ACTION ALERT: Special Diabetes Program for Indians Reauthorization Update
We need your help at this critical time to encourage Congress to include the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) and type 1 diabetes research - Senate bill S. 1494 – in Medicare legislation expected to be introduced this Congress. To ensure Congress understands the strong support in Indian Country for reauthorization of the SDPI, Congress needs to receive a very large volume of emails, faxes, calls and letters during the month of OCTOBER showing support for the program. The SDPI is due to expire in 2008. If not reauthorized, all of the accomplishments of the SDPI programs achieved over the last eight years will be lost. We need lots of letters from everyone – tribal leaders, health directors, health program staff, and community members.
You can send a letter to your Congressional representatives by doing the following:
- Review the Advocacy Kit for more information that is included as a link on the following webpage:
http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/federal_legislation/reauthorization.jsp and use the sample letter to Congress in the kit to write your own personal letter, and then email or fax it to your Congressional representatives.
- Click on the link at the bottom of the page the above link takes you to that says “Ask your representatives to extend the program for 5 more years” and send a letter quickly by entering your name/address, adding some personal information to the form letter about why Congress should continue these grants, and click “send your message” at the bottom. This will automatically send your letter to all the Congressional representatives for your state.
- Visit your Congressional representatives when you are in Washington, DC or visit their local offices. Follow up with phone calls to get a commitment of support.
For more information on how you can help to ensure the SDPI program is reauthorized, the National Indian Health Board will be holding a NATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL on Friday, OCTOBER 12, 2007 at 2pm EDT. The call in number is 1-866-303-3137, passcode 414526#.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Kitty Marx, Legislative Director, NIHB at
kmarx@nihb.org or Angie Montes, American Diabetes Association at
amontes@diabetes.org.
Thank you for helping support the reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians and type 1 diabetes research.
