[Nfbf-l] Fw: Join Teleseminar "Readying for the Vision Loss and Health Reform Endgame, " Dec 2, 2009, 3:30pm

[Patricia A. Lipovsky]

Join Teleseminar "Readying for the Vision Loss and Health Reform Endgame," Dec 2, 2009, 3:30pm
----- Original Message ----- 
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:47 AM
Subject: Fw: Join Teleseminar "Readying for the Vision Loss and Health Reform Endgame," Dec 2, 2009, 3:30pm



----- Original Message ----- 
From: AFB DirectConnect 
To: AFB Subscriber 
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 2:23 PM
Subject: Join Teleseminar "Readying for the Vision Loss and Health Reform Endgame," Dec 2, 2009, 3:30pm


        

          
      

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

For further information, contact:

Mark Richert
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 822-0833
mrichert at afb.net

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.

While an RSVP is not required to participate, please indicate your interest in participating by sending a note to that effect to afbgov at afb.net.

To date, none of the bills in play would 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.

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 2nd teleseminar to be fully prepared to successfully execute our field's vision loss and health reform endgame.


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