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Patients Against Lymphoma

 

Advocacy > ALERT:  Letter to Senator regarding CMS cuts

Last update: 11/29/2007

You can cut and paste the letter into an email directly to the aide or send it to the website form, although sending it to both places is best.

To cut: drag thru the text and press Ctrl + C (copy to clipboard)
To paste: click in text area, then press Ctrl + V (to paste text)
Remember to modify your name and other parts in [brackets] before sending 

========================================= 

Dear Senator,

I am a patient with lymphoma [or caregiver, or friend, or loved one of a person diagnosed with lymphoma]. 

I am contacting you regarding a CMS ruling that will have a devastating effect on the survival of patients with lymphomas.  The ruling is contained in CMS-1392-FC as it relates to Bexxar and Zevalin.

It is now obvious that CMS erred in its method and classifications when it set the rates for these drugs, and that if the ruling is allowed to take effect on January 1, that patients will lose an invaluable treatment option. Many renowned lymphoma experts have written that the ruling will limit or deny patient access to these highly effective treatments.  The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Lymphoma Research Foundation, The American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncologists have also stated publicly that this ruling will limit or deny patient access.  

I urge you to restore the reimbursement rates for 2007 during 2008 in order to give patients continued access to these much needed drugs and to allow CMS the time to collect fair and accurate data on which to sets the rates for 2009.

I – and the patients who needs these drugs, now and in the future – urge you to act swiftly, before this ruling takes effect on January 1, 2008.

Respectfully,

[Your name, title if desired]

 

Majority Members

 

Max Baucus (D-MT)

                         Website contact form: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue

 

John D. “Jay”Rockerfeller IV (D-WV)

                         Website contact form: http://rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm

 

Kent Conrad (D-ND)

                        Website Contact form:https://conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm

 

Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

                        Website Contact Form: http://bingaman.senate.gov/contact/types/email-issue.cfm

 

 

John F. Kerry (D-MA)

             202-224-2742

             

Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

             202-224-4843

            Website Contact Form: http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html

 

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

             202-224-5244

                        Website Contact Form:  http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/

 

Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

             202-224-6542

            Website Contact Form:            http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://schumer.senate.gov

 

Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

            202-224-4822

            Email:

            Website Contact Form: http://stabenow.senate.gov/email.cfm

 

Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

            202-224-3441

            Website Contact FormL http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/

 

Ken Salazar (D-CO)

            202-224-5852

            Website Contact Form: http://salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

 

 

Minority Members

 

Orrin Hatch ( R-UT)

            202-224-6306

            Website Contact Form: http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact

 

           

Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)

            202-224-5344

            Website Contact Form:  http://snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.Email

 

Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

            202-224-4521

            Website Contact Form:  http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

 

Gordon H. Smith (R-OR)

            202-228-5862

            Website Contact Form:  http://gsmith.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

 

Jim Bunning (R-KY)

            202-224-4343

            Website contact form            http://bunning.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

 

Mike Crapo (R-ID)

             202-224-6142

             Website contact form:            http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

 

Pat Roberts (R-KS)

           202-224-4774

            Website contact form: http://roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.EmailPat

 

John Ensign (R-NV)

            202-224-6244

             Website Contact Form: http://ensign.senate.gov/forms/email_form.cfm

 

 

 
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For all medical concerns,  you should always consult your doctor. 
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