Action Alert: Insurance Bill: PA Senate Bill 605 & House Bill 1150

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

Please contact your friends and family in PA today. I need a few

minutes of your time to help with something of dire importance to

thousands of people in Pennsylvania. There is legislation before the

PA House and Senate that needs a small amendment and approved as soon

as possible: Senate Bill 605 and House Bill 1150 requiring insurance

companies to cover Autism treatments. The legislative session is

nearing its end...we must act now! Why should you care about this?

Because one in every 150 children is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum

Disorder [ASD] (e.g., Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD),

PDD-NOS, Asperger's Syndrome, etc.), yet most health insurance

companies cover very little in terms of therapies and others

specifically exclude treatments for Autism. Autism is treatable, but

no one treatment modality works for all of those with ASD. Insurance

companies have a lot of money and lobbyists to block this legislation.

However, we have something more powerful: a clarity of purpose and a

moral imperative to help those with ASD become productive members of

society. Behavioral therapies that work for about half of those with

ASD and are included in the current language of the legislation were a

disaster for Veronika, yet relational therapies are not in the current

bills, though a significant portion of ASD children {including

Veronika} thrive using relational therapies like the Floortime, RDI,

or Son-Rise Program [which we are doing]. For more on various

treatments for Autism, you can go to:

http://www.cureautismnow.org/site/c.bhLOK2PILuF/b.1312529/k.FE2A/Treatment.htm

Here's what you can do to help, call and email your state senator

and state representative (committee members are listed at the end of

this e-mail.) Ask them to amend this bill

" by adding language to subsection section (g)(8) in House Bill 1150

and (e)(8) in Senate Bill 605 to define " Therapeutic care " to mean

services provided by licensed

or certified speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical

therapists, behavioral health specialists, relational therapy

specialists, or other therapists recommended by a licensed medical

doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist. " This provides coverage for

relational therapy, not just behavioral therapy as well as other

innovative therapies recommended by a doctor or psychologist.

 

Also contact the PA State House Insurance Committee Chairs and Vice Chair:

Majority Chair Anthony M. DeLuca

Allegheny County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=32

7205 Saltsburg Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15235

(412) 793-2448

Fax: (412) 793-7495

 

Vice Chair Dan Frankel

Allegheny County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=23

4225 Murray Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15217

(412) 422-1774

Fax: (412) 420-2011

 

Chair Nicholas A. Micozzie

Delaware County

Email http://www.repmicozzie.com/?sectionid=92 & sectiontree=92

6 South Springfield Road

Clifton Heights, PA 19018

(610) 259-2820

Fax: (610) 259-7019

 

State Senate Banking & Insurance Committee Chairs and Vice Chair

Donald White Chair

Senate District 41 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-8724

D.O. ADDRESS: 618 Philadelphia Street

Indiana, PA 15701 (724) 357-0151 E-MAIL ADDRESS: dwhite

Vice-Chair Bob Regola

Senate District 39 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6063

FAX: (717) 772-0580 D.O. ADDRESS: 512 Pellis Road

Greensburg, PA 15601

(724) 600-7002 E-MAIL ADDRESS: bregola

Minority Chair Robert J. Mellow

Senate District 22 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6481

D.O. ADDRESS: 524 Main Street

Post Office Box B

Peckville, PA 18452

(570) 489-0336 E-MAIL ADDRESS: mellow

 

If you want to know if your representative or senator is on either of

these committees, the entire list of committee members is at the end

of this email. Go to

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/session.cfm and, in the

upper right hand corner of the web page, enter your zip code or use

the County Map option to identify your state representative. Here is

a templet you can use to send to the PA State Capitol and for

newspapers. {Note: When contacting the PA State Capitol, be alert to

which branch you are contacting [House or Senate] and use the correct

bill number for that branch.

For letters to the editor: Please submit to your

local paper(s) and to the Harrisburg Patriot-News to help visibility

at the PA State Capitol. Note: Maximum word length for Harrisburg

Patriot-News is 200 words and templet including amendment is 191 words.

http://www.patriot-news.com/contact/newsroom.php

To submit a letter to the editor: letters or fax to

(717) 255-8456

Note: To be considered for publication, a letter must include the

writer's name (no initials or pen names), address and telephone

number. We don't publish copies, form letters, poetry or letters

addressed to anyone other than the editor. We routinely edit for

length, accuracy and clarity. Please limit your letter to 200 words.

Please write no more than once a month. All submissions become the

property of The Patriot-New Co. Submissions may be edited and may be

published or otherwise reused in any medium.

 

If you really want to go for it, you can find a list of the top 25

newspapers in PA at this link:

http://www.newslink.org/search/find.cfm?City= & state=PA & type=news

Here are papers in Adams, Franklin, Lancaster and York counties:

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/

http://www.eveningsun.com/letterssubmit

http://www.therecordherald.com/about_us/ Scroll to the bottom for

letters info.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/contactus

http://www.lancasteronline.com/pages/paper/intell/letter.php

http://w2.ydr.com/forms/letters.php

 

PA State House Contacts on the Insurance Committee:

Majority Chair Anthony M. DeLuca

Allegheny County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=32

7205 Saltsburg Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15235

(412) 793-2448

Fax: (412) 793-7495

 

Vice Chair Dan Frankel

Allegheny County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=23

4225 Murray Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15217

(412) 422-1774

Fax: (412) 420-2011

 

Chair Nicholas A. Micozzie

Delaware County

Email http://www.repmicozzie.com/?sectionid=92 & sectiontree=92

6 South Springfield Road

Clifton Heights, PA 19018

(610) 259-2820

Fax: (610) 259-7019

 

Vince Biancucci

Beaver County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=15

3489 Brodhead Rd.

Monaca, PA 15061

(724) 728-7655

Fax: (724) 773-7802

 

Ron Buxton

Dauphin County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=103

151 South Front Street

Steelton, PA 17113

(717) 986-1673

Fax: (717) 986-1675

 

James E. Casorio

Westmoreland County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=56

8981 Norwin Avenue

Building #1, Suite 204

North Huntingdon, PA 15642

(724) 861-0247

Fax: (724) 861-0249

 

Florindo J. Fabrizio

Erie County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=2

1216 West 26th Street

Erie, PA 16508

(814) 455-6319

Fax: (814) 455-6593

 

Michael Gerber

Montgomery County

Email:http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=148

20 East 11th Avenue

Conshohocken, PA 19428

(610) 832-1679

Fax: (610) 832-1684

 

Nick Kotik

Allegheny County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=45

1350 5th Avenue

Coraopolis, PA 15108

(412) 264-4260

Fax: (412) 269-2767

 

Kathy Manderino

Montgomery County (Part)

Philadelphia County (Part)

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=194

6511 Ridge Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19128

(215) 482-8726

Fax: (215) 482-9066

 

Jennifer Mann

Lehigh County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=132

1227 Liberty Street

Suite 202, 2nd Floor

Allentown, PA 18102

(610) 821-5577

Fax: (610) 821-6325

 

Anthony J. Melio

Bucks County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=141

3611 Green Lane

Levittown, PA 19057

(215) 943-8669

Fax: (215) 943-2434

 

Eddie Day Pashinski

Luzerne County

Email:http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=121

152 South Pennsylvania Ave

Wilkes Barre, PA 18702

(570) 825-5934

Fax: (570) 826-5436

 

Josh Shapiro

Montgomery County

http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=153

1175 Old York Road

Abington, PA 19001

(215) 517-6800

Fax: (215) 517-6828

 

Rick Taylor

Montgomery County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=151

701 Horsham Road

Suite 101

Horsham, PA 19044

(215) 441-1030

Fax: (215) 441-1036

 

Don Walko

Allegheny County

http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=20

3880 Perrysville Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15214

(412) 321-5523

Fax: (412) 321-5517

 

Edward P. Wojnaroski, Sr.

Cambria County

Email: http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=71

413 Main Street

Johnstown, PA 15901

(814) 536-9818

Fax: (814) 539-8429

 

Scott W. Boyd

Lancaster County

Email: http://www.repboyd.com/?sectionid=134 & sectiontree=134

852 Village Rd.,Municipal Bldg

P.O. Box 268

Lampeter, PA 17537

(717) 464-5285

Fax: (717) 295-7817

 

John R. Evans

Crawford County (Part)

Erie County (Part)

http://www.repevans.com/?sectionid=36 & sectiontree=36

123 Meadville Street

Edinboro, PA 16412

(814) 734-2793

Fax: (814) 734-4534

 

Robert W. Godshall

Montgomery County

Email: http://www.bobgodshall.net/?sectionid=92 & sectiontree=92

1702 Cowpath Road

Hatfield, PA 19440

(215) 368-3500

Fax: (215) 361-4220

 

Glen R. Grell

Cumberland County (Part)

Email: http://www.repgrell.com/?sectionid=99 & sectiontree=99

5521 Carlisle Pike, Suite 2-D

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

(717) 795-6091

Fax: (717) 795-6094

 

Thomas H. Killion

Chester County (Part)

Delaware County (Part)

Email: http://www.repkillion.com/?sectionid=148 & sectiontree=148

4641 West Chester Pike

Newtown Square, PA 19073

(610) 325-1541

Fax: (610) 325-1546

 

 

Bob Mensch

Montgomery County

Email: http://www.repmensch.com/?sectionid=9 & sectiontree=9

105 Memorial Drive

Schwenksville, PA 19473

(610) 287-4181

Fax: (610) 287-4182

 

 

Steven R. Nickol

Adams County (Part)

York County (Part)

http://www.stevenickol.com/?sectionid=225 & sectiontree=225

11 York Street, Suite 101

Hotel Richard McAllister

Hanover, PA 17331

(717) 633-1721

Fax: (717) 633-9295

 

Tina Pickett

Bradford County (Part)

Sullivan County

Susquehanna County (Part)

Email: http://www.reppickett.com/?sectionid=38 & sectiontree=38

321 Main Street

Towanda, PA 18848

(570) 265-3124

Fax: (570) 265-9453

 

Marguerite Quinn

Bucks County (Part)

Email: http://www.margueritequinn.com/?sectionid=9 & sectiontree=9

1032 North Easton Road

Doylestown, PA 18901-1055

(215) 489-2126

Fax: (215) 489-2129

 

Brad Roae

Crawford County (Part)

Email: http://www.reproae.com/?sectionid=9 & sectiontree=9

109 South Washington Street

Titusville, PA 16354

(814) 827-6054

Fax: (814) 878-5778

 

 

Curt Schroder

Chester County (Part)

http://www.curtschroder.com/?sectionid=40 & sectiontree=40

315 Gordon Drive

Exton, PA 19341

(610) 524-5595

Fax: (610) 524-5667

 

Mike Vereb

Montgomery County (Part)

http://www.repvereb.com/?sectionid=9 & sectiontree=9

3950 Germantown Pike

Collegeville, PA 19426

(610) 409-2615

Fax: (610) 409-2619

 

State Senate Banking & Insurance Committee

Donald White Chair

Senate District 41 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-8724

D.O. ADDRESS: 618 Philadelphia Street

Indiana, PA 15701 (724) 357-0151 E-MAIL ADDRESS: dwhite

 

Vice-Chair Bob Regola

Senate District 39 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6063

FAX: (717) 772-0580 D.O. ADDRESS: 512 Pellis Road

Greensburg, PA 15601

(724) 600-7002 E-MAIL ADDRESS: bregola

 

Minority Chair Robert J. Mellow

Senate District 22 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6481

D.O. ADDRESS: 524 Main Street

Post Office Box B

Peckville, PA 18452

(570) 489-0336 E-MAIL ADDRESS: mellow

 

Stewart J. Greenleaf

Senate District 12 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6599

D.O. ADDRESS: 711 York Road

Willow Grove, PA 19090

(215) 657-7700 E-MAIL ADDRESS: sgreenleaf

 

Gibson E. Armstrong

Senate District 13 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-6535

(800) 235-1313

D.O. ADDRESS: 44 N. Christian Street

Suite 100

Lancaster, PA 17602

(717) 397-1309

 

2997 Cape Horn Road

Red Lion, PA 17356 E-MAIL ADDRESS: garmstrong

 

Robert D. Robbins

Senate District 50 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-1322

D.O. ADDRESS: 259 Main Street

Greenville, PA 16125-2054

(724) 588-1323 E-MAIL ADDRESS: rrobbins

 

Jake Corman

Senate District 34 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-1377

D.O. ADDRESS: 236 Match Factory Place

Bellefonte, PA 16823

(814) 355-0477 E-MAIL ADDRESS: jcorman

 

John C. Rafferty Jr.

Senate District 44 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-1398

D.O. ADDRESS: 3770 Ridge Pike

Collegeville, PA 19426

(610) 831-8830 E-MAIL ADDRESS: jrafferty

 

John Pippy

Senate District 37 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-5839

D.O. ADDRESS: 937 Beaver Grade Road

Moon Township, PA 15108

(412) 262-2260 E-MAIL ADDRESS: jpippy

 

Michael J. Stack

Senate District 5 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-9608

D.O. ADDRESS: 12361 Academy Road

Philadelphia, PA 19154-1927

(215) 281-2539 E-MAIL ADDRESS: stack

 

Christine M. Tartaglione

Senate District 2 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-1141

D.O. ADDRESS: 1059-61-63 Bridge Street

Philadelphia, PA 19124

(215) 533-0440

FAX: (215) 560-2627 E-MAIL ADDRESS: tartaglione

 

Anthony H. Williams

Senate District 8 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-5970

D.O. ADDRESS: 6630 Lindbergh Boulevard

Philadelphia, PA 19142

(215) 492-2980 E-MAIL ADDRESS: williams

 

Lisa M. Boscola

Senate District 18 TELEPHONE: (717) 787-4236

D.O. ADDRESS: 559 Main Street

Suite 270

Bethlehem, PA 18018

(610) 868-8667 E-MAIL ADDRESS: boscola

 

Peace be with you!---Nicole