[announce] FW: Health Reform Teleseminar Invitation, Dial-In Instructions, Presenters

[Eric Bridges]

The Healthcare Reform debate has been and continues to be quite contentious.
AFB will host a teleconference tomorrow afternoon to discuss the three
provisions  that the blind community has been advocating to have included in
healthcare legislation. ACB is pleased to be a presenter on this
teleconference. 

 

Eric    

  _____  

From: AFB DirectConnect [mailto:mrichert at afb.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 12:08 PM
To: AFB Subscriber
Subject: Health Reform Teleseminar Invitation, Dial-In Instructions,
Presenters

 


 

 

 

 


 AFB DirectConnect Letterhead
<http://www.afb.org/learn/icimage.asp?ImageID=1254> 


    

 

You are invited to-

Readying for the Vision Loss and Health Reform Endgame
A Teleseminar, December 2, 2009, 3:30pm Eastern

(Please share this widely with your networks. Call-in and additional
information below.)

For further information, contact:

Mark Richert
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 822-0833
MRichert at afb.net <mailto:%20MRichert at afb.net> 

While every effort should continue to be made now to reach out to members of
the U.S. Senate to communicate our field's health care priorities as the
Senate moves toward bringing a comprehensive health reform bill to the
Senate floor, plan on being a part of the December 2, 2009, 3:30pm Eastern,
teleseminar, Readying for the Vision Loss and Health Reform Endgame, to be
fully prepared to successfully advocate for the unique health care needs of
people living with vision loss.

To join the call, dial:

1-800-294-4202
Participant Code: 140-915.

Please dial into the teleseminar a few minutes prior to the 3:30pm Eastern
start time.

Presenters include:

Mark Richert
Director, Public Policy
American Foundation for the Blind

Eric Bridges
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind

Roxann Mayros
President and CEO
VisionServe Alliance

While it is common for bills passed by both houses of Congress to have their
frequently widely varying provisions reconciled through a conference
committee process, the health care reform debate is likely heading for a
conference process of historic proportions. Assuming that the U.S. Senate
can in fact pass its version of health care reform soon, our field needs to
understand the dynamics likely to be in play in the upcoming conference
process and how to best influence it to promote our field's health care and
vision loss agenda.

On Wednesday afternoon, December 2, 2009, 3:30pm Eastern, you are invited to
join in a teleseminar that will:

 

*	detail what the current health reform bills do and do not provide
with respect to drug label accessibility, coverage of low vision devices and
other assistive technologies, recognition of vision rehabilitation
professionals by America's health care system, and related policies; and
*	discuss the specific legislative language and strategies needed to
achieve our field's objectives in conference.

 


To date, none of the bills in play unambiguously advance the cause of
reimbursement of the services provided by vision rehabilitation
professionals, and none of the bills solve the problem of drug label
inaccessibility. Both the House-passed health reform bill and the pending
Senate legislation ensure some degree of public and private health plan
coverage for devices and other assistive technologies, but the merger of
these various provisions in conference will require considerable additional
work to be meaningful.

Historically, it is exceedingly rare for legislation to emerge from
conference with provisions included in it that have never before appeared in
any of its previous versions. However, the sheer size and scope of the
health care bills that are likely to make it to conference may present some
very useful opportunities to advance some aspects of our agenda.

Join the interactive teleseminar next Wednesday afternoon, come with
questions and comments, and help shape a strategy to achieve positive change
in health care policy for people living with vision loss.



  _____  

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