CT House of Rep Approves Lyme Disease Bill

House approves Lyme
disease bill
Updated: Thursday, 30 Apr 2009, 4:16 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 30 Apr 2009, 4:12 PM EDT

Story by: Mark Davis
Hartford (WTNH) - The Connecticut House of Representatives has
unanimously approved a bill designed to give doctors a freer hand in
prescribing for Lyme disease.

This bill is aimed at having Connecticut doctors join their colleagues
in New York and Rhode Island in treating the disease named for the
Connecticut shoreline town.

"The hundreds and hundreds of e-mails that I received of personal
stories of people impacted by this disease was just overwhelming,"
said Rep. Kim Fawcett (D-Fairfield).

As News Channel 8 reported earlier this month, the tick-born disease
has driven many Connecticut residents out of state for treatment
because Connecticut doctors are afraid to prescribe as much antibiotic
as they think might be necessary because the state Department of
Public Health has opposed it. But for many lawmakers, the issue
strikes too close to home.

"I come from personal experience, having suffered with Lyme disease
myself and in addition to that, two of my children have had it, one of
them twice. And in addition to that, our family dog had Lyme Disease,"
said Rep. David Scribner (R-Brookfield).

"I had no idea what, last July, was going to present to me when my
husband was diagnosed with a life threatening case of Lyme disease,"
said Rep. Fawcett.

State Representative Jason Bartlett has made this his cause because
his mother has chronic Lyme disease. Seeing the bill pass unanimously
today means doctors here are closer to the day when they can diagnose
and prescribe the way they want.

"To give doctors the protection against the Department of Public
Health for practicing medicine the way that they feel is necessary,"
Rep. Bartlett said.

Bartlett says he has plenty of support in the state Senate.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Phyllis: Bill Dies Well Deserved Death/"Activists" Change their MInds?
    ... > That the bill would turn out AGAINST us? ... > talking about a few dozen doctors anyhow. ... > doctors across the state on how to treat or NOT treat Lyme disease! ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • NATION MUST ADRESS LYME PROBLEM,,NEWS ARTICLE
    ... Nation must address Lyme ... Kelly's bill seeks $50 million, Smith's $100 million, each ... Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium carried by black-legged ticks. ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: Dr Charles Ray Jones in CT, in trouble?
    ... desperate to obtain an adequate evaluation of their children with Lyme ... in diagnosis and/or inadequate treatment of their tick-bourne disease. ... Dr Jones is one of the good guys. ... While most physicians ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Yale/CDC/Klempnerized
    ... CDC completely aware of these genetic risks. ... The Authors of the ISDA Guidelines, did "a 180" on Lyme ... The thing about Lyme is that it is not a communicable disease. ... The LymeRIX vaccine is GONE, because it was never a vaccine: ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Your Newsgroup Leaders Daily Alert July 25, 2005
    ... FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL THE LYME LISTS. ... CDC completely aware of these genetic risks. ... The thing about Lyme is that it is not a communicable disease. ... The LymeRIX vaccine is GONE, because it was never a vaccine: ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)