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Senate Finance Committee to Consider Medicare Prescription Drug Bill Tomorrow, June 12th Time is Running Out - Please FAX Messages to Members of the Senate Finance Committee Today
As reported earlier this week, the Senate Finance Committee will consider Medicare legislation on Thursday, June 12th, less than 24 hours from now! AMHCA members and others interested in this legislation are asked to fax their Senators that serve on the Senate Finance Committee NOW and ask them to support the inclusion of mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists in Medicare! We have just heard that Senators are asking that requests for support be FAXED to their offices.
Sens. Craig Thomas (R-WY) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), sponsors of S. 310, the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act, will offer an amendment to add mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to the Medicare program during Finance Committee consideration of the Senate Medicare package. We need as many Senators to support the amendment so that it is included in the final Medicare package. Senators serving on the Finance Committee need to hear from their constituents on this issue over the next 12 hours!
If you have not already participated in these grassroots efforts, please do so now. If you have already contacted your Senator, please contact them again. Take a moment of your time and participate - you FAX could change the outcome of the vote. The future of your profession depends on your action!
If your Senator serves on the Senate Finance Committee (see list below), please FAX them a short note and ask them to vote in favor of the Thomas/Lincoln amendment to add licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to Medicare. Following is a sample letter to send to your Senators and their fax numbers. Please don't forget to include your local address in your letter.
"The Honorable (First Name and last name)
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator ______:
I am writing to request your support for the Thomas/Lincoln Amendment to allow licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to be reimbursed for providing mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries. The amendment will be offered tomorrow during the Senate Finance Committee's consideration of legislation to add a prescription benefit to Medicare. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Name and credentials
Postal address
City state zip
Thank you for your help, and please ask your colleagues to help! FAX MACHINES STAY ON ALL NIGHT!
Senate Finance Committee
Republicans
Charles Grassley, Chair, IA 202-228-0554
Orrin Hatch, UT 202-224-6331
Don Nickles, OK 202-224-6008
Trent Lott, MS 202-224-2262
Olympia Snowe, ME 202-224-1946
Jon Kyl, AZ 202-224-2207
Rick Santorum, PA 202-228-0604
Bill Frist, TN 202-228-1264
Gordon Smith, OR 202-228-3997
Jim Bunning, KY* 202-228-1373
Democrats
Max Baucus, Ranking member 202-228-0554
Jay Rockefeller, WV 202-224-7665
Tom Daschle, SD* 202-224-6603
John Breaux, LA 202-228-2577
Kent Conrad, ND 202-224-7776
Bob Graham, FL 202-224-2237
Jeff Bingaman, NM* 202-224-2852
John Kerry, MA 202-224-8525
Independent
Jim Jeffords, VT* 202-228-0776
Cosponsors of S. 310 are noted with an asterisk.
If you have any questions, please contact Beth Powell, AMHCA's Director of Public Policy and Professional Issues, at 800-326-2642, ext. 105 or by e-mail at
bpowell@amhca.org
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