PSRC Governmental Affairs PageIf not you, then who? If not now, then when?
Welcome to the PSRC Governmental Affairs webpage! This is the page where everything related to federal and state legislative and regulatory activities involving respiratory therapists and the patients we serve is posted. Because activity is ongoing, please check this page on a regular basis for updates and the latest information. If you'd like to get involved and help fight for RTs and the patients we serve, email the PSRC's Governmental Affairs Committee Chair (Garry Kauffman) at 2008GovAffairsChair@psrc.net
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Time For Action! Make Your Voice
Heard!ALL RTs Urged to Support HR 3968 & S2704!
HR 3968 and S2704 are proposed legislative bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and US Senate, repectively, that are extremely important to ALL respiratory therapists! This key issue for the profession will revise the Medicare law to permit qualified respiratory therapists to provide certain respiratory therapy services, such as smoking cessation, asthma management, MDI device and medication education, while under the general supervision of a physician (e.g. without the physician having to be physically present or on site).
Changing Medicare law is not an easy task! In order to make this happen ALL respiratory therapists must take action by contacting their Federal Representative for the area in which they live and ask them to support HR3968. In addition, we need RTs to contact their US Senator (Arlen Spector or Robert Casey) to urge them to support S2704 in the US Senate.
Are YOU ready to help make our profession make history? CLICK HERE to go to the AARC's Capitol Connection page. Scroll down the page and you can send a pre-written email to your representatives. If you'd like to personalize the email message, you're encouraged to do so and can edit it before sending. Once you've sent your message to your member of the House of Representatives, please take one more minute and send a message to your US Senator. You can access that message by CLICKING HERE!
If not you, then who? If not now, then when?
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Now that you're in the emailing mood, there are two more pieces of legislation that have been introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that need your support. The first bill, if passed, would establish a statewide asthma tracking system. The second bill is a re-introduction of a bill that would ban smoking in public places throughout the state.
CLICK HERE for more information!
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Are You
Totally Lost When It Comes
To The U.S. Government System?
Here's the "Cliff Notes" on how things work...
The government in our country, both at the federal and state levels, is broken down into the House of Representatives and the Senate. Every one of us is represented by elected officials in all of these four governmental bodies (Federal House of Representatives, Federal Senate, State House of Representatives, and State Senate). These elected officials represent us and are responsible for creating and changing the federal and state laws that govern our us all.
Do you know YOUR state and federal legislators? Most people may recognize their legislator's names but have no idea who they are and what they do in government. However, this is the MOST important thing to know and it's easy information to obtain. Simply click here and enter your zip code on the left side of the page that appears (under "My Elected Officials"). Once you press GO, the names of your representatives will appear. In addition, you'll note additional information following each legislator's name that includes their political party (D for Democratic; R for Republican). Members of the House of Representatives also have a number that represents the district (or geographical area) that they represent.
Find out who your representatives are and write it down! Election day is coming soon.....
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