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Advocacy > ALERT:  Patients must communicate the urgency to 
our Senators and Representatives

Last update: 12/10/2007

Contact information for your Senators and Representatives

Please fax your stories and call your Senators. Ask that action be taken to ensure that invaluable therapies for non-Hodgkins lymphomas are not eliminated because of mistakes made by CMS (Medicare) 

Regarding invaluable radioimmunotherapies (RIT): "With an experience in nearly 400 patients, I have seen first-hand the positive impact this treatment has made on lymphoma patients and their families. Many patients are in remission despite little or no response to prior therapies, including bone marrow transplantation. Some patients still remain in complete remission at 10 to 14 years."  ~ Dr. Mark Kaminski

CONCISE SUMMARY OF OUR FINDINGS:

Patients Against Lymphoma reviewed the raw CMS data and made public comment when the CMS ruling was in the proposal stage on Sept 11, 2007.  ( http://lymphomation.org/CMS-RIT.pdf )

Summary of CMS errors in judgment and calculations: 

1) Misclassified cold and warm doses of Bexxar as diagnostic 
   Dr. Wahl writes:  "classifying the dosimetry or biodistribution dose of Bexxar and Zevalin as a "diagnostic scan", 
    like a PET scan, which they clearly are NOT (we already know the patients have lymphoma

2) Discriminated against RIT by not using average sales price (ASP) 
  
 "ASP ... that would reflect the entire cost of the radioimmunotherapy regimen."  (Dr. Oliver Press)

3) Used flawed claims data to calculate Mean cost - as low as 4 dollars 
    
(See PAL Letter & Letter from Dr. Wahl )

4) Includes no consumer or patient group on ruling committee 
    (based on conversation with CMS committee member)

5) Did not follow recommendations of ASCO and ASH ; ignored or disregarded     warnings about consequences to patients.
    (ASH and ASCO are respected clinical associations
See commentary by ASH)

6) Chose not to include payments to cover costs of compounding 
    
(Dr. Oliver Press)

ACTION NEEDED: Please amend the CMS ruling to restore reimbursement rates for Bexxar and Zevalin to 2007 rates during 2008.  This will allow CMS the time it needs to collect the necessary data to base reimbursement rates for 2009 on accurate data and appropriate classifications. We and the patients who need these drugs, now and in the future, urge you to act swiftly, before the ruling takes effect on January 1, 2008.  

the consequences of inaction: "I fear that these products will simply not be available for treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma after the new year since the providers will lose money with every administration of the drugs and companies making them will cease production. The payment structure proposed for 2008 w ill not produce savings to th e Medicare program in the long run, and it will certainly not ensure access to quality healthcare."  Dr. Oliver Press

Print, sign, then fax: lymphomation.org/CMSFaxFly.pdf 

Also Sign our Petition  (but only if you have not already endorsed our letter to CMS before) 


Finance Committee
Our Senators

From Senate Finance Committee (202) 224-4515 
Subcommittee on Health Care:
http://www.senate.gov/   

Focus here for now:

FOCUS HERE !!!
Ways and Means Committee

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/members.asp 

Members of the 110th Congress

Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) (Chair) *
531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
202-224-6472 
 Fax 202-224-7665
 Fax 304-347-5371 (Local Office)
WebMail: http://rockefeller.senate.gov 

Senator Orrin G. Hatch (UT) Ranking Member *
104 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-6306 
Fax: (202) 224-6331
Fax: (801) 524-4379 (Salt Lake City office)
Webmail: http://hatch.senate.gov/t 

Senator Max Baucus (Montana) *
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651
(202) 224-0515 (Fax)
webmail: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/  

Senator John Kerry (MA) *
304 Russell Bldg., Third Floor
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2742 
Fax: 202-224-8525 (DC)
Fax: 617-248-3870 (Boston office)
webmail: http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm  

Senator Mary Cantwell (WA) *
(Thank Senator Cantwell)
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
 Washington, DC 20510
 202-224-3441 
 Fax:  202-228-0514
Webmail: http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/  

Senator Charles Grassley (IA) *
135 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC
 202-224-3744
Fax: (319) 363-7179 (Cedar Rapids)
webmail:
http://grassley.senate.gov/ 

Senator Debbie Stabenow * 
Please thank Senator Stabenow!
133 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4822
Fax: 202-228-0325
e-mail:   

Senator Olympia J. Snowe (ME) *
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5344
Toll Free: (800) 432-1599
Fax: (202) 224-1946
Fax: (207) 874-7631 (State office)
Webmail:
http://snowe.senate.gov/public

Senator Mike Crapo (R - ID) *
239 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6142
Fax: 202-228-1375
webmail: http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm 

Senator Charles E. Schumer- (D - NY) **
313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Fax: 202-228-3027
webmail: http://schumer.senate.gov/Schumer  

Senator Jon Kyl (AZ) **
730 Hart Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4521
Fax: (202) 224-2207
Fax: (602) 957-6838 (Phoenix office)
webmail: http://www.kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm  

Senator Ron Wyden (OR) **
223 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-3703
(202) 224-5244
Fax: 202-228-2717
webmail: http://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/ 

Senator John Ensign (NV)
119 Russell Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6244
Fax: (202) 228-2193 (DC)
Fax: (702) 388-6501 (Nevada office)
webmail: http://ensign.senate.gov/forms/email_form.cfm 

Senator Blance Lincoln (AR) **
355 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, D.C.20510-0404
202-224-4843
Fax: 202-228-1371 (DC)
Fax: (501-375-7064 (State office)
Webmail: http://www.lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html 

Senator Ken Salazar **
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-5852
Fax 202-228-5036 (DC)
Fax: 719-542-7555 (State)
webmail: http://www.salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm 

Senator Pat Roberts (KS) **
109 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
Phone: 202-224-4774
Fax: 202-224-3514 (DC)
Fax: (785) 235-3665 (Topeka, KS)
webmail:
http://roberts.senate.gov/publict

Senator Jim Bunning (KY) **
316 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202.224.4343
Fax: 202.228.1373 (DC)
Fax: 270.881.3975 (local)
webmail:
http://bunning.senate.gov/public/i 

 

Charles B. Rangel, NY Chairman 
Washington D.C. Office
2354 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Office: (202) 225-4365
Fax: (202) 225-0816

Fortney Pete Stark, CA
WASHINGTON, DC
239 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-5065
202-226-3805 (fax)

Sander M. Levin, MI
1236 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4961
Toll Free: (888) 810-3880
Fax: (202) 226-1033 

Jim McDermott, WA
1035 Longworth HOB
Washington DC, 20515
(202) 225-3106
(202) 225-6197 Fax

John Lewis, GA
343 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3801 Phone
(202) 225-0351 Fax

Richard E. Neal, MA
2208 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 
(202) 225-5601
FAX: 202-225-8112

Michael R. McNulty, NY
2210 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, DC 20515-3221 
(202) 225-5076 
FAX: (202) 225-5077
[email protected]

John S. Tanner, TN
1226 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4714
Fax: (202) 225-1765

Xavier Becerra, CA
Washington D.C. Office 
1119 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-6235
Fax: 202-225-2202

Lloyd Doggett, TX
201 Cannon House Office Bldg.
(Independence and 1st St, SE)
Washington DC 20515
202-225-4865
Fax: 202-2253073

Earl Pomeroy, ND
1501 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2611
Fax: (202) 226-0893

Stephanie Tubbs Jones, OH
1009 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-7032
Facsimile: (202) 225-1339

Mike Thompson, CA
231 Cannon Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3311
Fax: (202) 225-4335

John B. Larson, CT
1005 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2265
Fax: (202) 225-1031

Rahm Emanuel, IL
1319 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4061
fax: 202-225-5603

Earl Blumenauer, OR
US House of Representatives 
2267 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, DC 20515 
(202) 225-4811 
Fax: (202) 225-8941 
Fax for Scheduling Requests: (202) 226-3134

Ron Kind, WI
1406 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515 
PH: (202) 225-5506
FX: (202) 225-5739

Bill Pascrell Jr. , NJ
2464 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone - (202) 225-5751
Fax (202) 225-5782

Shelley Berkley, NV
405 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone - (202) 225-5965
Fax - (202) 225-3119

Joseph Crowley, NY
2404 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202)225-3965
Fax: 202-225-1909

Chris Van Hollen, MD
1707 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5341
Fax: (202) 225-0375

Kendrick B. Meek, FL
1039 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-4506
Fax: 202-226-0777

Congresswomen Allyson Y. Schwartz, PA
423 Cannon Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
phone--202/225-6111
fax--202/226-0611

Artur Davis, AL
208 Cannon H.O.B.
Washington, D.C. 20515 
(202) 225-2665 (phone) 
(202) 226-9567 (fax) 

===

Jim McCrery, LA
242 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-2777
Fax: 202-225-8039

Wally Herger, CA
2268 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 
(202) 225-3076
Fax: 202-225-1740
or 202-226-0852

Dave Camp, MI
137 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3561
Fax: (202) 225-9679

Jim Ramstad, MN
Congressman Jim Ramstad
103 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2871
Fax: (202) 225-6351

Sam Johnson, TX
1211 Longworth Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
(202)225-4201 
Fax: 972-470-9937 (district)
[email protected]
 Fax: 202-225-1485

Phil English, PA
2332 Rayburn HOB 
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5406
Fax: 202-225-3103 

Jerry Weller, IL
108 Cannon HOB 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Phone: (202) 225-3635 
Fax: (202) 225-3521 

Kenny C. Hulshof, MO
409 Cannon Bldg. 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
phone: (202) 225-2956 
fax: (202) 225-5712 

Ron Lewis, KY
2418 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-3501
Fax: 202-226-2019

Kevin Brady, TX
301 Cannon Building 
Washington, DC 20515 
Phone: (202)225-4901 
Fax: (202)225-5524 
Email:

Thomas M. Reynolds, NY
332 Cannon House 
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5265 - phone
(202) 225-5910 - fax 

Paul Ryan, WI
1113 Longworth HOB 
Washington, D.C. 20515 
Phone: (202) 225-3031 
Fax: (202) 225-3393 

Eric Cantor, VA
329 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
p: 202-225-2815
f: 202-225-0011 

John Linder, GA
1026 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1007
Main: 202-225-4272
Fax: 202-225-4696

Devin Nunes, CA
1013 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Main: (202) 225-2523
Fax: (202) 225-3404

Pat Tiberi, OH
3000 Corporate Exchange Dr.
Suite 310
Columbus, Ohio 43231
Phone: (614) 523-2555
Fax: (614) 818-0887
DC Phone: (202) 225-5355
DC Fax: (202) 226-4523 

Jon Porter, NV
218 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-3252
Fax: 202-225-2185 

 

 
Disclaimer:  The information on Lymphomation.org is not intended to be a substitute for 
professional medical advice or to replace your relationship with a physician.
For all medical concerns, you should always consult your doctor. 
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