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LIDA Newsbrief!

Public Policy


The current political atmosphere is an exciting time for nutrition professionals! The ADA is working hard to make sure Registered Dietitians are an integral component of the new health care bill. In order to accomplish this we must participate in advocacy by arranging appointments with our local Representatives and Senators to discuss ADA’s key messages for 2010. If you would like to make a visit to your local congressional representative email Marie Keogh, LIDA Public Policy Coordinator at marieabell@gmail.com.

If you don’t have time for a visit send an e-mail to your representative and senators via ADA's Web site. Also, when ADA sends out an action alert email they want you to send an email via “Grassroots Manager.” Go to www.eatright.org and log in as a member. Under the "Advocacy and the Profession," tab click "Grassroots Manager" on the left hand side. Once in "Grassroots Manager," click "Take Action." This interactive page will translate your ADA member number into a personalized letter to your legislators. You will be offered the choice of e-mailing the letter or printing out a letter to fax. Please choose the e-mail option.

Be sure to subscribe to ADA’s newsletter to stay up to date on important information regarding the future of our profession. Go to www.eatright.org, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on E-newsletter, then click on ‘Manage Your Subscriptions’, sign in with your username and password, and click on ‘subscribe to Eat Right Weekly’.

Get Involved

CDN Licensing - Right now we are at a holding stage with licensure and are waiting for the results of the new election. The bill is written, but does not have a bill number, which is a needed to meet with legislatures. It is very important that RDs are also CDNs so that when the bill is passed RDs can easily obtain a license. Currently, there are less CDNs than RDs, which is not good for advocacy of the bill.
Read more about CDN licensing and how to become a CDN >>

Support the NYSDA Political Action Committee - Your donation will enable NYSDA to increase visibility and support. In order to be invited to fundraisers and attend fundraisers with politicians we need money! This money only goes to NYSDA and not the ADA. It will help get licensure passed and put RDs at the forefront of health care services alongside doctors and nurses.
Please check out the NYSDA PAC page and find out how to mail in your donation today >>

 

Dear Advocates--

The past few months have seen a great deal of change in New York's  Medicaid system, including coverage for essential benefits.  Following up on the advocacy efforts that you made throughout the Medicaid Redesign process period--including the Memos of Supports that were signed and issued-- I want to keep you aware of ongoing efforts by our colleagues in the field to see coverage of oral nutrition supplements reinstated.  I am re-sending a Letter to the Editor that was authored by the Northeast Kidney Foundation and recently published in The Albany Times Union expressing the need for continued coverage (link and text are below).  In order to make our voices heard on this issue, it is important that we all spread this message far and wide.  

Please take a moment to do some of the following:

  • Post this article (or the link to it) on your website
  • Post it on your Facebook and Twitter sites
  • Send a copy of it to Assemblyman Gottfried and Senator Hannon with a letter expressing the importance of coverage for your constituents
  • E-blast it to your members and constituents and ask them to do the same!
  •  
    • Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, Chair, Assembly Health Committee  

 GottfriedR@assembly.state.ny.us
Fax: 518-455-5939   Albany
Fax: 212-243-2035  District

 

    • Senator Hannon, Chair, Senate Health Committee        

     hannon@senate.state.ny.us
 Fax: 518-426-6954  Albany
Fax: 516-747-7430 District

 

As always, if you need additional information, background information, or have any questions, please contact me at (917) 777-0667 or by email at jcrowe@cullarigroup.com.  Thank you for your continued commitment to this issue and to the health of New Yorkers.

Joslyn Crowe

----
Joslyn Arnon Crowe
Advocacy and Professional Relations Consultant
Cullari Communications Group
917-777-0667
jcrowe@cullarigroup.com
www.cullarigroup.com

 

Link to NKF Letter to the Editor:
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Kidney-patients-need-coverage-2148534.php

Text from NKF Letter to the Editor:

Kidney patients need coverage
Published 12:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 31, 2011

We at the Northeast Kidney Foundation are writing in response to the article, "Session may be over, but work still remains" (June 26). We strongly agree that a great deal of work remains to ensure that sufficient health coverage is in place for our most vulnerable populations.
In New York, an estimated 1.5 million people suffer from chronic kidney disease and of those, 35,000 experience chronic kidney failure. Many require oral nutritional supplements. However, due to the recent changes in Medicaid and the state budget, payment for these supplements no longer will be provided for Medicaid recipients.
The need for oral nutritional supplementation for people with chronic kidney disease is acknowledged by health care professionals and the clinical practice guidelines of the National Kidney Foundation. Without supplementation, these patients are more susceptible to malnutrition, due to such causes as inadequate food intake, loss of nutrients during dialysis, inadequate dialysis, dietary restrictions, anorexia and loss of blood.
While it may appear that eliminating funding of supplements will reduce overall spending, their cost is small compared to the health care costs incurred by patients faced with severe malnourishment, including hospitalization. Restoring this Medicaid coverage should decrease cost of health care and result in an overall improvement in quality of life for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and other chronic, nutritionally challenging diseases.
Dr. Thomas Schumacher
Medical director
Northeast Kidney Foundation
Albany


Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Kidney-patients-need-coverage-2148534.php#ixzz1Z4plH17x

 



----
Joslyn Arnon Crowe
Advocacy and Professional Relations Consultant
Cullari Communications Group
917-777-0667
jcrowe@cullarigroup.com
www.cullarigroup.com

Petition

Please help your fellow dietitians by signing ADA's petition to President Obama to urge CMS to include RDs in obesity treatment.
We need 25,000 signatures for the White House to review the CMS decision.