CALL TO ACTION #4
Autumn, 2006
from Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (LDA)
"Crime against Lyme"

NEW ACTION!
1. Individuals can send the LDA statement about the new guidelines _Historic Move by CT Attorney General to Investigate IDSA Guidelines Process http://lymediseaseassociation.org/NewsReleases/20061116.html to your local media with a note saying how the guidelines have impacted you and your family if they have done so. (See gray box on homepage http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/)

2. Groups carry a lot of weight, so sending this statement with cover note from your group saying you agree with it is desirable.

UPDATE From Lyme Rights Protest Rally Group
1. Details for this protest on Nov. 30 can be found at, Lymenews.org. The site is changing periodically so please continue to check it for updates.

2. Lyme Rights Group is looking for people who are interested in doing interviews at this protest. Contact them if you are attending the protest and the IDSA guidelines have adversely affected you as follows:

* Were you recently denied treatment based on negative laboratory testing, and subsequently clinically or lab retested positive?
* Has your treatment been cut off by your insurance company?
* Has your pharmacy refused to fill you prescription?
* Has your disability insurance been denied?
* Have your children been denied accommodations in school?
Go to Lymenews.org and submit a brief summary of your situation with your phone number so they can call you to discuss your story in more detail.

ONGOING ACTIONS!
1. Continue to get signers onto the LDA petition. We have over 16,000, keep it up! All signatures must be entered online to be accepted. If you are entering someone's signature, they must have first physically signed a hard copy which you then send to LDA for its files with a note that you have entered it online already. We will not enter any un entered names that are mailed to us, we do not have the staff to do that unfortunately.

2. Continue VERY IMPORTANT STILL
* Contact (phone/email) all of your FEDERAL legislators: your own US Congressman and your two US Senators by November 30 at Washington, DC office only. The contact should be with current legislator, NOT any newly elected who do not take office until new year (actions may take this session still so need support of current legislators).
* Groups should contact all Congressmen within their range (area they cover).

US Reps. & Senators DC contact information http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/.
* Tell them how Guidelines impact you/family/friends.
* Tell them CDC has essentially adopted the Guidelines (on their website)

4. Those patients already impacted by new guidelines, a form was sent out online for you to fill out. Thanks to those who have already responded, and if you still want to respond, please email Lymeliter@aol.com for the form. You must have been denied services after Oct 2, 2006 with the Guidelines used as basis.

Keep up the actions please. Thanks!

Pat Smith, President
Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
PO Box 1438
Jackson, NJ 08527
888-366-6611 information line
732 938-7215 fax
www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org