(quote)
Dear friend,

I appreciate your email, and thank you for your interest in this issue.
I will forward this message to a member of my staff who will try and contact
you in regards to this issue.
Thank you again for your interest.

Sincerely,
Senator xxxx
(end quote)
Everyone should e-mail the senators. Here's how:
Refer to:
LYME DISEASE BILL SB596 http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/bills/sb/sb0596f.pdf
Please be sure that your letters reach the Senator's offices by March 8,
2005.

TIPS FOR LETTERS:

Briefly tell the politicians how Lyme disease has affected you and/or your
family. Tell the politicians we all need help! It does not have to be long
and detailed. To help them understand our situation, please include the
following information.
1. The difficulty getting a doctor to properly diagnose or treat you.
Approximately how many did you see? If you live in Maryland, did you have to
go out of state for treatment?

2. How long were you sick before getting a diagnosis? What were you
misdiagnosed with prior to a proper diagnosis?

3. Insurance problems you have had. The cost to you and your family in
dollars (estimate).

Email addresses for Maryland Senators:

[If you copy all the addresses, you can send them all at once. You can send them "blind copy." I have put parentheses before and after the list, so all you need do is copy the whole list - with the parentheses - and paste it into your "Copy to:" box on your mail form.
Your letter will arrive without the whole list of e-mails and look more personal for the individual legislator.]

([email protected]., [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], ,[email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], ,[email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected])

Please let our office know when there are other issues you feel strongly about. Hearing from caring people from across the country is very important to Senator Gxxxxxx.

If our office may be of any assistance to you or your family in the future, please don't hesitate to call upon us.

xxxxxx xxxxxx

Administrative Assistant

, can NOT proceed anyone's name ... won't send.

, John G

, Nancy J

So anyone using this list PRIOR to Ann's editing it, please just DELETE the preceding comma, and it will go smoothly.

Ann, 1st letter was a typical form letter since they don't have the staff.

2nd letter was WONDERFUL; was personalized for lyme disease topic! Way to go, you got their attention.

Please edit your list of senators; there is an error.

, John G
, Nancy J

DELETE preceding comma; it won't go as is.

Your 2nd letter below was wonderful & progress since it mentioned the lyme bill; 1st standard form letter.

If any of you use Ann's list as is, when you block copy it to BCC, just DELETE the PRECEDING COMMA in front of the 2 names I showed above.

Here is part of an article that was published today:
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/03/06/dm/eastern_shore_of_maryland/banner03.txt
(quote)
(from NewsZap.Com)
Colburn: Slots support is up

..........................

"On Thursday, Senate Bill 596 (Licensed Physicians - Treatment of Lyme
Disease - Discipline - Insurance Coverage) will be heard. This bill has two
main provisions.

"It will protect physicians who use clinical symptoms in addition to or as
well as the surveillance criteria as set forth by the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) to aid in the diagnosis of Lyme Disease. If professional
misconduct charges are levied against a physician based on a complaint from
an insurance company, pharmacy benefit manager, or health services plan, in
relation to that physician's clinical diagnosis, or treatment of Lyme
Disease, that physician will have access to the complaint and related
information prior to the hearing.

"The other aspect of the bill requires insurance companies to provide
coverage for long-term treatment of Lyme and other related tick-borne
illnesses with antibiotics or antimicrobials. The problem begins with
inadequate and inaccurate laboratory tests.
(end quote)

Thank you for your recent email regarding SB 596. I appreciate you sharing
your circumstances and views with me. As you may know the bill has been
coassigned to Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs and
Finance. I do plan to support the measure.

Thank you for sharing your views with me.

Very truly yours,

--------------
ALSO,

My aunt sent emails to all senators listed and she said that she received replys that it needed to be in the 7th district and they wanted her address (she lives in a different state).

??????????????????

Ms. Estep

Thank you for your email sharing your personal experiences and views with me. I certainly plan to support the legislation.

Very truly yours,
XXXXXXXX

Dear friend,

I appreciate your email, and thank you for your interest in this issue. I will forward this message to a member of my staff who will try and contact you in regards to this issue. Thank you again for your interest.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXXX

I also wrote my senators. No response from them either.

sigh