Friday Update – June 26, 2009

Take Action! Reach out to Congress during the Independence Day recess!

June 29, 2009 through July 3, 2009 is designated as a "district or state work period" for members of Congress.  This is an opportunity for you to reach out to your Congress member in their home state! A meeting with or phone call to your Congress member or member of the staff is a way to connect and share your personal story.  It's also an appropriate time to discuss HEALTH CARE REFORM and future public policies.  The following are some important issues to consider:

• Elimination of lifetime caps on insurance coverage
• Elimination of pre-existing condition clauses
• Expansion and improvements to public programs
• Access to comprehensive, quality care and therapies
• Access to Medigap policies for ALL disabled Medicare beneficiaries
• Elimination of the 2-year waiting period for disabled Medicare beneficiaries

It's important to weigh-in on the health care reform debate.  Attending townhall meetings is a great way to be heard! Please contact your Congress member's district office and ask if or when they plan to hold town hall meetings during the recess. 

Example from Senator John Cornyn's (Senate Finance Committee) e-newsletter:

Next week I'll be back in Texas to continue my health care outreach tour. On Tuesday (June 30, 2009) I'll be joined by Sens. McConnell and McCain at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston where we will discuss health care reform with Texans.

Example for Senator Ron Wyden's (Senate Finance Committee) website:

Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings in four Eastern Oregon counties on Saturday, June 27, 2009, and Sunday, June 28, 2009. Morrow, Umatilla, Baker and Umatilla county residents are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns. Senator Wyden has been holding town halls in each Oregon county every year since 1996. The events in Irrigon, Hermiston, Baker City and Ontario are numbers 517, 518, 519 and 520 respectively

Members of Congress desire to hear from you!  Please do not pass up this important opportunity to share your story and concern.  Locate your member of Congress on the HFA website at: http://capwiz.com/hemophilia/dbq/officials/

HFA would love to hear about your interactions with members of Congress.  To share your story, please contact Kisa Carter at k.carter@hemophiliafed.org

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