Pennsylvania MS Awareness Week Proclamations 2017

Cities & Counties Making an MS Awareness Week (March 5-11, 2017) Proclamation :

1. Allegheny County mailing proclamation to chapter
2. Armstrong County proclaiming @ 2/16 Supervisors Meeting @ 9AM
3. Bedford County, local proclamation
4. Bethel Park Township
5. Blair County
6. Blooming Grove Township
7. Brentwood
8. Bucks County
9. Butler City
10. Cambria County
11. Canonsburg
12. Carbon County
13. Carbondaie
14. Centre County to issue at 2/28 meeting
15. Chartiers Township
16. Chester County
17. Collier Township public presentation 3/8 @ 7:00 PM
18. Crafton
19. Dauphin County
20. Dubois City
21. Elizabeth Borough, Allegheny County
22. Erie, City 
23. Erie County
24. Etna Borough
25. Fayette County
26. Franklin,City
27. Forest Township
28. Gettysburg Borough
29. Greene County will proclaim @ 3/2 mtg, need rep
30. Greensburg, City
31. Harrison Township
32. Hermitage City
33. Johnstown City
34. Lancaster, City
35. Lawrence County
36. Lebanon, City
37. Lebanon, County will act on proclamation at their 3/2 mtg.
38. McKean County
39. Mifflin County
40. Monroe County
41. Montour County proclaiming at their 2/28 mtg
42. Moon Township proclaiming at its 3/1 meeting
43. Mt. Lebanon Township
44. Mt. Oliver Borough Proclaiming at thei 2/20 Council Mtg.
45. Nanicoke City
46. Northumberland County
47. North Versailles Township
48. O'Hara Township
49. Oil City
50. Peters Township proclaimed 2/13 
51. Pittsburgh
52. Plum Borough
53. Robinson Township
54. Scott Township, Allegheny County
55. Schuylkill County
56. Somerset County
57. South Strabane Township
58. State College Borough
59. Sullivan County
60. Washington County 
61. Waynesburg Borough
62. West Mifflin
63. Westmoreland County 2/23 @ 10:30
64. Wilkes-Barre
65. York, City 

Frank's Walk MS

Replace then Repeal the Affordable Care Act

Do Not Repeal the ACA without First Protecting Patients

Senator Casey, Senator Toomey and Representative Murphy,

As your constituent and someone affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), I urge you not to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) until there is a guarantee that people living with MS will still have affordable access to the healthcare and medications they need.

The enactment of a replacement plan that maintains or improves existing coverage and affordable access for people living with MS MUST BE SIMULTANEOUS if the ACA is repealed.

MS is recognized as a chronic, inflammatory and immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system. It is among the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from numbness and tingling, to walking difficulties, fatigue, dizziness, pain, depression, blindness and paralysis.

Untreated MS -- drug and other therapy for symptoms and relapses --  can progress more quickly, resulting in early departure from the workforce, undue strain on the family, finances, public and long-term services and supports, and more.

A vote to repeal the law means denying people with MS access to the health insurance coverage they need to manage their disease. I will continue to advocate for people with pre-existing conditions and the continuity of coverage through any repeal and replace efforts. Please join me in ensuring that people with MS receive the affordable, quality healthcare they need.

Sincerely,

Frank Austin

Pennsylvania Home Modification Tax Credit Bill (SB 1382)

te Senator Guy Reschenthaler:

State Senator Guy Reschenthaler:

Accessible housing includes any home modifications made to adapt living spaces to meet the needs of people with physical limitations so that they can continue to live independently and safely. While incredibly important to quality of life, home modifications can also be very costly. In addition, accessible homes are attributed to a decrease in falls which is significant because it can lower medical costs. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 2.4 million non-fatal fall injuries were treated in emergency departments and more than 722,000 of these patients were hospitalized. As you can imagine, the cost of these falls is staggering both for the patient and the healthcare system.

As your constituent, member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Society’s Pennsylvania Keystone Chapter Government Relations Advisory Committee and a person living with the diagnosis of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), I know all too well the accessibility needs of persons living with chronic diseases like MS. This legislation would help ease the financial burden and stress associated with making a person’s home accessible and functional.

Senator Yudichak will be reintroducing legislation (SB 1382) that would establish a home modification tax credit of up to $2,000 for the first year of the program and $5,000 for the following years. The tax credit would be used to retrofit current homes for accessibility or help toward the purchase of a new accessible home. The According to the Center for Universal Design, the expense for one modification can be as high as $50,000. This bill will alleviate some of the financial burden that comes with making a home accessible and most importantly, safe for its residents.

The National MS Society supports this bill because it would help people with MS stay in their homes with dignity and independence while remaining active, productive members of their communities. Please cosponsor this important legislation.

Sincerely,

Frank Austin

Walk MS 2017

Great news! I've once again signed up for Walk MS;a charity walk to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the important work they are doing to create a world free of MS. You can learn more about the walk at walkMS.org.

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system which interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.


Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide.


The first Walk MS event was in 1988, and since then more than $920 million has been raised for research and programs to improve the lives of people living with MS. Today, there are treatments where there weren't any before, and the dream of ending MS is becoming a reality. But there is still so much to do.


That's why I'm walking. Will you help me reach my goal by donating what you can? It's fast and easy to make a tax-deductible donation on my Personal Walk MS page. If you prefer, feel free to mail me your donation at:


Frank Austin
56 Hennig Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15236-1524


Make all checks payable to: National MS Society


Thank you so much for helping me reach my goal and supporting this worthy cause. 


Warmly,
Frank Austin

Adult & Respite Programs, Neurologic Diseases

H.R.325 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)To expand and enhance existing adult day programs for younger people with neurological diseases or conditions (such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, or other similar diseases or conditions) to support and improve access to respite services for family caregivers who are taking care of such people, and for other purposes.

Bills Introduced in the New 115th Congress Regarding Canadian Pharmacies, HSAs and Medicare Part D

2. 
   
   1. S.92 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow for the personal importation of safe and affordable drugs from approved pharmacies in Canada.Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] (Introduced 01/10/2017) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsLatest Action: 01/10/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All 
3. 2. S.64 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)
   A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow for the personal importation of safe and affordable drugs from approved pharmacies in Canada.Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] (Introduced 01/09/2017) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsLatest Action: 01/09/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions)
   
4. 3. S.85 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)
   A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the amendments made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which disqualify expenses for over-the-counter drugs under health savings accounts and health flexible spending arrangements.Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS] (Introduced 01/10/2017) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate - FinanceLatest Action: 01/10/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)
   
5. 4. H.R.394 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)
   To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the amendments made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which disqualify expenses for over-the-counter drugs under health savings accounts and health flexible spending arrangements.Sponsor: Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] (Introduced 01/10/2017) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: House - Ways and MeansLatest Action: 01/10/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. (All Actions)
   
6. 5. S.41 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)A bill to amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 01/05/2017) Cosponsors: (9)Committees: Senate - FinanceLatest Action: 01/05/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)Tracker: 
   This bill has the status Introduced
   Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
   1. Introduced
   2. Passed Senate
   3. Passed House
   4. To President
   5. Became Law
7. 
   
   6. H.R.242 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.Sponsor: Rep. Welch, Peter [D-VT-At Large] (Introduced 01/04/2017) Cosponsors: (17)Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means
   

1/9/2017 Letter from Senator Bob Casey

I received the following letter from Senator Casey by email today:

Dear Mr. Austin: Thank you for taking the time to contact me about H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue. To develop the original version of the 21st Century Cures Act, the Committee on Energy & Commerce in the House of Representatives held numerous hearings and received feedback from key stakeholders on how Congress can help to accelerate the development of new treatments and cures in the United States. Ultimately, the Energy & Commerce Committee approved, and the House passed, a bill that addressed the full drug and device development process, from basic scientific research to the delivery of new treatments to patients. Starting in early 2015, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), of which I am a member, began to develop its own proposal similar to the 21st Century Cures Act. The Committee held several hearings and approved a number of bills related to this innovation agenda. Together, this package of bills was the Senate’s version of the 21st Century Cures Act. The final version of the 21st Century Cures Act, H.R. 34, reconciles the differences between the House and Senate proposals. As a member of the HELP Committee, I actively participated in the development of the Senate proposal, and was pleased that H.R. 34 contained several of my priorities. As such, I voted for H.R. 34 when it passed the Senate in a bi-partisan, 94 to 5 vote. This legislation was signed into law by the President on December 13, 2016. As a bipartisan compromise between the House and the Senate, I recognize that this legislation is not perfect. However, as a whole I believe that it is an important step in ensuring that our Nation provides adequate support for groundbreaking medical innovation and research. H.R. 34 contains provisions that will improve the drug and device approval process at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It will also boost funding for the National Institutes of Health, and contains important, specific funding provisions for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, the Precision Medicine Initiative and the Cancer Moonshot. Finally, H.R. 34 also contains language based on S. 2680, a bi-partisan mental health reform bill; S. 1503, which will help the federal government properly coordinate efforts to combat Lyme disease; and funding to address our Nation’s heroin and prescription opioid abuse epidemic. All of these priorities are extremely important, both for Pennsylvania and the entire country. Additionally, I am happy to report that the final version of 21st Century Cures contained language based on several proposals that I introduced or actively helped to develop. Those proposals include: • S. 1878, the Advancing Hope Act, a bill I introduced that would make the pediatric priority review voucher program permanent. These vouchers entitle companies to receive a “priority” six-month review of another new drug application if they develop a treatment for a rare pediatric disease, such as a pediatric cancer. A voucher can be used by the company that receives it, or sold to another company. Although the final version of H.R. 34 did not make this program permanent, I was able to secure the inclusion of language to extend it through September 30, 2020. • S. 1767, the Combination Product Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015, a bill that I developed with Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia. This would improve the FDA review process for medical products that combine aspects of both drugs and medical devices. • S. 2055, the Medical Countermeasures Innovation Act of 2015, which I developed with Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina. This would include a number of targeted improvements to the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, building upon my work with Senator Burr on that program’s reauthorization in 2013. Although passage of the 21st Century Cures Act is an important step, I recognize that work remains to be done. Please be assured that I will continue to support proposals that improve and enhance medical innovation efforts, and ensure that sustained funding for medical research remains one of my top priorities in the Senate. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you. For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania. Sincerely, Bob Casey United States Senator