I’m going to pester you about this because it’s way too important so, please forgive me.

Recently, a bill called “H.R.4814 – Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2014” was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Here’s the status according to Congress.gov:

 

Sponsor: Rep. Marino, Tom [R-PA-10] (Introduced 06/09/2014)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
Latest Action: 06/13/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

What this means in the bill was introduced in the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees on June 9, 2014.   That committee acted on it when, a few says later, on June 13, 2014, it was referred to the Subcommittee on Health.  Now, here’s where the fun begins.    If we sit back and do nothing, the bill will languish in this committee for a while and then perhaps nothing will come of it.  It’s important that we muster our efforts, contact our Representatives and get this bill moved along.  That can only happen if we all call or email their offices.

Here’s a very easy way to contact your Representative’s office.  Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) has an Action Page.   Click on the link to HR-4814. There’s an email all ready to go.  All you have to do is enter your information and some clicking and voila, it’s done.  If you’d like, you can add your own text to the email to personalize it.  I usually do because I want them to know this is not just another mass email but a very personal thing for me.

Have I made my point about how important this bill is to dialysis and kidney patients?   DPC puts it this way:

1. improve federal policy related to caring for individuals with chronic kidney disease by addressing gaps in critical research;
2. improve beneficiary acess to treatments for chronic kidney disease;
3. and create economic stability for providers caring for individuals with chronic kidney disease

That pretty well says it.  We need this bill passed and if it never gets out of committee in this session, it will be another year and another year and so on.

Go to THIS PAGE at Dialysis Patient Citizens, enter your information so it will go to the correct Representative and Senators, then you’re done.  It’s that simple. Please?  Take a couple minutes?   Thanks.

Also, if you’d like to call your Congress member’s office, here’s a page at House.gov that will help you.   If you call,  contacting a Representative’s office is quick and easy.  The person answering the phone will take your name, the city or town you live in, and the reason for your call.  Three small things!   Just remember to tell them you are calling about HR-4814.  You don’t have to remember the name of the bill, the number is the most important part.  Tell them you’d like the Representative’s support and co-sponsorship of the Bill HR-48-14.   It is currently in committee and you want to see it voted on by the House.  Got it?  Good.  And if your Representative is one the Health Subcommittee, even better and even more important that you call or email.