Published on American Society of Transplantation (AST) (http://www.myast.org)

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* AST URGENT ACTION ALERT *

February 2012

Please Ask Your Members of Congress to Co-Sponsor and Support Passage of the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act

U.S. is The Only Industrialized Nation that Offers Transplantation Without Full Coverage of Immunosuppressive Medications

* Visit the NEJM Website to view the article entitled, Penny Wise, Pound Foolish?  Coverage Limits on Immunosuppression after Kidney Transplantation. *

Please ask your:

2 Members of the U.S. Senate to Co-Sponsor:

S. 1454, Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act

1 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives to Co-Sponsor:

H.R. 2969, Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act

How Do I Do This?

  1. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121;
  2. Ask to be transferred to the offices of your Members of Congress (You have 3 of them);
  3. Once you are transferred, ask to speak with the Congressional office's Health Care Legislative Assistant;
  4. Request or leave a message indicating that as a transplant professional, from the Member's Congressional district or state, that you strongly urge the Member of Congress to co-sponsor House bill H.R. 2969 or Senate Bill S. 1454.

If you do not know the names of your 1 member of the U.S. House of Representatives or 2 U.S. Senators, you may go online to www.congress.org and there will be a site for you to enter your zip code and secure the names of your elected officials.

Background

The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act currently includes 53 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 10 co-sponsors in the Senate.  The House bill was introduced by Congressmen Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Ron Kind (D-WI).  The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Thad Cochran (R-MS).  The legislation has broad support from all transplant stakeholders and no known opposition.  For more than ten years the legislation has enjoyed bipartisan and bicameral support.