FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Manassas, VA – The Amputee Coalition’s Advocacy Team announced that over 100 advocates will meet with Congressional representatives on April 9 in Washington, D.C. Chief Policy and Programs Officer Dan Ignaszewski said that this is among the largest Hill Days that the organization has seen.
“Our staff, partners, and advocates have been diligent in helping us to reach these numbers. While our mission includes advocating on behalf of our community, it’s important for our organization to help community members advocate for themselves by telling their powerful stories to lawmakers. Our community’s struggles with getting access to prosthetic care or getting their prosthetic care approved by insurance companies are powerful stories that show the need for the Insurance Fairness for Amputees Act,” Ignaszewski said.
Access to care means that people living with limb loss and limb difference have access to the technology and care they need so they can live the life they want to live. Access requires medical and prosthetic coverage through employer-based and private insurance companies. To date, 21 states have passed Insurance Fairness for Amputees laws. The goal of the Amputee Coalition’s Hill Day is to empower advocates and to introduce and pass Insurance Fairness legislation at the federal level.
Hill Day coincides with the Amputee Coalition’s Limb Loss Awareness Month that launches on April 1. It is a comprehensive platform designed to spread awareness about limb loss and limb difference and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of the 28 million people who are at risk for amputation. Over two million Americans are living with amputation or were born with limb difference. The Amputee Coalition’s mission includes education, support and advocacy.
According to Jack Richmond, President of the Amputee Coalition, “A major part of our mission is to empower people with limb loss and limb difference to advocate for themselves and for access to the care they need to live their lives. Our Hill Day event gives us the opportunity to meet with members of Congress and explain obstacles that limit access to the care we need. There is no substitute for sitting down with members of Congress and their staff to talk about the issues.”
You can find details on Hill Day and insurance fairness at https://www.amputee-coalition.org/advocacy-awareness/hill-day/.
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About the Amputee Coalition
The Amputee Coalition is a donor-supported, voluntary health organization serving more than 2 million people with limb loss and more than 28 million people at risk for amputation. The Amputee Coalition is the nation’s leading organization on limb loss, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for amputees and their families, improving patient care and preventing limb loss through its management of the National Limb Loss Resource Center. With the generous support of the public, we are helping amputees live well with limb loss, raising awareness about limb loss prevention and ensuring amputees have a voice in matters affecting their ability to live full, thriving lives. For more information about limb loss, please call 888/257-5669 or visit the website at amputee-coalition.org.