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Please contact your two Senators and your House Representative to ask them to support critical patient protections during the current healthcare reform effort

Background

Congress is currently debating significant changes to the healthcare system, including modifications that will impact private insurance expenses and accessibility. This debate has the potential to create many negative outcomes for individuals and families affected by chronic or costly medical conditions. If federal patient protections are ultimately removed or weakened, then many patients could be exposed to increased costs, medical bankruptcy, and lack of access to needed care or therapies.

Members of Congress need to understand that their constituents expect them to maintain and strengthen patient protections in the healthcare system. The best way to educate your two Senators and your House Representative about your needs and earn their support for patient protections is to connect with their offices and make your voice heard.

Take Action

• Inform ICA of your interest by contacting our Washington Representative Philip Goglas II at Goglas@hmcw.org. At this time, please provide Phil with your address and zip code so ICA can identify your legislators.

• Call the office and ask for the Health Legislative Assistant. You can either leave a voicemail or request their e-mail address and send them a message using the template below.

• Politely and occasionally follow up on the request. You should have an expectation that the office will respond to your specific concerns.

• If you would like to do more, you can request a brief meeting with the staff at your members’ local offices (the location information is on their websites).

Dear _______,

My name is _________ and I am a constituent from _________. I am also an advocate for the community of individuals impacted by interstitial cystitis. Interstitial cystitis is a bladder condition that usually consists of multiple symptoms. Most IC patients have recurring pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region, and urinary frequency (needing to go often) and urgency (feeling a strong need to go). IC may also be referred to as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS), and chronic pelvic pain.

As you and your colleagues consider healthcare reforms, please make sure any proposal maintains crucial patient protections that promote access and prevent financial hardships. Specifically, please continue to:

• prohibit pre-existing condition discrimination
• allow young adults to stay on family coverage until they are 26
• limit out-of-pocket costs for patients
• restrict lifetime and annual caps on benefits

[Add a paragraph of brief information about how interstitial cystitis has affected you. Tell your story.]

Thank you for your time and your consideration of this letter. I look forward to hearing from you in regards to these important protections.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]