- Please e-mail the Foundation’s Washington Representative, Philip Goglas II, at Goglas@hmcw.org and let him know that you would like to reach out to your Congressperson in this regard.
- Fill in the message below and please include your zip code in your e-mail as Phil will use this information to identify your Congressperson and their health legislation assistant.
Dear [Health LA],
My name is [NAME] and I live in [LOCATION.] As a constituent and an advocate for individuals impacted by chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) I write you today to ask you to cosponsor the Medicare IVIG Access Enhancement Act (H.R.4724). As Congress advances opportunities to improve access to home infusion for individuals that rely on Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) as a life-sustaining therapy, please ensure this community also has access to home infusion through Medicare.
[Briefly tell your personal story in 3 – 5 sentences]
As we have seen from communities that currently have access to home infusion, such as primary immunodeficiency diseases, the ability to choose the home as the preferred site of care has tremendous benefit in terms of health outcomes and overall convenience for patients. Individuals with CIDP and MMN often face mobility issues as limbs suffer nerve damage and traveling to receive an infusion presents a tremendous hardship to many patients and their families. When there are obstacles to receiving regular infusions, medical management becomes complicated and folks tend to skip scheduled infusions, which leads to progressive disability.
Many CIDP and MMN patients have access to IVIG home infusion through private insurance which allows them to lead productive and active lives. When these individuals age on to Medicare they can face disruption in their routine and suboptimal circumstances when seeking to manage their condition. Further, when the body’s immune system is depressed at the end of an infusion cycle, CIDP and MMN patients face an elevated risk of contracting illness from visiting well-traveled sites of care for their next infusion.
Please become a cosponsor of the Medicare IVIG Access Enhancement Act (H.R.4724) by contacting John Caison in the office of Congressman George Holding at 5-3032 or John.Caison@mail.house.gov. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
