Got my weekly update on the Arthritis Prevention, Control & Cure Act. Here are the new cosponsers that have been added.
Senate : http://capwiz.com/arthritis/issues/bills/?bill=9441291&c s_party=all&cs_status=C&cs_state=ALL
House : http://capwiz.com/arthritis/issues/bills/?bill=9466066&c s_party=all&cs_status=C&cs_state=ALL
For those of you that have written letters to your senators and representives keep it up!! If you don't hear back from them in a week or two keep sending letters, the more they see the information about this bill the more its going to stick in their minds and hopefully get them to cosponsor the bill. Even for those of you whose senators and representives have sponsored and cosponsored the bill send the a letter thanking them for doing so and tell them to get their fellow congressmen/women to do the same.
Thank you for keeping us informed. I just email my state's Senators and Representatives again.They make me so mad (politicians).
I did these for a couple of years and even had my local governer etc. who was doing the voting contact me saying "oh we are so very happy to support getting help".
One even said that our state rep has a loved one with inflammatory disease and is always in full support of this document vote blah blah blah.
Then when the results came out, they voted against.
I was shocked and mad.
bubba, that is really infuriating. Did you send them letters/e-mails to let them know how upset you are? Maybe if it comes up again, the vote will change.
I just sent letters to all my Senate and House reps, and copied the Chairman of the House Subcommitte on Health...because he was here in April and I got to ask him about the bill. Even though he's not my rep (he's the rep where my employer is), clearly he would have the most influence on what happens to that bill.
In my letters, I made sure to reference the statistics about arthritis growth and cost, because unfortunately it has to hit most people in the wallet before they see it as something to address. I know they get lots of bills about lots of diseases, so they need to hear why this one is different.
Here's part of what I said:
I know that the House is faced with bills on many diseases, but I urge you to move forward with this bill because arthritis is an “invisible disease” with great costs:
· More than 20% of adults in the
(there are over 100 types)
· Two thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65, and
children of any age are susceptible
· The number of arthritis sufferers is projected to increase 46% by 2030
· While many people don’t appear “sick”, they may suffer from loss of function, inability to work, inability to care for oneself, and eventually permanent damage and deformity
· Annually, arthritis results in 750,000 hospitalizations and 36 million outpatient visits
· Direct medical costs for arthritis were billion in 2003
· Rheumatologists are in short supply…people trying to get an initial appointment often have to wait months, during which time permanent damage may occur
· Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the
It will be difficult for our health system as well as our social security system to handle this rising burden, so it is critical that we act now.
Hopefully, this help them understand how big a problem it is/will be, and give them reason to act.
Write your Congressman in his district office and Cc his campaign office. Trust me when I say that once your Congressman/Senators realize this is an issue that is improtant to their voters they will take a second and third look at it.
If they don't sign on you deserve an answer as to why. I doubt any of these politicians want to stand up in front of a retirement home at a campaign event and answer that question.
and dont be surprised if they do respond that they wont sponsor it if they say that they dont sponsor "disease specific bills" I know i keep saying that but A LOT of the big guys in congress wont sponsor disease specific bills because if they do one, every other disease group (sorry cant think of big words right now) will have bills on their desks....Do i think thats right? no But i understand their standpoint on it. They may however vote for it when it comes time to do so. I dunno they all make no sense sometimes