NEWS: If New York Lyme bill doesn't pass this week, it's dead
New York State Senator Terry Gipson today issued the following statement urging his colleagues in the State Senate to take action during the final week of legislative session.
For Immediate Release: June 16, 2014
STATE SENATOR GIPSON URGES ACTION ON LYME IN FINAL WEEK OF SESSION
ALBANY, NY – New York State Senator Terry Gipson (D-Dutchess, Putnam) today issued the following statement continuing to urge his colleagues in the State Senate to take action during the final week of legislative session to help those suffering from the growing Lyme disease and tick-borne illness crisis facing New York State communities.
“Those suffering from Lyme and tick-borne illness have been making their voices heard, there has been legislation introduced and task forces formed – it’s time to come together and finally take action to help New Yorkers.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now stated that ten times the amount of people than previously reported are actually diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California and Vermont have taken swift action to protect doctors and ensure people with Lyme and tick-borne illness receive the care that they need.
“I have met with those suffering, their families and doctors, and it would be a great wrong for this legislative body to conclude another session without addressing this serious epidemic. I ask the people of New York to please continue to contact your state legislators to insist that we can’t wait and that they take action and enact appropriate legislation during this final week.”
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Call to action from New York Lyme activists:
New Yorkers, contact your lawmakers here:
https://www.votervoice.net/NYSCOALITION/Campaigns/36090/Respond
Those both inside and outside of New York:
1) Write letters to Newsday and to the Albany Times Union, letting these newspapers know just how important it is to pass bill #05520B. Tell them about your own experience with Lyme disease and/or associated tick-borne diseases, and share how this disease has directly impacted your life. Why? The majority of physicians who treat chronic Lyme disease in New York State have already been, or are currently being harassed/threatened by the medical disciplinary board, the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC), and THIS DIRECTLY JEOPARDIZES THE HEALTH OF ALL LYME PATIENTS WHO LIVE IN NEW YORK STATE, OR WHO RECEIVE CARE FROM NY STATE PHYSICIANS. In your letter, be sure to include a statement asking Senator Hannon to release bill #05520B from the health care committee, allowing it to be brought up for a vote.
- Newsday
(http://www.newsday.com/opinion/submit-your-letter-1.2516352)
- Albany Times Union
Thank you, Senator Gipson, for all your very hard work on behalf of Lyme Disease sufferers everywhere. Without you, there is no way this could be done! A new bill, (#S7854) was introduced in the Senate over the weekend. The Assembly has been asked to approve an amendment (bill #A7558) to the bill they previously passed unanimously to match the language in the new Senate bill. Please let the Senators know how important it is that these bills get passed.
Ok but please DONT FORGET the people who are suffering from this killing disease in ENGLAND we need help and support too. PLEASE PLEASE US TOO Thank you
Dear Lyme Attorneys, Re: NY Revisions!!
I just saw the “revised wording” of the NY lyme bill. What power power it now will codify to Office of professional management over NY doctors? I hope the lyme attorneys make sure the gutted NY bill doesn’t do more harm to docs than good. — little resemblance to Assembly’s bill that passed 133-0. If NY physicians have to continue to live in fear for treating lyme patients with their good judgement, how will NYers EVER have an adequate number of lyme literate doctors there? Will more fall through the cracks in NY without treating lyme literate doctors WILLING to practice in NY -without fear- as they see fit along with their patient. Endemic NY’s tsunami of debt and lost income in medically associated county/state long term disability payments, lost income taxes, and foreclosed home from medical debt is coming. CA and VT have passed good laws. Lives and careers are on the line. I hope you examine ramifications in NY committee “revisions.” The bill needs to free doctors from persecution for successfully treating patients, when needed, with longer term antibiotics. My question to you, if this “revised NY bill” becomes law, will it be more oppressive to a lyme treating physician??