Health and Human Services bill has been passed

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suebear

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I'm just passing along information regarding the Health and Human Services Bill and the fact that it passed the House! That's rather exciting if you ask me. :clap: Moderators please feel free to move it to another location if needed.. I left the email in it's entirety as I did not know what else to do. I'm guessing that all persons other than those in Iowa can get involved with this issue and help pass it along to the next phase which is where it takes place for voting in the Senate so it can become law and help everyone who has Epilepsy. I'm still learning how the bill process works but I'm learning very fast as this is a very important issue because it will help so many people. As I learn more about it from D.C. I will keep you up to date.
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Dear Iowa Epilepsy Advocates,
 
The House has passed the Health and Human Services budget bill!

The good news is that the House increased their appropriation to match the Senate’s recommendation for the Epilepsy Program to $50,000. This is great progress and is a result of all your hard work. BUT there is still more work to do!  Right now, both the House and Senate are in agreement to increase our appropriation to $50,000. This is a good place to be considering some programs are being eliminated and most others are getting level funding. The reality is because of the significant cuts, nearly 70% of the budget over the last few years, we need our program funding restored to $100,000 to keep the office open and ensure epilepsy programs and services continue to be provided in Iowa.

Having said all of that, we need EVERYONE to stay engaged on this issue.  Please see the information below and contact your legislators (AGAIN) with the request below. Please make sure you THANKthem for their support thus far and reiterate our appreciation for the current increase. But let them know it does not go far enough.  The need is greater than $50,000 to ensure that ANY programs and services can be provided in Iowa.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions and THANK YOU for your efforts.  You ARE making a difference! Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your outreach and the feedback you receive. 

ACTION NEEDED:
Please contact your legislators (Senator and Representative). Ask them to speak to Senator Hatch and Representative Heaton (respectively) and ask them to restore Epilepsy Program funding to $100,000 in the HHS appropriations bill. Let them know we appreciate their efforts to increase the program to $50,000, but it is not enough to keep the programs and services available in Iowa. And as this budget bill goes to conference committee for resolution, ask them to encourage Heaton and Hatch to increase the epilepsy program appropriation to $100,000.

Remind them:
We are the ONLY program in Iowa providing epilepsy education and programs in Iowa. Providing education and services to educators, law enforcement, corrections facilities, community workplaces, social service professionals as well as individuals and families living with epilepsy.

The program saves the state thousands of dollars each year in preventing emergency room visits billable to Medicaid. It keeps people with epilepsy working and contributing to the state’s economy. Most importantly it saves the lives of people with uncontrolled seizures.

The program provides a service that would otherwise go unmet in our state
Share your personal story and why this funding is critical from your perspective.

Contact information for all legislators can be found at ww.legis.iowa.gov
Also, we need EVERYONE to email Senator Jack Hatch and Representative Dave Heaton. THANK them for their efforts to increase the program funding to $50,000 and their leadership on this issue. Tell them your personal story and tell them that although we are grateful for the increase, we need them to restore the program funds to $100,000 for the program to continue to provide epilepsy programs and services in Iowa. 

Make sure they understand what those programs and services mean to your family and loved ones. Share the points from above and remind them that this program helps the state save money. Ask that as they go into negotiations on the HHS budget that they provide more funds for program so we can continue to exist in Iowa. Make sure they know how grateful we are for their efforts, but we also need them to understand that we are in desperate need for more funds to sustain the program. We are asking them both to RESTORE funding for the program at the $100,000 level.         

Emails:
               
Senator Hatch:    jack.hatch@legis.state.ia.us

Representative Heaton: Dave.heaton@legis.state.ia.us

PLEASE SHARE this email with anyone you know in the state of Iowa who would contact their legislators and make the same request you have. Friends, family, neighbors, etc. We need a full court press. Please find at least 2 more people who can reach out to their legislators on this issue as you have.

If you have any questions, or to let us know how you did, please contact us at threase@advocacyiowa.com We need this to happen now! Call your legislators at home this weekend or send them an email. Personal calls are the MOST EFFECTIVE if you can’t meet with them in person.

THANKS ALL!
 
Even though it says IA, I am starting to think the reason for that is because I live in Iowa. With that being said, if a person lives in California, he or she can contact their state representative as they would be very well aware of this Bill. The same stands for a Representative that is in Pennsylvania or in the state of Boston. Everyone in the House is well aware of this Bill and knows what it means. Now it is up to us to make sure it passes through the Senate to better our health. Should you need information on how to contact your Representative or Senate offices, I have perform a search on Google and they appear very quickly.
 
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