O n Sunday July 31, in the final minutes of the 2015-2016 legislative session, Massachusetts state lawmakers passed a measure requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for Lyme disease treatment.
Similar bills proposed in earlier years had been stopped in their tracks without getting very far. The road to this groundbreaking event was not smooth, but instead fraught with political twists and turns. Passing this law was the culmination of meticulous collaboration among legislators, Lyme disease advocates, and the Lyme patient community in Massachusetts. In fact, the foundation was laid years before, as advocates began the painstaking process of educating legislators about the complex issues facing people with Lyme disease.
A key player was Representative David Linsky, father of a son who had contracted Lyme disease in high school. Linsky had first-hand knowledge of how devastating the disease can be and understood the financial toll it takes on families. As a legislator, he also heard from many constituents affected by Lyme and other tick-borne infections. In 2011, the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, of which he is chair, called for the formation of a state commission to look into the problem…… Join or login below to continue reading.
You must be a LymeDisease.org member to access this content.
If you are already a member, log in below. Otherwise, become a member today to access the full content of this article and the full library of Lyme Times articles.
* Physician Directory Memberships do not have access to the Lyme Times.