Now is the time to contact your Senators to support funding for the Sickle Cell Treatment Act

Last year ASH successfully sought the passage of the Sickle Cell Treatment Act. This new law focuses on providing federal reimbursement for education and other services related to the prevention and treatment of SCD, including a grant program for 40 health centers nationwide. Grants can be used for the education, treatment (i.e., genetic counseling and testing), and continuity of care for individuals with SCD, for training health professionals, and to identify and secure additional federal funds to continue SCD treatment. We were grateful that the Congress provided $200,000 to establish a demonstration program and a national coordinating center to collect, monitor and distribute information on best practices.

This year ASH had hoped to see at least $10 million in the Fiscal Year 2006 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill for grants to create 40 treatment centers to provide medical treatment, education and other services for sickle cell disease patients. Unfortunately, the House Appropriations Committee did not provide any funding in its bill for the Sickle Cell Treatment Act. It is therefore critical that the Senate include funding in its L-HHS Appropriations bill. To do this, Senators must be contacted as soon as possible to support our funding request. Your effort will only take a minute, but with your help ASH will ensure that funding becomes a reality.

ASH urges its members to e-mail the letter below to their Senators. The letter below can be sent as is, but we strongly encourage you to personalize the message. We also encourage you to forward this email to your colleagues that are interested in supporting high-quality sickle cell disease care.

Please direct any questions to ASH Director of Government Relations & Practice Mila Becker at (202) 776-0544 or at mbecker@hematology.org.