Dear Maggie, No one should have to do without their medicines. Please check the following resources to see if you qualify. If you need further assistance please contact me. http://seniorliving.about.com/library/weekly/aa030300a.htm?PM=ss12_seniorliv ing http://www.needymeds.com/ http://www.themedicineprogram.com/ With a tip of the hat to Murray Charters. Terry Bowers -- As a young-onset patient of Parkinson's Disease, a progressive, degenerative, as yet incurable neurological disorder, Terry has become a tireless Advocate, speaking and writing on behalf of Parkinson's patients and their families and caregivers. To invite Terry to come and speak to your group, club or organization contact him at [log in to unmask] or call him at 254-747-0856. Topics include Parkinson's Awareness, Activism and Self-Determination, Bioethics, and Stem Cells and Their Sources. "A cure by 2005" Texas Parkinsonian Advocate ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maggie Mauney" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 5:06 PM Subject: Re: Help Please with Advocacy! I have just lost all of my health benefits from my employer, so I, too, am advocating for some type of governmental health care provisions. I was diagnosed with PD last September, tho I've had symptoms for a couple of years. I'm single, and only a 1-income family--and I've just been cut back to part-time work at my job as grocery store cashier, due to some health-related warnings I've received (too slow at cash register; not engaging enough with customers; not able to bag or carry heavy groceries, etc.). I will have no option except to stop taking my PD medication, Sinemet, sinceI can't afford to buy it without health care/prescription coverage. I feel the government should make some provision for those of us who don't quality for public assistance programs (I am not eligible for medicaid and since there are no children in my household, don't qualify for any type of assistance). I'm 52 years old, and it will be 13 years before I qualify for Medicare. What am I to do for those next 13 years for health care without some type of government assistance? Maggie Mauney On Tuesday, February 18, 2003, at 01:56 PM, Meg Duggan wrote: > Hello - We would like to print a "form" letter in our newsletter that > people > can copy or clip out and send to their state and/or federal > representatives. > We would like to begin to advocate for some type of fall-back major > medical > coverage for people who have already been dxd with PD. We are in a > farm > state and more than one insurer has pulled out of the entire area, > leaving > long time customers uninsured; many unable to afford to go into the > existing > state pools. Can anyone give us some ideas for this letter? I am not > really > sure what I am asking for! Thanks, Meg > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn