NEWS: Legislative hearing on Massachusetts Lyme insurance bill Nov. 13
A legislative committee will hear H. 989, requiring insurance companies to cover physician-prescribed long-term antibiotics for Lyme disease.
From the Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force:
CALL TO ACTION!
The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services has announced a hearing on H.989, An Act Relative to Lyme Disease Treatment Coverage, on Wednesday, November 13, 1:00-4:00 at the State House in Boston , Room A2. This bill will require that insurance companies cover open-ended antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease when prescribed by a physician.
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WE NEED YOUR HELP, SO PLEASE attend the hearing, send written testimony, speak at the hearing, if you are able.
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Tell them:
Where in Massachusetts you are from. Your personal story, briefly, on how Lyme has affected you or your loved ones. The cost of Lyme (personally and economically) to you and your family. This part is important, as this hearing is before the Financial Services Committee. If you were denied your physician-prescribe d treatment by your insurance company, please tell the Committee.
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If your senator or representative is also a member of the Financial Services Committee, please speak with that person before the hearing. Our elected state officials need to know that Lyme disease is serious and costly, long term treatment can be essential, and many patients are being denied this treatment by their insurance companies.
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Even if you do not plan on speaking or submitting written testimony, please come! Just your presence there sends a message that this bill is important. Let’s pack the hearing room!
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If you are planning on speaking, you will be limited to 3 minutes. Since we don’t want to put the chairman in the awkward position of having to cut you off, please prepare your remarks in advance (3 minutes is about 2 typed pages). Practice reading or reciting what you will say, and time yourself.
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We will work to organize car pools to the hearing, so stay in touch with your support group leaders and MassachusettsLyme for more details. To send your written testimony, please email it to lymebill@gmail.com or fax it to Trish McCleary at 774-241-0071.
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Signed,
The Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force
Helen Brown
Donna Castle
Janice Dey
Susan Fairbank
Sharon Hawkes
Jayme Kulesz
Trish McCleary
Sheila Statlender
Michelle Treseler
If this law passes….will this go to the federal level for ALL states and ins. companies to pay for long term Lyme disease treatment? Lyme is not just in MA…it is everywhere in the U.S. I am from MA and grew up in N.E. but didn’t know I had contracted Lyme disease probably back there until I was living in CA for over 11 years. I have been denied ins. coverage for long term Lyme treatment and have to see a Lyme literate dr. 3 1/2 hrs away and have already paid thousands of dollars out of pocket…even though I was found to be positive to have Lyme borrelliosis.
I hope to be jealous of Massachusetts.
Me too!!!!!
I have test positive Lyme for five years, in Miami, the drs, says that here cant have Lyme!!! Many drs, no tratamientos. HELP PLEASE!. Need information here.
Good luck to the The Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force!
You’re leading the way for other States; but for Canadians too, where patients and advocates are also following this closely.
Normally Canada is known for it’s caring attitude and free healthcare, but Lyme Disease is not recognized here and our country is still in serious denial. Our provincial healthcare system has overlooked and abandoned people who are suffering terribly due to tick-borne infections.
Thank you for all of your hard work increasing awareness and for helping to create real change for Lyme sufferers everywhere.
The Voigt Family –
Ontario, Canada
My husband tested positive for Lyme Bb.( 6 out of 10 bands reactive on an IgG Western Blot antibody test. Bands 18,39,41,58,66,93). He was treated with 28 days of Ceftriaxone through a PIC line. After treatment, The Dr. (Neuro) waited a few weeks and retested. The results. He still showed reactive to the original bands, and now he showed positive to another band, (23). He was prescribed 10 days doxycycline. He returned to the Neuro with the new results and was told that he will get better….But it could take a year. He returned to our primary MD, who referred him back to the treating neurologist as his symptoms are getting more frequent.
In his case, he apparently has had Lyme for at least 18 mos. prior to diagnosis. He did not recall being bitten by a tick, nor did he have a rash.Lacking a rash, we began our “journey” to find out “what” was wrong. Starting with our primary. The Dr. ordered blood work which included a Lyme test which was neg.. Perhaps it was not sent to the correct lab? OR maybe the symptoms preceded the detection in the blood work. Regardless…He was sleeping most of the day. Exhausted from going to the Post Office and getting the newspaper at the gas station. He was losing his balance, having speech difficulties, (stammering),hand tremors, memory impairment, “brain fog, and depression. Another symptom he had difficulty explaining he describes as “brain zaps”. He feels that for a few seconds he is just “not here”. My concern was a TIA. In the midst of all this, he suffered a heart attack from a blockage, and had 3 stents put in the LAD. The blockage could have been caused by this disease. So we went Dr to Dr…. MD, neuro, cardio, pyschiatrist, ENT. Many tests. Nuclear Stress test, nerve and brain tests, CT of the brain. Everything was covered medically, no problems…until there was a Lyme diagnosis. Now the insurance company does not want to pay for the nursing care he received when he had the IV treatment at home. ALOT of money could have been saved by having the original blood work sent to the right lab for a Lyme test. Then simply paying for the antibiotics and administration, thereof. Now that the diagnosis is Lyme, its almost like no Dr wants to be involved for fear of losing their license. I guess they rather pay all these Drs and hospital costs (he had to go to the ER 2xs during treatment with the PIC line. Once because the medication was infiltrated. Another because when they put a new line in he got a blood clot which went up to his shoulder. That was an overnight stay. End result??? He is still suffering. He is in need of additional antibiotic treatment. It’s reasonable to conclude that the bacteria is hiding somewhere in his brain, as most symptoms are neurological. SOMETHING has to change. There are 100’s of undiagnosed cases. Let the insurance companies pay for what will cure the patient…Or have 100’s of people, men women and CHILDREN…”crippled” physically and emotionally. Living in pain. This is a no-brainer.
My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry or what you are going through!!! But when we a Mafia, criminal medical establishment, this is what happens, over, over, over, over, and over. What can we do??? I don’t know. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762136.html http://rense.com/general19/enemy.htm over, over, over, and over again. I do hope and pray that somehow your husband can get help. There are not 100s, but millions who are in the same situation. Again, it is criminal.
My comment above needs editing…it is 1000’s of people undiagnosed and living in pain, not 100’s . Something needs to change.
Amen!!! Actually, it is multiple millions.
What’s going on in Massachusetts regarding Lyme Disease is criminal!
My Husband and my mom have it and are very sick!! These doctors think we are stupid! they dance all around Lyme Disease like we are the first ones they have spoken to regarding Lyme. They refer, refer, refer to get their kick backs!!! All these specialist are also trained not to touch Lyme disease like a hot potato. The whole process just sickens me… We are awake and documenting everything. One day they will get Lyme disease – it just hasn’t hit the “right” person yet! It’s criminal!!!
Who will be the right person? I mean George W. Bush got Lyme disease. I’ll just bet he got all the right treatment, all he needed, and probably still gets treatment if he needs it. He knows what happens, but have you heard one tiny word from him in sympathy, support, alarm. No, not one bleeping word.
I also thought of Bush when Cindy said “the right person”. The way he paused between sentences when he spoke, stumbling around, forgetting which door he entered from, that was all from Lyme.
I understand why it was kept from us when he was president, with all the national security issues. But after he left office, he could’ve been the best Lyme advocate, instead, he stood up for his insurance and pharmaceutical company cronies. Ironically, the average American is now in more danger from Lyme than terrorism.