2-21-11
March 8, 2011 – PACT Day on the Hill
GSRC joins the AARC with respiratory therapists, pulmonary patients and RT supporters from around the country to take part in another AARC’s Virtual Lobby Day. Before March 8th the AARC will announce a Virtual Lobby Day where we want members of Congress and their staff to hear the voices of the respiratory community loud and clear asking for Congress to support the “The Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative”.
This year starts the 112th Congress where Bills need to be reintroduced and assigned a new Bill number. We hope to have our Bill introduced before the March 8th PACT visit to the Hill. In event that we don’t you can still visit aarc.org and contact your Congressional member requesting their support on our Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative.
Our bill proposes to add respiratory therapy services as a separate Medicare Part B benefit and to permit qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory therapy services under the general supervision of a physician.
March 8th, we will once again march the Hill in Washington D.C. visiting our U.S. Congressman and Senators requesting their support on The Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative.
Help bring awareness to our U.S. Congress. Write and educate them on our profession and how there is a national increase incidence of COPD. Inform them what COPD is and that it is the 4th Chronic Disease Killer in our country. Share with them the importance of patient education on the multiple drug delivery devices these patients use and the need to extend our expertise to the community.
We have a new Congress this year and some new representation. Below is the Georgia’s U.S. Congressional representation. Take the time to find your Representative and write him. Visit the AARC web and become involved for your patient’s health.
112th U. S. Congress – GA
Senators:
Saxby Chambliss
Johnny Isakson
Representatives – District 1-13
1. Jack Kingston -10th term
2. Sanford Bishop Jr. – 10th term
3. Lynn Westmoreland – 4th term
4. Hank Johnson – 3rd term
5. John Lewis – 13th term
6. Tome Price MD – 4th term
7. Rob Woodall – 1st term
8. Austin Scott – 1st term
9. Tom Graves – 2nd term
10. Paul Broun MD – 3rd term
11. Phil Gingrey MD – 5th term
12. John Barrow – 4th term
13. David Scott – 5th term
Karen Sicard, GSRC PACT Representative
Bob DeLorme, GSRC Legislative Chair/GA Delegate6-25-09
Dear PACT Reps,
Crunch time for our Respiratory Therapy Initiative Bills HR 1077 and S343 is upon us. AARC President Tim Myers has officially launched the 435 Plan.
As you know, Congress is debating health reform legislation. The Health Reform package, emphasis on “package”, will contain far more provisions then just “health reform” which you have heard so much about. Other provisions that have absolutely nothing to do with “health reform” will be added onto the package. That is where we need to get our RT Initiative provisions attached.
The key House and Senate Committees are about to “mark-up” the health reform package. Mark up is where they will decide what is in and what is left off the package. We need the provisions of HR 1077 and S. 343 to be added to the health reform package during mark up.
The AARC has just had a conference call with the health Legislative Assistants for Congressman Ross, and Senators Crapo and Lincoln. The word from them is to “get RTs, physicians and patients to write, call their members to with this simple message”:
“Please include the provisions of HR 1077 and S 343 in the mark up of health reform.”
We urge those of you who are 435 Plan designated RTs to try to meet with your House of Representative member when he/she will be home in the district over July 4 recess (June 29-July 6). We hope most of the 435 plan RTs have been able to pair up with a patient or consumer and that both will try to meet with your member. House of Representatives district information can be found at your member’s website
We have a great deal of background information on our Initiative. If you are able to schedule a meeting, please contact Cheryl West west@aarc.org directly and she will provide you with documents. We have a more detailed Q & A on the provisions of the bills here
The key is to launch the emails and phone calls now. AARC has revised all the letters on the Capitol Connection to reflect this new drive and is contacting physician organizations and patient groups as well.
There is a very short window for us to get our message through to Congress.
As always, thank you for what you do for our profession and the patients we serve.
Karen Sicard RRT GA PACT Rep/ Frank Salvatore RRT- AARC Government Affairs
http://www.house.gov/ Let me know if you if you end up with a face-to-face meeting.http://www.aarc.org/advocacy/
» AARC Action Alerts « Hot Issues In Home Health
Let your voice be heard by
visiting Capital Connection.
