000

American Council of Life Insurers
$3,000

American Insurance Assn
$1,000

Cigna Corp
$2,000

Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers
$7,500

Fortis Inc
$1,000

Health Insurance Assn of America
$1,500

Independent Insurance Agents of America
$9,500

Lincoln National Corp
$1,000

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance
$4,000

Metropolitan Life Insurance
$7,000

National Assn of Health Underwriters
$1,500

National Assn of Prof Insurance Agents
$4,000

National Assn/Mutual Insurance Companies
$1,500

Nationwide
$2,000

Natl Assn/Insurance & Financial Advisors
$5,000

New York Life Insurance
$4,000

Reinsurance Assn of America
$1,000


Zurich Insurance

I have CIGNA, they deemed that it was not medically necessary to treat my daughter for lyme when our OHSU center said she had less than a year to live due to an "unexplained illness". We paid for the IV out of pocket, lost all of our savings for our "old age", but five years later have a beautiful daughter. We are now going to court, but now they are trying to throw it out saying "theres no merit".
So, here they dont want to pay for antibiotic therapy for a bacterial infection....saying it was not medically necessary, now that shes better (proving it was necessary!) want the courts to dismiss our suit for benefits. How can we believe this bill would not be biased in favor of those who paid her????

I don't think that's in our best interests at all. (!!)

The Smith bill (2877) is endorsed by ILADS and has provisions for Lyme Literate Docs and research.

Thanks for the info. I agree, HR2877 seems to describe a more balanced committee membership.

I remember your story, what you went through with your daughter. I came to Lymenet in 2001 when I first had symptoms. Little did I know that the info I gathered here was going to help my son, now age 13.

Tomorrow, I am having cognitive tests run for my son, to see if there is any progress since the tests were last run 2 years ago. He has taken a lot of antibiotics this past year, since he got his Lyme diagnosis. The hospital that is doing the testing has already told us (after doing preliminary family histories) that they think he should be off of antibiotics, and on antidepressants.

Ha, they should see him now, only 2 months since the interviews! I think they would have a hard time diagnosing even mild depression. And he didn't get this far on Lexapro -- he got here on Biaxin, Plaquenil and minocycline.

Perhaps the passage of HR2877 will make it more enticing for young docs to pursue a specialty in Lyme, and doctors like Charles Ray Jones will be able to train them to take over someday.

It's worth a try.

Regards,
Shaz