On Tuesday, Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Arlen Specter (D-PA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) filed a bipartisan amendment to reduce the home health cuts in the Senate health care reform bill by nearly $5 billion. This comes on the heels of another amendment by Sen. Kerry — which passed the Senate by a vote of 96 to 0 — to prohibit any reductions in Medicare home health benefits.
National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) members are encouraged to contact their Senators to urge them to cosponsor the Kerry-Stabenow-Collins-Snowe-Lincoln-Wyden-Specter-Johnson-Gillibrand-Nelson amendment to reduce the home health cuts in the Senate's health care reform bill. Note that additional cosponsors can be added after the amendment is filed; Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) has just agreed to add his name as a cosponsor.
We’re fortunate to have Sen. Kerry’s support and leadership in this effort. Soon enough, we’ll have a new Junior Senator in Massachusetts… but in the mean time, interim Senator Paul Kirk will likely have an opportunity to weigh in as well.
Please call or email each of our senators, noting the following:
> Tell them that you work for the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston
> Thank them (particularly, Sen. Kerry) for their longstanding support and leadership in protecting home health benefits
> Urge him to continue the fight on behalf of the many thousands of patients we serve in and around the Boston area
Their contact information:
Kerry, John F. - (D - MA)
Class II
218 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Kirk, Paul G., Jr. - (D - MA)
Class I
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Web Form: kirk.senate.gov/contact/
It will take maybe 3 minutes … but the time to act is right now. You can make a difference!
Thanks very much,
Rey
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