Steve Hamerdinger, Director

Office of Deaf Services

Alabama Department of Mental Health

PO Box 301410

Montgomery, Al  361130

Phone/VP: (866) 934-7606



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________________________________



From: Hedding, Teri [mailto:hedt@...]

Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:18 AM

To: Hedding, Terri

Subject: Need your help !!!

Importance: High







Read below and read the attachment.







If you agree, please send your comments to two addresses below to

support this bill.. that is to getting Medicare/Medicaid and private

insurances to pay for sign language interpreters for healthcare needs.

This will improve the standards in healthcare access for Deaf community.







This healthcare bill has been released as of today and they need

comments BEFORE next week!







Thanks in advance for your support.







Teri







Teri Hedding, Manager

Deaf Access Program

Mount Sinai Hospital

1501 S. California Ave

Chicago, Illinois 60608



773-257-6289 (tty/vp)

773-257-5125 (voice)

773-257-2124 (FAX)

hedt@... (E-mail)



________________________________





DREDF has been involved in developing various position papers on

disability and health during the health care reform discussions, and

have included the interpreter payment issue each time there has been an

opportunity to raise it. Unfortunately, the issue hasn't gained a lot of

traction. I am writing to you now to urge you and your colleagues to

contact the Senate HELP Committee, which is leading the health reform

effort in the Senate, and urge the members to require CMS to pay for

interpreters for Deaf people who receive health care through publicly

financed programs. I have attached a short paper that includes this and

several other recommendations regarding ASL interpreters. Please feel

free to use these if you agree with them and/or to add your own. The

important point is that the Committee staff needs to hear that this is a

serious issue that the community cares about, otherwise it will languish

and we will have to find another way to solve the problem.



Fax or email your comments to:



Connie Garner

Policy Director

Disability and Special Populations for Senator Edward M. Kennedy

U. S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

317 Russell Senate Building

Washington D.C. 20510

Fax: (202) 224-2417

Connie_Garner@...



Aaron Bishop, M.S.S.W.

Professional Staff Member

U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Senator Michael B. Enzi, Ranking Member

h: 202-224-6770

Fax: 202-228-0411

Aaron_Bishop@...













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