California

Lyme Disease: The "Emerging" Health Threat is Already Here and Thriving in California

The Carousel Network Chronic Neuroimmune Disease Information & Support for Sonoma County, is presenting a panel discussion on Lyme disease and related co-infections at its August 14, 2004 meeting.

Dear people, this legislation REALLY is important, even to Californians, so do your part and write a quick note to Governor Pataki, even if you have written before. The idea is to flood Albany with hundreds of letters THIS WEEK. Email is ok but snail mail is supposed to be better.

Activists can build on each other's successes. This year New York, next year YOUR state!
Thanks!

Phyllis Mervine
PS. you can forward this to your own friends and family who know how Lyme disease has affected YOUR life and ask them to just write at least ONE LINE and send it off! Dear Governor Pataki, please support S4148a. Sincerely, etc etc.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ChronicLyme] URGENT ACTION ALERT- JULY 7TH
Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 20:35:44 -0400
From: ellenlu@webtv.net
Reply-To: ChronicLyme@yahoogroups.com
To: NYLyme@yahoogroups.com, ChronicLyme@yahoogroups.com, LoveyOnLyme@yahoogroups.com, lymenet_leaders@yahoogroups.com, Parents_of_Lyme_Kids@yahoogroups.com

Hi folks,

The New York State Senate will meet again on July 19th.   This is our
last opportunity to get S4148a, the OPMC Reform Bill, passed this year.

We REALLY need it passed now to protect the licenses of those doctors
currently under OPMC investigation.

ACTION ALERT;

1) FOR EVERYBODY FROM EVERY STATE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN:

Please write to Governor Pataki urging him to suppot the OPMC Reform
Bill, S4148a.

Please get everyone you know to do the same.

Letters can be snail mail or email,as long as they get to Pataki before
July 16th.
They can say as little as "Please pass S4148a, the OPMC Reform Bill."

OR they can explain how sick we are as Lyme patients and how our doctors
are being targeted by the OPMC and deserve some right to defend
themselves.

Include your name and address.

Snail Mail:
Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

To EMail The Governor:
Go to the following web address and scroll down a bit.
You wil lfind a form on which to include your email message.
http://161.11.3.75/

2) FOR NEW YORKERS ONLY, EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN.

Please write to Senator Joseph Bruno and urge him to pass S4148a, the
OPMC Reform Bill

Include your name and address.

Please get everyone you know in New York State to write.

Snail mail:
Senator Joseph Bruno
Room 909 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247

Email:
Go to www.senatorbruno.com/send_email.asp There is a form on which to
send an email.
--------------------
WHY ON EARTH ARE WE HAVING TO DO THIS AGAIN, AND WHY IS THIS TIME SO
IMPORTANT.?

Our grass roots efforts did wonders in June before the legislature went
on vacation.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated.

We were able to get S4148a on the calendar to be voted on, despite the
fact that HUNDREDS of other bills were competing for a place on the
calendar.

Bravo Lyme community!

Unfortunately, because of problems in the legislature having nothing to
do with Lyme disease, the Senate did not bring bills on the calendar up
for a vote.

All bills that were left on the calendar were then sent back to Senator
Bruno's Rules committee while the legislature took a vacation.

So, our bill is now back in the Rules committee , and we have lost the
priority that our phone calls and emails won us on June 21st.

I suggest we all take a few minutes to holler, cry, throw things or
collapse into an exhausted heap of frustration about this.

Then we need to get back to work so that we can again get S4148a on the
calendar for a floor vote in the Senate on July 19th. If we get it to a
vote, we are confident it will pass.

If we get it passed, the LLMD's in NYS currently under investigation
will be able to defend themselves.

If the LLMDs in NYS can defend themselves, the climate for Lyme doctors
across the country will improve. Who knows, we might even get a whole
group of new docs to treat us if they no longer have to worry about
their licenses.

But, getting the bill up for a floor vote will take another miracle of
grass roots efforts.

Please, everyone, in the next few weeks. focus on this like you have
never focussed before.
Thanks,
Ellen

PS   The bill is S4148a rather than S4148 as in previous action
alerts. This is because of minor changes that were made in mid-June.

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
click here <http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=129kavla8/M=295196.4901138.6071305.3001176/D=groups/S=1705083663:HM/EXP=1089333353/A=2128215/R=0/SIG=10se96mf6/*http://companion.yahoo.com>

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links

   * To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChronicLyme/
         * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     ChronicLyme-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
     <mailto:ChronicLyme-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>
         * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
     Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.

--

Phyllis Mervine, President
California Lyme Disease Association
Affiliate of the Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
PO Box 1423
Ukiah, CA 95482

Check our websites at www.lymedisease.org <http://www.lymedisease.org> and www.lymetimes.org <http://www.lymetimes.org>

   New Danville Lyme Support Group (20 miles east of San Francisco)
   Contact: Carol at sarahjohn1@mindspring.com
   Meetings will be held on Tuesday, June 12 2001 and Tuesday, July 10
and Tuesday, August 14 from 7pm to 8:30pm.
Danville Library   400 Front Street   Danville, CA
In the Mt. Diablo Room which is to the right of the front door.
From highway 680, take Diablo Road Exit and go West 4 blocks
and then Left on Front Street for three blocks.
The meetings are free and open to everyone.

East Bay Lyme Disease Support Group
(20 miles east of San Francisco)
Facilitator: A small group of volunteers
Tel: (206) 339-9138
Email: EastBay@LymeGroups.Org
URL: http://www.lymegroups.org/eastbay
Meeting Place: San Ramon Medical Center
6001 Norris Canyon Rd. Room Blackhawk B
San Ramon, CA.
Meeting Time: Second Wednesday of each month, 7-9 pm

The East Bay Lyme Disease Groups will meet on Saturday,
April 20th at Davies Hospital in San Francisco from 2 to 5pm.
Meetings will be held on the third Saturday of each month and
will focus on political action regarding Lyme disease. It will not
be a support group. The meetings are free and open to everyone.
      Directions:
   The first meeting will be held in the conference room B4 which
is in the building to the right as you walk out of the parking garage.
Take the elevator to the "B" floor and the room is next to the
hospital cafeteria. Parking is free on weekends. Put your ticket
into the slot to cause the gate to open when you leave the parking
garage.
   For a city map and directions to Davies Medical Center go to:
http://poodlefish.ednixon.com/lyme/balac/
   For more information, please contact Carol at:
sarahjohn1@mindspring.com

I. Patient Needs
    A. For Diagnosis
    B. For Treatment
II. Other tick-borne Diseases
III. Approach includes
    A. Include Physicians
    B. Include appropriate Lab Testing
    C. Access to Medications
    D. Access to Insurance Problems
    E. Support Group Activity
lV. California Coalition
V. Fundraising

The next Orange/Los Angeles Counties Lyme Disease Support Group Meeting will
be at

July 14 (Saturday)
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Health Enhancement Center (HEC)
Room A

Dr Nick Harris, a board member of NCCLS (National Committee on Clinical Lab
Standards on Lyme Disease) will be guest speaker. His area of expertise is
immunology + emerging tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme Disease. He is
founder of IGeneX--a specialty immunology laboratory + research facility
certified by the Dept. of Health + Human Services. Dr. Harris + IGeneX are
credited with the patented LUAT (Lyme Urine Antigen Test).

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Cross streets are Atlantic + Long Beach Blvd. Enter the hospital on 10th
Street.
Go to the Parking Booth + ask for the HEC building.
Parking is $l per hour.

FROM LOS ANGELES ~Take 405 south to Long Beach. ~Merge onto 710 south. ~Take
12th Street west (Anaheim east exit). ~Merge onto West Anaheim Street. ~Turn
R onto Linden.

FROM LAGUNA + SOUTHERN POINTS ~Take 405 north. ~Merge onto 22 west to Long
Beach. ~Merge onto East 7th Street. ~Turn slight Right onto East Pacific
Coast Hwy. ~Enter next roundabout. ~Take exit onto East Pacific Coast Hwy.
~Turn Left onto Atlantic Ave.

If you have questions or answers
or concerns contact:
Earis Corman, Support Group Coordinator
(562) 947-6123 or EARISCORMAN@aol.com

                                                 County health officials are warning that outdoor conditions are
                                            ideal for the proliferation of the Western black-legged tick, which
                                            can transmit Lyme disease.
                                                 Most cases of Lyme disease, which produces flu-like symptoms
                                            including fatigue, headache and joint pain, are contracted in spring
                                            and early summer.
                                                 The Western black-legged tick is found throughout Ventura
                                            County with higher concentrations in coastal areas and canyons
                                            where water flow is constant and near areas that are routinely
                                            irrigated, such as golf courses and parks.
                                                 If not treated with antibiotics, Lyme disease can cause arthritis
                                            and inflammation of the heart and complications to the nervous
                                            system. People who think they have been bitten should consult a
                                            physician, health officials say.
                                                 Last year, about 100 suspected cases of Lyme disease were
                                            reported in California, including three confirmed cases in Ventura
                                            County.
                                                 Ticks climb to the tips of vegetation, commonly along hiking and
                                            walking trails, and wait for a host to brush against them.
                                                 To prevent tick bites, officials suggest people wear light-colored
                                            long pants and tuck the pant legs inside socks. Use tick repellent.
                                            Travel along the center of trails, avoid contact with brush and tall
                                            grass, and frequently check your body for ticks. Similar precautions
                                            are recommended for pets.

Search the archives of the Los Angeles Times for similar stories.
You will not be charged to look for stories, only to retrieve one.

Several people in the LA/Orange County areas of So. CA have been
requesting that a support group be formed. A chiropractor in Buena
Park has made his office available. The first meeting is scheduled for
January 27th (Saturday) at 3:00 pm. The address is 5831 Beach Blvd. in
Buena Park. It is located on the west side of the street about a mile
north of the 5 freeway. The lady sponsoring the meeting is Earis
Corman who can be reached at EARISCORMAN@aol.com.
Mike>>

Here is another support group that has been meeting on
a regular basis in N. Ca. I was hoping you could add this
group to your list. I volunteered to be the contact person
for the group on the internet.

The Mid-Peninsula Lyme Disease Support Group will have their
next meeting at the El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, CA on
Tuesday, January 9th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in Room D.
El Camino Hospital is at 2500 Grant Road. To get to Room D,
take the elevator down to the ground floor and turn right.
The support group meets on the second Tuesday of every
other month. For more information about the group you can
e-mail Aaron at abfromca@hotmail.com or call the El Camino
Hospital at (650) 940-7302.>>

Thanks for updating the contact info for the support group.
If the MPLDSG has any special events like a seminar, I'll
let you know. The Santa Cruz group now has their own webpage.
Here is the URL if you want to see it. Aaron.

I am the new Butte County Lyme disease Support Group leader. The ladies that were previously in charge needed a break from the huge job. So, now the information is as follows.

Butte County Lyme Disease Support Group
contact: Marlene Hauck
EMAIL AT mar@cncnet.com
ph. 530-533-1828
Meetings are held on the third Monday (new day) of each month, at Enloe Conference Center 1528 Esplanade - Chico, CA

Publishes the Lyme Times four times a year. The editor includes
basic information about lyme disease, articles for patient support,
research notes, medical journal articles and reports on medical conferences. It is reviewed before publication for medical and scientific accuracy by a panel of experts.

Phyllis Mervine, Editor
the Lyme Times
PO BOX 1423
Ukiah, CA 95482
or email at info@lymedisease.org

Lyme Disease Resource Center
publishes the Lyme Times
Nancy Brown
PO BOX 707
Weaverville, CA 96093-0707
or email above.

Doctors in California who Treat Lyme Disease and related
(please use discretion when making contact, only call to make an appointment, these Doctors have many patients and might have froze any new patients, they may be able to refer you to another Doctor --- thanks for your consideration)
email me for Doctors information.....................
(please read the section finding a doctor)

There is a Doctor in
Sonoma , CA 95476 northern ca
please email me for information

There is a Doctor in
Tarzana, CA 91356 southern ca
please email me for information

There is a Doctor in Santee near
San Diego California
please email me for information

There is a Doctor in
Rheumatology and Internal Medicine
Grass Valley, CA 95945 northern ca

My publication "the ticked-off tract" see publications section on main web page....

Santa CRuz County California Tick-Borne Illness Support Group
4th Monday of every month
7-9
Aptos Library Group Room
contact Person: Sarah Weiss
831-662-3628

A new Lyme Disease support group has been formed in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area (western Nevada County).
It is scheduled to hold its monthly meeting on
September 30, 1999, at 6:30 PM,
in Room 120
of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital.
Interested persons are encouraged to attend.
Contact Meg Hughes at (530) 432-4280, or Peggy Leonard at (530) 272-3204.

Name of Support Group: Marin County Lyme Disease Support
Group.     Meets every 4th Wednesday of each month at Marin
General Hospital in the medical staff library at 7pm. The group
has around 20 active members.
Contact Person for this Group: Lee Lull
Contact Person Telephone:      415-927-9553
Contact Person E-Mail: leema@earthlink.net
Marin ,     California     SF Bay Area
Lee Lull        leema@earthlink.net

Sonoma Valley Hospital Lyme Disease Support Group
Sonoma, California
Contact the Sonoma Hospital for current information

Nancy Brown     (530) 623-3227
TClyme@netscape.net   updated 12-00
Weaverville,   California
     Nazarene Church Education Annex 10-11:30am 3rd Thursday each month
     Co-facilitator- Nancy Brown

Butte County LD Support Group
     Lynn Velliquette
     Enloe Conference Center
     1528 Esplanade Blvd., Chico, CA
     3rd Friday of each month, 7 - 9 pm
     Co-facilitator: Sue Caldwell

Lake County LDSG
Lakeside Community Hospital
Melanie McDougal
Lakeport, CA
(707) 263-5112
made contact , group
no longer active 2/99

Lyme Borreliosis Network
June Casey
Oakland, CA
(510) 531-5337
number no longer is service

Mid-Peninsula LSG
Linda Goffinet
Stanford, CA
(650) 493-6511
wrong number

Plumas/Lassen County LDSG
Luana Phinney
Susanville, CA
(916) 257-7853
no longer active , might have one in the near future

Siskiyou LDA & Service Group
Susan Young
Ureka, CA
(916) 842-5003
number no longer in service

Dr. Barbour - University of California, Irvine
Research on Lyme Disease
Barbour Lab - U.C. Irvine

John E. Edwards, Jr., M.D. (Chair)
LAC Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Torrance, California

Union Square Medical Associates
Raphael Stricker, MD
415-283-1911
rstricker@usmamed.com
San Francisco, CA

Medical management of all stages of Lyme disease. Affiliated with California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.
current 2/99

"Ticks carrying Lyme found in state parks in Malibu.....Tapia Park, Malibu Creek State Park,
Los Angeles County health officials reported end of March"

This issue of ticks carrying lyme disease is not new but only more evidence of
Lyme Disease on the west coast.

                              LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The California Medical Association          launched a
                              lawsuit on Thursday accusing the state's three largest for-profit health
                              insurers of imposing unfair contract and payment terms on doctors.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, under the civil RICO
(Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) laws.

                              It claims that California physicians have had their business damaged and
                              their patients victimized because of racketeering activity on the part of
                              California Blue Cross, a unit of WellPoint Health Networks Inc.(WLP.N),
                              Health Net, a subsidiary of Foundation Health Systems Inc.(FHS.N) and
                              PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.(PHYS.O).

                              Bobby Pena, a spokesman for the California Association of Health Plans,
                              said, ``This suit has more to do with public relations and politics than with
                              improving health care in California.''

The three plans insure the health needs of more than 9 million Californians,
according to the doctor's association.

                              ``The health plans use coercive, unfair and fraudulent means to dominate and
                              control physician-patient relationships for their own financial gain, but to the
                              detriment of both patients and physicians,'' the association said in a
                              statement.

``The idea that these three health plans have conspired to hurt doctors is just
ridiculous,'' Pena said.

                              He said the health insurers have offered to work with the physicians'
                              association, and with a third-party mediator, to come up with ways to improve
                              the system.

                              The suit was filed by Archie Lamb, a Birmingham, Alabama, attorney who
                              already filed a lawsuit against Aetna, Cigna, Humana and Prudential in that
                              state on behalf of physicians seeking national class certification.

                              ``The for-profit insurance industry-owned HMOs have engaged in a scheme
                              that included lying to employers about the benefits for employees, lying to
                              physicians about commitment to payment for quality health care and
                              fraudulently induced patients that they would be there in the time of greatest
                              need,'' Lamb said.

                              ``This lawsuit does nothing more than drain money out of a system that is
                              already strapped. The only group that is going to benefit is the trial lawyers
                              who are filing it,'' Pena said.

                              Last September, the California doctor's group filed a lawsuit seeking to
                              recover $75 million against eight health insurers it said have not reimbursed
                              doctors for patient care.

                              That lawsuit named Aetna U.S. Healthcare, Blue Cross of California, Blue
                              Shield of California, HealthNet, MaxiCare Health Plans Inc., PacifiCare of
                              California, Prudential Healthcare, which has since merged with merged with
                              Aetna, and United HealthCare of California as defendants.

                              A spokesman for the CMA said Thursday the judge in that case in April
                              tentatively ruled for dismissal, as requested by the defendants, and a final
                              ruling is expected at any time.

Previous Article: Stars, Music Trade Group Face Off Over Copyright
Next Article: Stocks Drop, Bearish Calls Scare Nervous Market
<A
HREF="http://my.netscape.com/news/TopStories/05_25_2000.rontz1748-story-bcnews
healthhmos.html?cp=aim">Click here: California Doctors Sue HMOs for
Racketeering</A>

But the good news is that a new doc has actually opened up a new LD practice.
I haven't asked why, because it's almost too good to be true. However, I am
now seeing him, and I really liked him. The great thing about him is that is
practice is so small-just him and his receptionist. NO bitchy nurses or
secretaries yet.
It's Dr. Raphael Stricker on Union Square 415-399-1035, e mail:
rstrickcer@usmadocs.com

Than you for offering to print my story, but I've had LD for 11 years now,
and am really bored with it. I went through hell in the late 80's and early
90's trying to get treated here in SF. Stay away from a Dr. Rosenbaum, tries
to treat LD patients, but does it incorrectly and seriously messed me up, as
well as other people I know.