Fwd: Baltimore Friends, Please help Cancer patients now...

Please read to the bottom of this message ...

Best regards,
Jay
mobile (443) 514-5959


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Delegate Saqib Ali <delegate@saqibali.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 12, 2008
Subject: Baltimore Friends, Please help Cancer patients now...

Dear Baltimore Friends,

These days I'm working very hard in Annapolis on a number of important issues. One of the most important legislative initiatives I'm working on is House Bill 1414 which will help Maryland's Cancer patients by increasing access to Radiation Therapy. You can read a short write-up about this legislation on my blog by clicking http://www.alifordele.... (I have included the full text of that write-up below for your convenience)

At this time, I need your help in particular. One of the key players in charge of deciding weather this legislation will pass is Delegate Peter Hammen of Baltimore. He is the chairman of the committee that will be the first hurdle for this legislation to clear. Since Delegate Hammen represents Baltimore, you are uniquely positioned to influence his decision. I'm asking today that you call his office and send him an email asking him to Support House Bill 1414.

Delegate Hammen's Contact Information:
(410) 841-3772
Peter.Hammen@House.STATE.MD.US

I ask that you don't delay since this isn't an urgent matter. Please take 2-minutes to make the call and send the email right now.

In your communications to Delegate Hammen, please make sure to follow the following simple guidlines:

* Make sure to give your full name and contact information (Especially home address).
* Specifically ask that he "Support HB 1414 for the sake of Maryland's Cancer Patients by passing it out of his sub-committee"
* Write a few lines in your own words about why we need this legislation. Any personal anecdotes about cancer patients in your own family might be helpful
* Make sure to bcc Delegate@SaqibAli.org so I know that you have contacted him.

I thank you so much for your help and support. This is the right thing to do for Maryland's Cancer patients.

- Saqib

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Capital Office: 224B Lowe House Office Building, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
District Office: 12504 Degas Court, North Potomac, Maryland 20878
(301) 685-3409
http://www.SaqibAli.o...
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House Bill 1414: Patient Referrals for Radiation Therapy Services

Interesting Fact: If you are a cancer patient in Maryland, when you go to visit your private-practice Oncologist, he can administer chemotherapy to you.... but by law he or she cannot administer radiation therapy. It is strange but true.

A "self-referral" is defined as a doctor referring patients to him or herself (or to an associate from whom a financial benefit is received) for services not directly part of their own practice. Current law ban doctors from "self-referrals" for certain services because of the possibility of conflict-of-interest and over-prescription fraud. These services include MRI, CT-Scans and Radiation Therapy.

MRI and CT-Scan though are fundamentally different in one important way than Radiation Therapy. They are diagnostic tools whereas Radiation Therapy is a treatment. Radiation Therapy is a only given to patients who are known to have cancer and it has very significant side effects. MRI and CT-Scans can be given to literally anyone for almost any ailment. So the risk of over-prescription and fraud with Radiation Therapy is far less than with MRI and CT-Scan.

For this reason I have sponsored a bill House Bill 1414: "Patient Referrals for Radiation Therapy Services" that would allow Medical Oncologists to team up with Radiation Oncologists within the same office. This bill will increase the availability and accessibility of Radiation Therapy for Maryland's Cancer patients.

You can read the actual text of the bill by clicking http://mlis.state.md.....


If you are interested in participating in DEMOCRACY for Baltimore, please sign up for our LINK: http://www.dfalink.co...