Here is your chance to get a federal correction on the HIPAA Bill passed into law next month. Get on the phone and ask everyone you know to start calling their congressman on this Bill. If we don't get enough calls to pass this next month it is lost and has to start all over. Let's see if we have any clout.Call their local office and call their Washington office NOW!!Sput
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice President - Government Relations
jeff@mrf.org (e-mail)
November 23, 2004
#04NR44 - Bill To End Discrimination Against Bikers Passes Senate
A bill to close the current health insurance discriminatoryloophole has been passed by the United States Senate. Thislegislation, S.423 Health Care Parity for Legal Transportation,was authored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Russ Feingold(D-WI). The Motorcycle Riders Foundation would like to thankevery SMRO that raveled to Washington, DC to lobby for thislegislation since the 108th Congress began in January of 2002.Without the dedication and commitment of these individuals andorganizations, this measure certainly would not have passed.
The very last bill to pass before the Senate adjourned at 12:30AM Sunday, November 21st; this legislation will prohibit healthplans from refusing coverage based on the source of the injury.
Passage in the Senate is a huge victory, but there is still a lotof work to be done. The House of Representatives is scheduled toreturn to Washington for official business the second week ofDecember. We have a unique opportunity before us to makemotorcycling history and to make that happen, the MotorcycleRiders Foundation is issuing a call to action.
The MRF is asking every motorcyclist to call their member of theUS House and urge them to support the Senate bill, S. 423. TheSenate bill will be sent to the House when Congress reconvenes inDecember. We must gather enough support from our champions inCongress, to insure that leadership will have no choice but tobring the measure up for consideration. If our members of the USHouse do not hear from motorcyclists across the country, the billwill certainly die.
To identify your member of the US House of Representatives go to
www.house.gov/writerep, this will give you the name and contactinformation that is needed. Please take the time to call yourRepresentative. Email will not be as effective. Phoning theoffice, be it the DC office or local, is the quickest way to getthe information to the correct person.
Before you call however, please check the list of Houseco-sponsors to determine if your House member is already insupport of HR 1749, if so then it is doubly important for you andeveryone you know to call and urge their support. To determineif your House member is a supporter, use the following website,
http://thomas.loc.gov/ . From there enter HR 1749, the housecompanion bill, then click the link for "bill summary and status"and then "cosponsors".
The House companion bill (HR 1749) was introduced by Rep. ScottMcCinnis (R-CO) and Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH).
Rarely are we given a chance to make this kind of history. Pleasecall your member of the US House and ask for their support for S.423.
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Have I done that which I can do to the best of my ability?
HELL NO !! - but I'm trying.
Sputnik
