The Time is Now!
Let the U.S. Congress know that the vision loss community will no longer tolerate our national Medicare system's failure to offer coverage for low vision devices. Consumers who are blind or visually impaired are speaking with loud and clear voices about the need for federal legislation now to begin to address this profound inequity in our national health care policy. But in this cacophonous congressional election year, it is vital that all of our voices be heard unmistakably from across America and from every quarter within our community.
If you run an organization serving people with vision loss, have a network of such organizations with whom you regularly communicate, or otherwise work for or with such organizations, companies, or groups, you can exponentially maximize our field's effectiveness by ensuring that your organization has endorsed a nationwide petition to Congress to act promptly to provide coverage for these critical devices.
What Does the Petition Say?
The petition is a simple statement of our field's determination to change national Medicare policy and to call upon law makers to act with urgency. The statement in its entirety reads as follows:
"We, the organizations named below, urge the United States Congress to end the unconscionable failure of our national Medicare system to provide coverage for any low vision device whatsoever, and we urge Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to promptly enact legislation addressing this unacceptable national policy. For people with vision loss, low vision devices are vital tools for health, safety, and independent living. National Medicare policy must be changed now so that Medicare beneficiaries who are blind or visually impaired are provided with the full array of devices and services they need to live full and healthy lives."
How Can Your Group Join the Petition?
If your group can add its name to this petition, simply send and email as soon as you can to:
MRichert@afb.net
In your email, please be sure to indicate that your group is endorsing the petition, write out the full name of your organization, and list the city and state in which your organization is headquartered. Organizations will be listed on the petition in alphabetical order. Please share this invitation to join the petition with your networks and encourage other organizations to join. The petition will be shared with Congress on an ongoing basis both as endorsements continue to be received and as efforts to advocate for the federal legislation called for in the petition move forward.
Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of people with vision loss!
