Happy New Year!
Below you’ll find exciting news on the status of the Lymphedema Treatment Act (LTA) and so much more. But first, I’d like to take a moment to thank all those who make our efforts possible.
Our Endorsing Groups, whose backing lends so much strength this effort.
Our Sponsors, who make our website and more possible – mediUSA; Solaris; JoViPak; Juzo; BSN/Jobst; LympheDIVAS; FarrowMed; and Sigvaris.
The Lymphedema Advocacy Group Board of Directors, whose members volunteer countless hours to further our cause.
And you, because constituent contact is the essential key for gaining Congressional support! Your grassroots advocacy is the driving force behind our entire effort.
Reintroduction of the Lymphedema Treatment Act is near!
In the final days before Congress broke for recess, our bill sponsor, Rep Reichert (WA), approached three other members of the House, Rep Braley (IA), Rep Blumenauer (OR), and Rep Lance (NJ), to ask them to introduce the LTA bill with him as original “co-leads.” These three members were carefully selected based on their committee assignment, party affiliation and support for the issue. Our goal is to have bipartisan support in both “committees of jurisdiction” (through which the bill must first pass).
Thanks to our State Team members in Iowa and Oregon, Reps Braley and Blumenauer have already said “yes”! Our NJ Team is still working to secure a “yes” from Rep Lance soon after Congress returns to work on Jan 6th. Once our final co-lead is secured we will be ready to introduce the bill.
NJ has introduced a state lymphedema treatment mandate!
Our NJ Team has been busy, indeed, because, in addition to their work building support for the Lymphedema Treatment Act, they also succeeded in getting a NJ state lymphedema treatment mandate introduced in 2013. A copy of this bill can be read here. If you live in NJ, please consider joining your State Team because they could really use your help.
CA insurance “Marketplace” plans begin covering compression supplies today!
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act stipulates that all new insurance policies offered in the “Marketplace” must cover certain “essential benefits.” In anticipation of the need to provide further guidelines to California insurers who would be selling plans through the exchange, the CA Department of Managed Health Care added a new section to Title 28 of the California Code of Regulations. In this new section it lists devices required to be covered, including “lymphedema wraps and garments”! You can read more detailed information about this new law, and how lymphedema supplies came to be included, here. I would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to Bob Weiss, a long-time patient advocate in CA, whose efforts have made such a difference in CA and the nation.
Join your state’s team!
This marks the first anniversary of our State Teams. We’ve reached 279 team members in 41 states, representing approximately 70 Congressional districts in the nation. It’s a great start, but we need at least one team member in each of the 435 Congressional districts. We still need to grow our teams to represent 365 more Congressional districts. Will you help us get there? If you are not already a member of your state’s team please consider joining this grassroots effort to give a voice in Congress to lymphedema patients and all who care about them. Click here to join or learn more.
Come to DC to take part in our 2014 advocacy days!
We are just beginning to plan for this year’s trip, which will be held September 7th-9th. We will announce additional information as it becomes available. Click here to read what participants had to say about our last trip.
Thank you in advance for helping us to accomplish more great things in 2014!
Heather Ferguson
Founder and Executive Director
Lymphedema Advocacy Group
www.LymphedemaTreatmentAct.org
info@LymphedemaTreatmentAct.org
