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URGENT! ACTIONS NEEDED!!
The
Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act ensures
that older Americans in all states have access to
pulmonary rehabilitation treatment as a covered benefit
through Medicare. This cost-effective treatment helps
reduce the impact of COPD by helping to control or
reduce breathlessness and recondition the body.
Pulmonary rehabilitation helps people with COPD to
develop less need for medications and experience fewer
hospital stays, longer survival and a better quality of
life. On July 14, 2008 the U.S. Senate passed a critical
bill that will make life easier for millions of
Americans who suffer from serious lung disease,
including many adults on Medicare who have chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
>> Article
http://lungaction.org/join-forward.html?domain=lungusa&r=C7zlNO5qjJIj
AARP
Announces Next Steps On Medicare Bill
July 12. 2008
Earlier today,
AARP and its volunteers began reaching out to the White
House encouraging the President's signature of the bill.
AARP CEO Bill Novelli is sending a letter to the White
House asking the President to reconsider his intention
to veto given the bill's strong bipartisan support. The
White House also received more than 45,000 emails on
Friday from grassroots volunteers encouraging the
President to sign the bill today.
>> Article http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114774.php
Send
a letter to the following decision
maker(s)
regarding the MDI Transition!:
June 11, '08
Support
CDC Program to Address COPD, the Nation's 4th Leading
Killer
April 16, 2008
- Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act of 2007 (Introduced
in House) Mar
12, 2008
>>
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.621
>>
http://www.aarc.org/advocacy/
Senate
Bill S.1484 A bill to amend part B of title
XVIII of the Social Security Act to restore the Medicare
treatment of ownership of oxygen equipment to that in
effect before enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of
2005. Mar 12, 2008
>>
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.01484:
>>
http://www.aarc.org/advocacy/
HME
‘at stake’ in 2008
With the House of Representatives and the Senate eyeing
cuts to home medical equipment.
Jan
22, 08
>>http://www.hmenews.com:80/index.php?p=article&id=hm200801EbidCW
Every year, millions of
Americans suffer from serious lung disease including
many older adults who suffer from COPD. Pulmonary
rehabilitation programs are scientifically proven to
improve the health and well being of patients with COPD
and other lung diseases.
http://lungaction.org/campaign/Pulmonary_Rehabilitation_2
H.R. 3162 would amend
titles XVIII, CIC, and XXI of Social Security Act to
extend and improve the children's health insurance
program, to improve beneficiary protections under the
Medicare, Medicaid, and the CHIP program.
http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_3162.html
http://capwiz.com/vgm/issues/alert/?alertid=9749026
dclink.vgm.com
capitol.medgroup.com
www.ahomecare.org
www.washingtonwatch.com
(As stated from EFFORTS Digest)(1) Get Uniform & Complete Pulmonary
Rehabilitation Coverage
Four more legislators have signed on as cosponsors
since our last report, raising the total now to 138 - 30
Senators and 108 Representatives.That's 26% of the
entire Congress so far. The newest cosponsors are Sen
Roberts, Pat [KS], Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI], Rep
Abercrombie, Neil [HI], and Rep Boswell, Leonard L.
[IA].
(2) Eliminate the Medicare Waiting Period for the
Disabled...
A slower start, but so far, 154 US members (with
friends and families) have written 191 emails to their
Representatives, and the bill already has 18 cosponsors,
up for 11 on our last report.
(3) Expand membership in the Congressional COPD
Caucus...
The Congressional COPD caucus is an unofficial
committee of Senators and Representatives working
together to advance the causes of COPD awareness and
funding at the federal level. Currently, about 50 of the
535 members of Congress belong to this caucus. The more
members it has, the more attention COPD will get - in
Congress and throughout government. (This caucus has
been instrumental in getting FAA approval for oxygen
concentrators on board aircraft, and is pushing hard
with us to get better coverage for pulmonary
rehabilitation, etc.)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE?
It's easy! Compose & send your own emails, or use our
samples - everything you need for each campaign is on
our website:
(1) Pulmonary Rehabilitation:
http://tinyurl.com/23rw2e
(2) Disabled Waiting Period :
http://tinyurl.com/2maelf
(3) COPD Caucus:
http://www.emphysema.net/copdcaucus.htm
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