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OHIO STATE GRANGE
ACTION ALERT
2009-02
Recently, the Buckeye Amputees contacted the Grange asking for support on HB 310. This bill, introduced in September by Reps. Garland and Driehaus, will eliminate insurance caps on prosthetic limbs. In Ohio there are approximately 40,000 amputees, due to accidents, cancer and illnesses. Of these amputees only about 8,000 have medical coverage that covers the cost of prosthetic limbs. This medical coverage includes workers compensation, military and veterans, Medicaid and Medicare. The other remaining 32,000 amputees have coverage that either considers a prosthetic limb as cosmetic or limits the cost of a prosthetic limb with a cap cost, which limits the types of prosthetics and services to an amputee.
We have submitted written testimony based upon the fact that when someone looses a limb due to an accident, illness or cancer, proper replacement of a prosthetic limb is paramount to uphold that quality of life. We believe that amputees should not have to settle for lesser quality of life due to a loss of limb and insurance companies should not be allowed to determine the quality of life of all individuals.
Please consider a letter of support or an e-mail to your State Representative asking for a yes vote once this bill leaves committee and is to the floor for a vote. If you are aware of anyone who is an amputee, relaying personal stories is always a plus. Currently, this bill is in committee for review in the House Health Committee. Barbara Boyd (District 9) is the Chairperson for this committee and John Carney (District 22) is Vice Chair of this committee. At the end of this e-mail is a list of all members of this committee. I have also attached the Buckeye Amputees newsletter which also has some additional talking points that may be helpful in developing your letter of support. You can send a letter of support to the committee chair and vice-chair at:
Representative Barbara Boyd Representative John Carney
District 9 District 22
77 South High Street 77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6111 Columbus, OH 43215-6111
OHIO STATE GRANGE
ACTION ALERT: OHIO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2009
DECEMBER 2009
Draft Letter
Attached is a "draft" letter to the editor in regards to the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act of 2009 - Ohio Senate Bill 162 and Ohio House Bill 276. If you and your Grange support modernizing broadband Internet, we would appreciate it if you could use this letter and sign your local Grange's name with either your Grange Master/President or your Legislative Agent. We are working to improve broadband for rural Ohio and believe that this legislation will help to improve the quality of Internet service here in rural Ohio.
Letters to your Ohio House of Representatives members and Ohio Senate members are also equally important, as these bills are expected to be voted out of their respective committees and could be to the House and Senate floor for a vote soon. Tell your Representatives and Senators how important upgrading the infrastructure in rural Ohio is critical for rural life in Ohio. You may wish to mention rural schools need to compete with larger urban schools and broadband is a necessary part of that competition.
If you were at the Ohio State Grange Session in October, you may remember our State Master's address and mentioning support of this Act. There is also information in the most recent Ohio Granger, which should help to get you up to speed with what we are doing. Thank you in advance for sending letters to your local newspaper. Without the grassroots efforts of Granger like you, rural issues may not be heard.
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