Re: URGENT ... Lyme Rally 12:00 Noon CT State Capitol 6/1/99

[Guest guest]

ValP74@... writes:

.... what is going on June first in CT I will try

to go but I don't even know what it is. -Val >>

Thanks for asking Val,

Of all the things we've ever done as a community ... this

may be one of the MOST important! I went to CT in February

and I saw that Attorney General Blumenthal of CT KNOWS

finally --- exactly what IS, and HAS, been going on with the doctors

and insurance companies in reference to Lyme!!

The reason he KNOWS is ..... like we always KNEW it would

have to happen ...... HIS next door neighbor and friend, a very

wealthily, well thought of, connected woman has a horrible case

of Lyme disease. hmmmm! How about that?

The AG had been getting THOUSANDS of calls thanks to Montes.

You may have heard nominate him for an award from the LDF for

his profound efforts??

What did was -- at his own expense he put

out flyers asking people if they, or someone they knew, had Lyme and

felt that their doctors and insurance companies were NOT concerned enough

about their well being and THEN he put AG Blumenthal phone number on the

flyer!!!!!! Did I mention did not ask permission to do this? LOL?

That was over a year ago when the AG started getting a huge education

about Lyme disease. THEN -- his friend and neighbor got sick and had

difficulty with doctors and insurance and that's what really made the public

meeting happen 2/24/99.

OK, sorry this is taking so long to get through. To bring you up to

what is

happening now and why this rally is so important.

Attorney General Blumenthal is being totally OUT GUNNED by the

powerful insurance companies Blue Cross & Blue Shield and others! They seem

to have BOUGHT off some people who managed to get CHANGE the wording of the

bill

changed to say something like " they'll pay for treatment WITH a second

opinion. "

If you haven't been to Bruce's site yet, please do so and you'll be

able

to see EXACTLY how important it is that as many as possible -- I'm feeling

much

better and will be willing to push wheel chairs ... make it there this time.

Please

fill out the site Bruce has gotten up and running so that EVEN people from

other

states can email the powers that be in CT.

Whatever happens in CT DOES effect each and every one of us from all

the other

states. CT has the highest rate of Lyme, if THEY can't get their people taken

care

of --- then we'll never be able to pull it off. If we get behind CT and they

WIN ... then

WE can do what did and notify OUR Attorney General's of each state!!

Stepping off the soap box now!

Marleen

[Guest guest]

This is what has happened and why we need to jump on the bandwagon.

This bill was introduced by AG Blumenthal and this is what happened

to it. We can still change what will happen next if we all help.

Bill #5694, House calendar #221 was originally to force insurance

companies to provide you coverage for treatment if your primary care

doctor diagnoses you with Lyme.

The Insurance and Real Estate Committee changed the language

so that both your doctor and an " independent health

care provider " need to diagnose you with Lyme and that they must believe

you would benefit from the treatment. This weakens the bill

substantially:

* Who is this independent doctor supposed to be and who picks them- a

doctor paid by the insurance company? If I pick them will the insurance

company consider them independent?

* Will this independent person we as qualified as your doctor - doesn't

your doctor know best how to treat you, especially if you are going to a

Lyme specialist?

* the language was supposedly changed to protect insurance companies

from over-treatment - this is a joke - hundreds of residents are

suffering from under-treatment!

* No such second opinion is required for much of the Lyme treatment now

covered and paid by insurance companies. This bill would be a boon to

the insurance industry, as they could now raise this requirement for all

treatments, which would result in delayed treatment and greater cost to

the patient. This is not just unhelpful, it is dangerous.

The original Bill would have provided great protection for Connecticut

citizens. We have the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the

country. Large national insurance companies have the resources to fight

a disease that is largely local to this area. Lyme patients today have

few rights in getting the care they need. Our legislators need to

change the language in this bill, and I ask you to call them to support

this.

Sincerely,

Bruce

[Guest guest]

Marleen thanks for the info. What is the address of Bruces site?

[Guest guest]

ValP74@... writes:

<< What is the address of Bruces site? >>

Lyme Political Action: Make your voice heard!

http://www.netcom.com/~fletch14/LymePAC.html

Go to Hartford on June 1st for the Lyme Rally!

This is what I sent at Bruce's site and I've heard

back from two people already:

I am writing to ask you to bring the Lyme Bill #5694 to the House and Senate

Floors for a vote. While the bill language needs to be modified by deleting

the

reference to a required second opinion before the insurance company must

provide

coverage. Lyme Disease has affected over 100,000 Connecticut residents, and

many

thousands of these have become chronic cases. Insurers have set arbitrary

limits on

how long they will provide treatment, which is contrary to the expert

opinions of their

doctors, and contrary to scientific evidence on the disease.

I am not asking you to practice medicine, but to allow MY doctor to decide on

the required treatment. Many Connecticut doctors have become proficient in

treating the disease, and are more experienced than the insurance companies.

Insurers have denied many many claims, and have blood on their hands for

their unethical behavior. They have also caused the financial

ruin of many Connecticut families who cannot afford the $200-300/day

treatments for extended

periods.

Please mandate that insurance coverage for Lyme is required, but make sure

there is NO reference to a required second opinion. Insurance companies in

the past have used this as a loophole to deny treatment by hiring paid

consultants such as doctor Shoen, Sigal, and Steere.

If the language of the Lyme Bill is included into the Managed Care bill

(#7032), make sure that you have a back-up plan to bring the Lyme Bill to the

House floor if the Managed Care Bill does not pass.

We will be there for the rally on June 1, 1999, and please know that we do

KNOW exactly what is going on ----- and are watching YOU very carefully.

Someone from your family could be next to suffer from Lyme and then you'll

find out exactly what it is that we've gone through.

Thank-you,

Marleen Oetzel