FOR MORE INFO, SEE: www.lymeinfo.net or email xxx
HELP US STOP INSURANCE COMPANIES FROM
USING STATE AGENCIES TO KEEP YOUR
DOCTOR FROM TREATING YOU

CHRONIC LYME DISEASE PATIENTS ARE
FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS OF ALL
PATIENTS AND WE NEED YOUR HELP

Senator Kemp Hannon has turned his back on the pleas of thousands of patients with chronic illnesses. We need him to work for passage of Reform Bill A11330, the GOTTFRIED/LENTOL/ MILLER/MAYERSOHN BILL to reform the OPMC.

WHAT IS THE OPMC:
The Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) is the branch of the New York Department of Health that investigates complaints against physicians and administers disciplinary action. The disciplinary action can mean revocation of a doctor's license. While this is a necessary and important function, recent hearings have shown that the OPMC has been seriously biased.

WHY THE OPMC NEEDS TO BE REFORMED:
As the OPMC operates now, it can revoke your doctor's license through a system that permits them to:

  • Investigate your medical record based SOLELY on a financially motivated complaint by your insurance company. Your physician will NOT be informed that the source of the complaint is an insurance company.
  • Bring your physician to a hearing in which he/she may not be permitted to present scientific or medical evidence to support the validity of the specific treatment offered you.
  • Railroad your doctor by using "expert witnesses" who are not required to reveal any conflicts of interest.

    These and other obvious OPMC violations of basic civil rights must be corrected if ALL patients are to protect their right to medical care. Our physicians must be assured of due process rights to help them fight unjust complaints against them.

    In the past two years, two thirds of the physicians in NYS who are willing to treat chronic Lyme disease have been unfairly harassed by the OPMC. Chronic Lyme patients have charged that this harassment was due to insurance company pressure on the OPMC due to the cost of long term treatment. Two Assembly hearings were held to investigate this issue, after which the Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that:  "insurance companies and the Office of Professional Medical Conduct cease and desist from targeting physicians" who treat chronic Lyme disease.

    WE MUST NOW PASS BILL A11330 SO THAT THE INTENTION OF THIS RESOLUTION CAN BE PROTECTED BY LAW.

    WHAT YOU CAN DO:
    If you are a constituent of Senator Hannon, please sign our petition and/or call Senator Hannon at 518-455-2200. Non-constituents can help by writing to Senator Hannon at 609 LOB, Albany, NY 12247. Additionally, please join us on May 29th at 12:30 to protest outside Senator Hannon's office at 1600 Stewart Ave, Westbury.

    PLEASE TELL SENATOR HANNON TO HELP PASS BILL A11330. TELL HIM THAT HIS REFUSAL TO HELP WITH THIS BILL WILL LOOK AS THOUGH HE HAS CHOSEN INSURANCE COMPANIES ABOVE THE NEEDS OF SICK AND SUFFERING PATIENTS.