Fight FOR--US--Access to Medical Treatment Act--Fight AGAINST--CAFTA In the House

July 7, 2005

Finally something to fight FOR---but don't forget the ongoing and very crucial battle against CAFTA (bottom)

Access to Medical Treatment Act Introduced to House of Representatives

Provided by American Association for Health Freedom on 6/27/2005

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The American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF) has been working for passage of the Access to Medical Treatment Act (AMTA) since its inception. This bill would not only guarantee consumers access to the full range of therapies, it would also protect licensed healthcare practitioners from censure and harassment for using so-called alternative therapies. Not only does the AMTA expand patients’ options, it helps ensure patients’ safety. In addition, it returns the decision-making authority to the patient, and reinforces the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship. We're proud to announce that Access to Medical Treatment Act was recently introduced in the House by Representatives Burton and DeFazio (H.R. 2792) and we expect the Senate to reintroduce it shortly. There have been changes to the bill to make it stronger. Language (taken from reimportation bills) names the countries that the medical treatment may come from (Section 3.4) and are as follows: a member country of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. We will have to prepare for significant opposition from organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Federation of State Medical Boards, and others. To counteract that opposition and to help build awareness of this crucial bill, we will be contacting other organizations to endorse the bill as well as healthcare practitioners. We have created a strong AMTA presence on our website (visit www.healthfreedom.net/AMTA/default.asp and have developed a cohesive strategy to raise awareness of AMTA and to encourage Congressional support. But we can't do it alone. Please visit our website, read about the bill and take action. Contact your representatives. Tell your friends about the bill. If you’re an organization or healthcare professional contact AAHF (office) and let us know that you endorse AMTA. Additionally, if you are aware of therapies that may be covered by this bill, please let us know. Brenna HillExecutive DirectorAmerican Association for Health FreedomPO Box 458Great Falls, VA 22066703 759-0662www.healthfreedom.net

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): Your Congressperson Below is the sample letter: Support H.R. 2792, AMTA Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], Every year, Americans with severe chronic or terminal diseases and their doctors face an FDA Catch-22. Access to Medical Treatment Act (AMTA), HR 2792 would help fix this dilemma. I am writing to ask for your support and sponsorship this crucial bill. This is truly a patients' Bill of Rights. It returns the decision-making authority to the patient, and reasserts the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship. Most importantly, it gives American consumers access to the many drugs and therapies that are available to people all over the world, but which cannot be sold in the United States. Today, we have a two-tiered medical system: one track for people who can afford to fly to Germany or Italy or Canada for life-enhancing and life-saving treatments; and one track for the rest of us. As a result, we are literally encouraging a black market in such things as cancer and arthritis treatments. We are also condemning millions of Americans to a life of pain and even premature death because th means only the wealthy can afford the best healthcare. This bill contains numerous patient protections, including strict informed consent procedures. Patients must visit an authorized practitioner to access unapproved drugs and devices. Practitioners may not exceed their scope of practice or advertise unapproved drugs or devices. Information about beneficial results must be reported to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at NIH, and information about negative results must be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even one adverse event will result in the unapproved product being removed from the market. I believe -- and hope you agree -- that it is possible for Americans to decide if they want to use a particular therapy and that it is possible for their physicians to know if a therapy will help a patient. Americans should not be denied full access to medical treatments in their own communities when there is no evidence that an FDA unapprove Sincerely,

What's At Stake: American Association for Health Freedom believes that AMTA balances patient protection with increased freedom to select from a much wider range of products. It also returns the decision-making to the practitioner and patient, where it belongs. The bill also helps prevent the creation of a two-tiered medical system in which only the wealthiest and best-educated Americans have access to products used in other countries. By making these products available here, in a safe and controlled environment, patients will no longer fall prey to snake oil salesmen peddling unproven cures, or depend on a black market in non-FDA approved drugs. In addition, valuable information will be collected and disseminated to patients and practitioners alike. Access to Medical Treatment Act - Permits any individual to be treated by a health care practitioner with any medical treatment that the individual desires (including a treatment that is not approved, certified, or licensed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) if: (1) the practitioner agrees to treat the individual; and (2) the administration of such treatment does not violate licensing laws.. Authorizes health care practitioners to provide any method of treatment to such an individual if certain requirements are met. Requires a practitioner to report: (1) administering such treatment and discovering it to be a danger to an individual; and (2) the positive effects of an unconventional medical treatment for a life-threatening medical condition. States that nothing in this Act shall in any way adversely affect the distribution or sale of dietary supplements.

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http://www.rense.com/general66/action.htmAction Alert - CAFTANow In The US HouseBy Kent SnyderThe Liberty Committee7-7-5

Although the U.S. Senate approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) on June 30th, we still have a real chance to defeat this anti-American swindle in the U.S. House next week. The vote is expected to be extremely close. We must effectively use the limited time we have to convince House members to say "no" to CAFTA. But it won't be easy. The upcoming vote on CAFTA promises a replay of the mafia-style tactics used to coerce votes from reluctant House members on the Medicare prescription-drug bill. Already, arms are being twisted; deals and pork payoffs are being made (with your tax dollars); political threats have been issued -- and that's only the beginning. When the 15-minute vote on CAFTA finally takes place, expect the House leadership to hold the vote open for hours if necessary. Remember, the vote on the Medicare bill wasn't even begun until 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and after the usual 15-minute time limit, the House had rejected the Medicare bill! So the leadership held the vote open for nearly three hours more until a few sleep-deprived, bleary-eyed members could be pressured into changing their votes from "no" to "yes." We saw our elected "public servants" in action during the Medicare battle. We must be prepared for the same ugly tactics during the CAFTA vote. Every credible source in Washington agrees: CAFTA will be decided by as little as three or four votes -- just like the Medicare bill was. That means every single member's vote counts and now is a good time for you to act. Why? Because your House member is away from the Washington pressure cooker, back home with you in the district for a week-long recess. Instead of calling your U.S. representative's D.C. office, call his district office. Press him to publicly announce his opposition to the sovereignty-busting, bogus "free trade" agreement, CAFTA. Better yet, attend a function in your congressional district and speak with him in person. Remember, CAFTA is NAFTA on steroids. We've had over a decade of costly anti-American decisions made by NAFTA tribunals to know what to expect from CAFTA tribunals. CAFTA will create another layer of unaccountable world elites who will tell America what we can and cannot do. We will issue more alerts/updates in the precious few days we have before the upcoming vote. For now, take advantage of your representative being at home and urge him to commit to a "no" vote on CAFTA. To find the telephone number of your representative's local district office, go to http://capwiz.com/liberty/dbq/officials/ . To re-read our first informative alert on the hidden dangers of CAFTA, go to http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/update06.29.05.htm . Remember, what you do matters. Your elected representative wants your vote on election day. Offices keep tallies of "for" and "against" comments from constituents -- even if elected representatives don't fully understand the issue, they count the comments. Make your voice heard! Kent Snyder The Liberty Committee http://www.thelibertycommittee.org

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