If you can be of any help to the cause - financially, phoning legislators, mailing, writing, etc., please contact Cyndi and offer your serivces.
NEWS: 05/06/05 www.lymphedema-legislation.com
Status of Legislative Initiative: CVI & Lymphedema Patient Rights Bill
The first step the Coalition is focusing on in improving coverage for lymphatic and vascular disease has begun with changes that will affect Medicare Recipients. We hope to see the Private Insurance Industry follow suit by implementing intelligent disease management guidelines using Medicare coverage as an example.
A bill to amend the Social Security Act is in the works in the office of Congressman Jon Porter of Nevada. Congressman Porter will be introducing this bill with Congresswoman Shelly Berkley also of Nevada, and Congressman David Price of North Carolina.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada and the Senate Minority Leader was gracious enough to take time with Cyndi Ortiz, President of the Coalition on May 3rd, 2005 to discuss the need to improve coverage for lymphatic and vascular disease. He will be working on assisting the Coalition in making regulatory changes to Medicare guidelines that would improve coverage for disease management of lymphatic and vascular disease.
A BIG THANKS to Carol Johnson, of LymFlo in North Carolina in her representation of the Coalition in her area. She met personally with her Congressman, David Price, and very effectively obtained his commitment to help.
LOCAL REPRESENTATION: The Coalition is looking for others like Carol, who are passionate about seeing legislation passed Federally that will assist in improving coverage for lymphatic and vascular disease management. If you are familiar with this issue, passionate about seeing this legislation passed, and you are articulate, please contact the Coalition about representing efforts in your area. The Coalition will provide you with all the information you need in order to present an effective case to your Federally elected officials. Please contact Cyndi Ortiz at 702-897-0841, or at NVLymph@aol.com if you are interested.
A message to licensed massage therapists: We have had an onslaught of inquiries regarding the latest Medicare ruling that prohibits nurses and LMTs, who are certified lymphedema therapists from treating Medicare recipients. The nurses are addressed in our bill, however LMTs are not. We are not able to address LMTs legislatively because some individual states do not have ANY licensure requirements. Unfortunately, this prevents us from address the issues affecting LMTs at all legislatively. We are however, addressing this issue with CMS. We believe that we can include LMTs in their ability to treat lymphedema patients by requesting changes to CMS regulations. We will keep you posted on how that effort proceeds.
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