Urgent! Health Care Reform -- Speak Out Now!!!

[Guest guest]

Whether your child has Autism or not, healthcare reform is needed, so please

take a few minutes to voice your support. We need to get the word out about the

need for healthcare reform to include the various Autism treatments (ie

Son-Rise, RDI, ABA, Bio-Medical, etc.)...our kids are not one treatment fits

all. Healthcare reform has been the life's work of many, which is sad because it

shouldn't take the bulk of someone's life time to accomplish something so vital.

Just like ADA and IDEA, this is legislation that could have a profound impact on

those with special needs. Note: Most insurance companies don't cover any Autism

treatments, though 1 in every 150 children in the US has an Autism Spectrum

Disorder. Some Autism parents mortgage or sell their houses to pay out of pocket

for treatments (as much as $65,000 a year), eventhough they already pay high

premiums for insurance. Thank God, we do the Son-Rise Program

http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/ so

it doesn't cost nearly that much, but we do pay out of pocket.

 

I have seen this issue from various angles: as one of the uninsured (until I was

28...I now have stage 3 Kidney Disease from poor health care early in life), as

a customer service representative for a big insurance company (I left the

company because of their Enron style ridiculing of customers) and as a mom of a

daughter with Autism.

 

There have been great efforts by some in the insurance lobby to muddy the waters

with misinformation like the " death panel " lie, which even some conservatives

have debunked. We should remember Nataline Sarkisyan [RIP] age 17

http://cbs2.com/local/nataline.sarkisyan.CIGNA.2.615167.html had insurance, but

the company played God, we must never forget the lessons learned about

unchallenged power of insurance companies. A " public option " increasing their

competition would help to keep the insurance companies honest and lower costs.

The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is directly impacted by

access to healthcare. Please call (don't just email) your Congressional

Representatives http://www.house.gov/ & Senators http://www.senate.gov/ and

demand healthcare reform.

 

Note: In order to not get bogged down in misinformation that has been spread, it

should be noted that when I called a conservative congressman's office, they

said they have to educate the callers letting them know the healthcare proposals

do NOT involve covering illegal aliens, do NOT include euthanasia or death

panels, do NOT use tax dollars for abortions, etc. As to the concept of " end of

life counseling " , if a doctor told me that I was dieing and I chose to believe

him, it might be useful to have someone to talk to as I deal with some pretty

intense emotions.

 

So let's stay on message: Autism and our kids.

 

If you want to take an extra step, you can call the so-called " gang of six "

Senators who seem to have a lot of input on this issue:

 

Nelson, Ben - (D - NE) Class I

720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6551

Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact-me.cfm

 

Landrieu, Mary L. - (D - LA) Class II

328 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5824

Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

 

Wyden, Ron - (D - OR) Class III

223 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5244

Web Form: wyden.senate.gov/contact/

 

Lieberman, Joseph I. - (ID - CT) Class I

706 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4041

Web Form: lieberman.senate.gov/contact/

 

Snowe, Olympia J. - (R - ME) Class I

154 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5344

Web Form:

http://snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.Email

 

Collins, Susan M. - (R - ME) Class II

413 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2523

Web Form:

http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCollins.E\

mailIssue

 

Please forward this to anyone who might want to help!

Peace be with you!---Nicole