Please call your legislators in favor of HR 6331

[chris_at_lucas_RN, RN]

i received the following email text from the ana--i've already telephoned my senators and sent an email to the president. one senator changed his position to one in favor of 6331--i'm sure more than just my phone call hit his office! but there is strength in numbers, and if you are willing to take a few moments, maybe we can make a difference....

call your senators in support of hr 6331 - the medicare improvements for patients and providers act today!

h.r. 6331 would enact a number of changes to current medicare law, including: reversing a 10.6 percent reduction in medicare reimbursements for advanced practice registered nurses (aprns) and physicians that took effect on july 1; ensuring parity for mental health services under medicare; and providing incentives to aprnsand physicians to successfully implement electronic prescribing.

we need your help to ensure that support in the senate remains strong enough to override a promised presidential veto. if your senators are on the target list below, your call is especially important.

message: "i am ________, a constituentcalling to urge the senator to stay strong in support of the recently passed medicare bill (h.r. 6331) and press the president to sign the bill immediately. as a nurse, i understand that this legislation is desperately needed to ensure access for beneficiaries and provide for long overdue mental health parity in the program.

background: enactment of this critically needed legislation is within reach. unfortunately, the president is expected to veto the medicare bill this week, despite its widespread support and overwhelming passage in both the house and senate. we will need a two-thirds vote in each chamber to override the anticipated veto. those votes are expected will occur on tuesday, wednesday or thursday (july 15 to 17). if all of the current yes votes stay with us, our champions will be able to override the veto and finally enact the bill.

targets

- alaska - lisa murkowski (202-224-6665)

- alaska - ted stevens (202-224-3004)

- florida - mel martinez* (202-224-3041)

- georgia - saxby chambliss* (202-224-3521)

- georgia - johnny isakson* (202-224-3643)

- kansas - pat roberts (202-224-4774)

- maine - susan collins ( 202-224-2523)

- maine - olympia snowe (202-224-5344)

- minnesota - norm coleman (202-224-5641)

- north carolina - elizabeth dole (202-224-6342)

- ohio - george voinovich (202-224-3353)

- pennsylvania - arlen specter* (202-224-4254)

- tennessee - lamar alexander* (202-224-4944)

- tennessee - bob corker* (202-224-3344)

- texas - john cornyn* (202-224-2934)

- texas - kay bailey hutchison* (202-224-5922)

- virginia - john warner* (202-224-2023)