Call to action!! My good friend and many like her need help! She is handicapped

[Guava Jelly]

She is incapable of using a standard wheelchair and must use a motorized one to get around.
Here is the short message she sent me.

"Medicare is going to drastically reduce the coverage of repairs to my wheelchair, or getting a new one from what I understand.
I just took action on this issue and thought you might find it interesting too. All you have to do is fill in the blanks and it will send it to your Congressman and other appropriate contacts

Snip "Medicare’s November 15, 2006
Power Mobility Reductions Must Be Postponed

Issue: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a new Power Mobility Devices (PMD) Fee Schedule and a new Coverage Policy scheduled for November 15, 2006 that drastically reduces the reimbursement and eligibility for power mobility equipment. These reimbursement reductions, as high as 35% to 40%, combined with new restrictive coverage criteria, will limit and deny access to medically appropriate power mobility to Medicare beneficiaries, especially those with severe disabilities. And while these reductions and restrictions will immediately impact Medicare beneficiaries, they will spill over to other third-party payers and create a national access problem." end snip

http://capwiz.com/medgroup/issues/alert/?alertid=908538...

If everyone could be so kind as to follow the link and fill out the info..We may be able to help those who truly need a helping hand
Thank you in advance

[nam78_two]

1. k&r/nt

[Guava Jelly]

2. thank you

[nam78_two]

4. You are very welcome :)/nt

[msgadget]

3. K & R

Thank you.

[bonito]

5. K&R Thanks. n/t

[tblue]

6. Will do. The outrage never ends, does it?

Show this to deluded Republican voters who think their guys in Washington have cut their taxes. At what price? AT WHAT PRICE?

[Guava Jelly]

7. Nope it doesn't!

[Sydnie]

8. Done - sent to all of them!!

Thanks!

[babylonsister]

9. Done and K & R! nt

[Traveling_Home]

10. Get Involved

Join ADAPT.ORG and AAPD.ORG and get involved

T

[KamaAina]

11. And all because of those scam artists you see on TV

and in your inbox, promising "Increased mobility through a power wheelchair"! They took advantage of generous reimbursement rates. Now CMS is cracking down. Never mind that people who actually have disabilities won't be able to get them, either. Better to let them rot in bed than let those scammers make off with our tax dollars. Only Halliburton is allowed to scam us out of our tax dollars!

Usage note: Your friend is a "person with a disability"; the word 'handicapped' went out with hair bands and 'Sprockets' back in the '80s.

[Pastiche423]

22. It was those friggen

Scooter commercials that started that whole mess.

It changed the Medicare rules. They said, if you can get out of your home, you don't need a powerchair. ???

Three+ years ago when I needed a new manual chair, I had been injured for 17 years. My old chair was held together w/liquid steel (metal?) and bungee cords.

Medicare DENIED my claim. I had to pay for my new (demo) chair out of my own pocket.

Medicare is fucked up!

[blm]

12. Will do

.

[april]

13. done

[nono]

14. Done

Done

[Guava Jelly]

15. this is a picture of my friend cheri and I

to sort of put a face on it.

[KamaAina]

16. I see you're in the KC area

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver has emerged as a national leader on disability issues in the House. He is a member of the new Disabilities Caucus in Congress. You may want to contact his office directly rather than through Capwiz; in all likelihood, you will not be shown the door. He's on our side, generally speaking.

[Guava Jelly]

19. I have been a missouri resident for about 3 weeks now

And I will take your advice
My friend Lives in Kansas city, Kansas

[KamaAina]

20. Kansas is known for its strong independent living movement

go figure. I just returned from a conference on rural independent living in Texas, and about one-quarter of all the attendees were from Kansas.

It is quite possible that Cheri's local Center for Independent Living is organizing against this atrocity. It's the Coalition for Independence, http://www.cfi-kc.org / .

[Guava Jelly]

21. I will forward the link to her

Thank you!!!

[midnight]

17. Here is what I wish for your friend-

Let's just recind those tax cuts, and pay for real healthcare. Not just his imaginary stuff that everyone talks about during the debates. I hope we elect adults into power who will actually be respnsible. Not just to the wealthy. Yes wealthy people deserve help,but let's be responsible, and help those who need it first.

[Megahurtz]

18. The ReThugs hate the Disabled.

That's obvious in more ways than one. We need to do everything we can to get them out of office.

[Pastiche423]

23. K & R

[Lugnut]

24. Done.

K&R

[lonestarnot]

25. Done o

[area51]

26. kick. (n/t)

[Rainscents]

27. Done!

[Keepontruking]

28. Medicare

Our problem is all the money is going to war and cutting the
money needed elsewhere for medicare, VA benefits, welfare (
the really needed welfare) WIC programs,  I mean when you own
trillions after a balanced budget it is only expected that
bushie is going to make cuts in the needy population not his
Buds pocketbooks like tax the rich more!!!!!!!!!!!!  Circus
girl

[Pushed To The Left]

29. Done! n/t

[Philosoraptor]

30. fucking chairs AND their repairs should be FREE

But of course the war comes first. I know FIRST HAND how expensive these fucking things are, and fucking over the poor and crippled must be a hobby to these assholes.