*AST URGENT ACTION ALERT *

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From www.congress.org:Members of Congress prefer to hear from their constituents by e-mail. It's faster, easier to sort and doesn't present any security risks. In order to avoid having their in boxes flooded with spam and letters from people in other states, Senators and Representatives require people e-mailing them to supply an address and other information before sending an e-mail. Because of these requirements, however, you cannot e-mail more than one of your elected officials at the same time through their Web sites.You can write them all through Congress.org however. Simply go to our registration page, and enter a valid e-mail address and ZIP code and you can register to write all of your state or federal officials at one time. We'll help you figure out who represents you in Congress and in your state government and make it easy for you to send them letters in the future with just one click.http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1114394 takes you to the article in the NEJM. This is the legislation we all talk about: coverage for our kidney patients that extends beyond 3 years! Hope you have a minute today to contact your congressmen. Thanks,RuthRuth Wilhelm Financial Coordinator/Business ManagerThe Virginia Transplant Center Henrico Doctors' Hospital Henrico, VA phone fax Ruth.Wilhelm@... Treasurer, Transplant Financial Coordinators Association Please Ask Your Members of Congress to Co-Sponsor and Support Passage of the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients ActU.S. is The Only Industrialized Nation that Offers Transplantation Without Full Coverage of Immunosuppressive Medications*Visit the NEJM Website and view the prespective entitled, Penny Wise, Pound Foolish? Coverage Limits on Immunosuppression after Kidney Transplantation* Please ask your:2 Members of the U.S. Senate to Co-Sponsor:S. 1454, Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act 1 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives to Co-Sponsor:H.R. 2969, Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act How Do I Do This? 1.) Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at ;2.) Ask to be transferred to the offices of your Members of Congress (You have 3 of them);3.) Once you are transferred, ask to speak with the Congressional office's Health Care Legislative Assistant;4.) Request or leave a message indicating that as a transplant professional, from the Member's Congressional district or state, that you strongly urge the Member of Congress to co-sponsor House bill H.R. 2969 or Senate Bill S. 1454. If you do not know the names of your 1 member of the U.S. House of Representatives or 2 U.S. Senators, you may go online to www.congress.org and there will be a site for you to enter your zip code and secure the names of your elected officials. BackgroundThe Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act currently includes 53 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 10 co-sponsors in the Senate. The House bill was introduced by Congressmen Burgess (R-TX) and Ron Kind (D-WI). The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Thad Cochran (R-MS). The legislation has broad support from all transplant stakeholders and no known opposition. For more than ten years the legislation has enjoyed bipartisan and bicameral support.