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Ask Your Senators to Support the Bleeding Disorders Community!
As you know, NHF held its Washington Days advocacy event on Capitol Hill, February 25-26, 2009. We were thrilled to have both a record number of participants—more than 300--and 40 states represented. We have already seen Congressional activity on our issues, and the time is ripe for all NHF members to contact their Congressional delegations to ask them to support our main issue: securing co-sponsors for our House and Senate lifetime caps bills.
Below is a draft letter to send to your Senators. Please add personal information, relating the two issues to yourself and your family. If one of your legislators is mentioned below as having recently co-sponsored the lifetime caps bills or signed onto the HTC funding letter, please be sure to thank them for their support.
Update on Lifetime Caps Bills since Washington Days:
Additional co-sponsors have been added to the House and Senate lifetime caps bills, both and now have bipartisan bills in both chambers.
The House members who have signed on are:
Rep. Anna Eshoo
Rep. Jason Altmire
Rep. Bob Filner
Rep. Barney Frank
Rep. Ralph Hall
Rep. Tim Holden
Rep. Steve Israel
Rep. Hank Johnson
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Dale Kildee
Rep. Jim Langevin
Rep. James McGovern
Rep. Tim Ryan
Rep. Betty Sutton
Rep. Rob Wittman
Rep. Ed Pastor
Rep. C.W. Bill Young
Rep. Grace Napolitano
In the Senate, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has joined Senators Dorgan and Snowe in co-sponsoring the bill.
Please contact Johanna Gray, NHF's Washington Representative: johanna.gray@hklaw.com or 202-419-2509, if you have any questions.
Thank you again for all of your efforts.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Please Help Raise Lifetime Health Insurance Caps
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am one of your constituents and I am affected by a bleeding disorder. This year the bleeding disorders community is seeking legislative support for several high-priority issues. I am asking you to support our issues by:
Co-sponsoring S. 442, the Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act, which phases in a minimum lifetime cap for private health insurance of $10 million during the next few years. This legislation will not increase federal spending, and will enable individuals with high-cost chronic diseases to maintain private health insurance. PricewaterhouseCoopers has completed a study on the prevalence of lifetime caps and the impact of the legislation on insurance premiums and the federal government. A copy of the report was recently sent to your office, and you can also view it here: http://www.hemophilia.org/docs/LifetimeLimitsReport.pdf
To co-sponsor S. 442, contact Mina Addo in Senator Dorgan's office: mina_addo@dorgan.senate.gov or Scott Nolen in Senator Snowe's office: scott_nolen@snowe.senate.gov.
If you have questions, please contact the National Hemophilia Foundation's Washington Representative, Johanna Gray: johanna.gray@hklaw.com or 202.419.2509.
Your support on this effort is crucial in helping ensure that all Americans, including people with bleeding disorders, have access to high-quality healthcare. I hope I can count on your support.
Sincerely,
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