Lyme disease action needed, Senate urges Health Department

Commentary: This article on the Senate initiative on Lyme disease appeared in today’s Poughkeepsie Journal. I would like to echo Congressman Chris Gibson’s comments, in thanking the Senator Kemp Hannon, other Senate leaders in passing the bill. “I want to express my appreciation to Sen. Kemp Hannon and his fellow members of the Task Force on Lyme for working decisively to bring relief to thousands of patients across upstate New York,” said Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook. “This legislation makes common-sense improvements to state regulations, putting treatment decisions in the hands of physicians who treat Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses…” As per Congressman Gibson, treatment decisions for a complex disease such as Lyme-MSIDS can not be comprehensively covered in insurance company guidelines, and are best left to the clinical judgement of treating physicians. As this epidemic continues to spread, I look forward to working with insurance company leaders to help expand cost effective treatment options for Lyme and associated tick-borne diseases.

Lyme disease action needed, Senate urges Health Department, by Joseph Spector, Poughkeepsie Journal