Lyme Disease Bill HR741 Moved to House Floor
Frank Wolf and Christopher Smith Debate Bill with Frank Pallone
Oct 1, 2008
On January 27, 2007, Congressman Christopher Smith submitted Bill HR741 that addresses the current Lyme disease epidemic and would provide money for research on Lyme and other tick borne diseases. This bill was cosigned by 114 other members of Congress, but has been sitting on the desk of Congressman Frank Pallone, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce's subcommittee on Health, since February 2, 2007. Mr. Pallone informed the Lyme Disease Association he would bring the bill before his subcommittee in 2008, but he has not. It could die because of his inaction when the 110th Congress retires in December, 2008. In an impassioned eleventh hour attempt to bring the bill to a vote by the House of Representatives, Congressmen Frank Wolf, a cosigner of the bill, requested on September 27th, 2008, that Mr. Pallone bring the bill directly to the House members for action.
Rationale for Bringing the Bill to the House Floor
Congressman Wolf accused Mr. Pallone of burying this bill, as he previously did with its predecessor during the 109th Congress, and called for HR741 to be brought to the House of Representatives for action. Mr Wolf spoke of the increase in Lyme disease cases across the nation, including his state of Virginia, and pointed out that the state of New Jersey, for which Mr. Pallone is a Congressman, also has a high incidence of Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease Funding is Needed
Mr. Wolf described the details of Lyme complications and consequences of inadequate treatment. Congressman Smith then presented reasons why there is a need for action on the bill:
- There is almost a 90% underreporting of cases.
- Up to 60% of patients are misdiagnosed.
- Large numbers of patients are unable to obtain treatment and insurance coverage because of restrictive diagnostic guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
Lyme Disease Treatment is Blocked by IDSA Guidelines
Mr. Smith reiterated that his bill is not designed to determine treatment protocol, but would establish a federal advisory committee for Lyme disease and provide funds that would:
- Research chronic Lyme disease – a condition that IDSA has been unwilling to acknowledge exists.
- Develop a means of identifying Lyme disease to provide early nonaggressive treatment and reduce the need for emergency and aggressive treatments for advanced Lyme disease.
Smith then read excerpts from the House Lyme Caucus and from the suit brought against IDSA by Richard Blumenthal, the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut, citing conflicts of interest on the part of key IDSA panel members who formulated the current guidelines for Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.
The Controversy Over Lyme Disease Treatment Rages
In his response to Wolf and Smith, Mr. Pallone expressed concern that many patients who have received aggressive antibiotics for Lyme disease have died as a result of treatment.
Lyme disease advocates counter this argument with:
- Far more patients with advanced Lyme disease die because of lack of treatment than because of the use of antibiotics.
- Many people who contract Lyme disease are not treated soon enough because the IDSA guidelines for diagnosis are too restrictive.
- Without early treatment, patients reach a point where aggressive steps must be taken, and it is the lack of less aggressive early treatment that requires the administration of the more dangerous antibiotics.
Although the 110th Congressional session is nearing its end, the House of Representatives can discuss and vote on this bill in a lame duck session after the November 2008 elections. Those who feel strongly about Lyme disease should contact their Congressmen and convey their feelings to these public representatives.
To see a video of and read more about this debate click here.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is believed to be accurate and is presented for the sole purpose of informing community members of information pertaining to Lyme Borreliosis. Any and all liability for the content or any omissions, inaccuracies, errors, or misstatements in such information is expressly disclaimed. Because the symptoms of Lyme disease may vary from person to person, if Lyme Disease is suspected, consult a qualified, Lyme disease literate doctor to discuss your symptoms and for medical advice. The author and Suite101.com are not liable for any direct or indirect damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of function, use, data, or profits arising from or in connection with the application of information presented in this article.
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