ONCE AGAIN, A CALL
TO ACTION!
YOUR PHONE CALL IS URGENTLY NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!!
DEADLINE = FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, 2009
The GBS/CIDP Foundation’s Advocacy
activities continue to be fully engaged debating and challenging
the existing and proposed changes made by Congress in the
way that Medicare pays for IVIG. As a result, many doctors
no longer provide the treatment making patient access to
IVIG very difficult. Calling and/ or writing the
offices of your local legislators can and will make a difference
especially during the month of August when Congress takes
it summer recess. It has been reported that there
is an unprecedented number of special healthcare reform
driven “town hall” meetings scheduled across
this country during the recess period. Please be sure to
check you local media sources to find out if one is scheduled
in or near your hometown and attend if you are able.
The GBS/CIDP Foundation International,
once again, needs your HELP to Fix IVIG Access and Reimbursement
Both the House of Representatives and the
United States Senate are currently debating and will continue
to debate, during these final days of July, health care
reform legislation. It is imperative
that the language in HR 2002 (House) and S.701 (Senate),
the Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act be included
in any health care reform legislation passed by this Congress.
Your voice at this critical time continues to be important
for both chambers of Congress to hear!!
In 2005, Congress changed the way Medicare pays for IVIG
and, as a result, many doctors no longer provide the treatment
- making it harder for patients to get IVIG. Also, current
law does not pay for the nursing and IV items needed for
IVIG therapy administered in the home. These serious problems
affect the entire community as an increasing number of private
pay insurers are following Medicare's lead.
To fix this problem, Representatives Israel (NY), Brady
(TX) and, Schwartz (PA) introduced HR 2002, the Medicare
Patient IVIG Access Act.
On the Senate side, to fix this problem, Senators
Kerry (MA), Alexander (TN), Wyden (OR), Whitehouse (RI)
and Brownback (KS) introduced the Medicare Patient IVIG
Access Act, S 701.
Both of these bills are critical to patients who rely on
IVIG therapy for their health, as they correct the current
problems and respond to government reports that confirmed
these problems.
Please contact your Senator's and/or Representative's office
and urge them to include S.701 and HR 2002 in any health
care reform legislation passed by this Congress. Call the
US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and request to
be transferred to your appropriate legislator’s office.
Please also send a letter!
Where
to find your U.S. Senator
Where
to find your U.S. Representative
How
to contact your Representative
TO REPEAT, YOUR PHONE CALL IS URGENTLY
NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!!
DEADLINE = FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, 2009
As before, every call is needed. Please ask
others who care about IVIG access to call as well.
HOW: To contact your senator's
or representative's office, please call 1-202-224-3121.
Say that you would like to be transferred to your senator's
or representative's office and the operator will transfer
you.
A receptionist or intern will answer the phone.
They will not be well informed on the IVIG issue and likely
won’t know what IVIG is. You may follow the script
below to leave a message for the Senator/Representative.
If you wish, after leaving the message, you may then ask
to be transferred to the health legislative assistant to
further discuss the issue or tell your story.
Calling a legislator’s office
- begin………..
Hello, my name is ________________________
and I’m from ______ (city) ______.
I’m calling to urge the senator /representative
to support the inclusion of S.701 or HR 2002, the
Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act, in the health care reform
bill.
A. For Senators - refer to the Finance Committee’s
bill S.701
B. For Representatives – refer to Energy and Commerce
bill HR 2002
S.701 and HR 2002 are critical to patients who rely on IVIG
therapy for their health. Congress changed the way Medicare
pays for IVIG in 2005 and as a result many doctors no longer
provide the treatment – making it harder for patients
to get IVIG. Also, current law does not pay for the nursing
and IV items needed for IVIG in the home. Senator Kerry’s
bill (or Representative Steve Israel’s bill) fixes
these problems and responds to government reports that confirmed
these problems.
Please let the senator/representative know
it is important to act now and make sure patients have access
to IVIG.
Your support is needed and greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much!
Sign off
_______________________________________________________________________________
(The receptionist may ask for your address
to log the call in and perhaps send a letter in response
to your message.) If you need assistance in writing the
letter, please contact the Foundation.
Special Note:
In addition to contacting your local Senators and Representatives,
please contact the sponsors and co-sponsors of S.701 and
HR 2002 in order to express your thanks for their efforts
on behalf of Americans afflicted with rare diseases who
rely on IVIG infusions in order to sustain a quality of
life which enables them to continue to function as productive
citizens.
Sponsor (s ) and Co-sponsors of S. 701.
Sponsor
John
F. Kerry (D) MA
Co-sponsors
Roland
Burris IL
Evan Bayh
(D) IN
Samuel
Brownback (R) KS
Pat
Roberts (R) KS
David
Vitter (R) LA
Harry
Reid (D) NV
Ron Wyden
(D) OR
Jeff
Merkley (D) OR
John Reed
(D) RI
Sheldon
Whitehouse (D) RI
Lamar
Alexander (R)
Sponsor (s) and CO-Sponsors of HR. 2002
Sponsor
Steve
Israel (D) NY
Co-sponsors
Raul
M. Grijalva (D) AZ
John
Boozman (R) AR
Mary
Bono Mack (R) CA
Ginny
Brown-Waite (R) FL
Robert
Wexler (D) FL
C.W.
Bill Young (R) FL
Dennis
Moore (D) KS
John
P. Sarbanes (D) MD
James
P. McGovern (D) MA
Dale
E. Kildee (D) MI
Lee
Terry (R) NE
Shelley
Berkley (D) NV
David
E. Price (D) NC
Patrick
J. Tiberi (R) OH
Jim
Gerlach (R) PA
Joseph
R. Pitts (R) PA
Allyson
Y. Schwartz (D) PA
James
R. Langevin (D) RI
Marsha
Blackburn (R) TN
Kevin
Brady (R) TX
Michael
C. Burgess (R) TX
Thank you for your support.
Patricia A. Bryant
Executive Director
Edward S. Gdula
Director of Advocacy
GBS/CIDP Foundation International
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