THURSDAY'S ACTION ALERT: Keep your calls coming to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid

"...Autism Speaks is constantly adapting a strategy to give us the best chance of making this [autism insurance reform in health care reform] happen. The strategy may change every hour or it may appear redundant but there is a "method to the madness". The important thing is that as the troops, we stay alert and be ready to act when we get our mission plans..."

This is crunch time and if ever there was a time for concerted
grassroots action and advocacy - this is it.

A message passed along by one of the state Advocacy Chairs of Autism Speaks...

"Thursday, July 16 2009

Autism is relentless. In order to effect a change at the national level, we must be relentless too.

The government relations team at Autism Speaks is monitoring the health care reform issue in D.C. very closely. A health care reform bill is going to pass - likely in the next several weeks. The issues we face as families affected by autism must be addressed in this bill.

Autism Speaks is constantly adapting a strategy to give us the best chance of making this happen. The strategy may change every hour or it may appear redundant but there is a "method to the madness". The important thing is that as the troops, we stay alert and be ready to act when we get our mission plans.

Today's mission

Make two phone calls.
Call Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at the phone numbers below:

Speaker Pelosi (202) 225-0100
Majority Leader Reid (202) 224-3542

Just say this:
"Hi, My name is ____________ ___. I am calling from (Your city, your state). I want you to know that health care reform that does not stop autism insurance discrimination is unacceptable. Thank you."

Be patient. Be polite. Keep dialing until you get through to them. Then do it again. If the voice mail box is full, call back and request that the receptionist take a message. Please send this message on to 15 other people.

Thanks and stay tuned!

Michael Wasmer, DVM
Founder, The Kansas Coalition for Autism Legislation (KCAL)
Autism Speaks Kansas Chapter Advocacy Chair
www.autismvotes.org

"Neighbors" Ad Calls on U.S. Congress to End Autism Insurance Discrimination

Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, has launched a new national television advertising campaign highlighting private insurers blatant discrimination against children with autism and calling on the U.S. Congress to put an end to it as part of the broader health care reform effort. The thirty-second ad, Neighbors, will air nationally on CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rVX_nSLFtg