Health Care Reform, You, and the AARC
The AARC needs your help. Actually, we need to help ourselves through the AARC. The health care reform bill will be up for review in mid-July. Attached to it are S343 and HR1077, the "respiratory bill." We need to be burning up the phone lines, email circuits, and snail mail. While this isn't the perfect bill, it's a start. It's an open door for respiratory care to get the respect that you've all worked so hard for.
The way this works is simple. Congress will pass one bill a year dealing with health care. S343 and HR1077 will not stand on their own because of this rule, so it's being attached to the health care reform bill.
The AARC is simply asking this: Write your politicians and tell them you'd like them to support these measures. If you have patients and physicians who may be so inclined, invite them to write their politicians, too. The goal is that all 435 congressional districts support us on this. You can look on the AARC website and use the "Capital Connections" to find your politicians, or write me to find them for you.
Even though it's not the exact bill I would like, I support these measures and the AARC. It's a start, and if we never get started, then we'll never be the profession we all wish for. Do your part today. Get in touch with the AARC. It would even be a good time to join if you're not already a member. Support them on this one. If you have no luck there, let me know and I'll try to help you with information.
My best to all,
Jim Thacker, CRT, AE-C