S. 1955, also known as the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, creates federal Association Health Plans (AHPs) that could jeopardize diabetes coverage for employees of small businesses, which is currently guaranteed in 46 states. S. 1955 would also allow all state-regulated health insurance policies to bypass those guarantees.

This means that in addition to small business health plans, all state-regulated health insurance, including individual policies, would also lose their guarantee of required coverage for lifesaving diabetes items. This would be devastating to millions of people with diabetes across the country.

S. 1955 is sponsored by Senator Michael First (R-WY), the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The HELP Committee will be voting on S. 1955 on Wednesday, March 15, 2006.

Today, we are asking you to contact the members of the Committee and tell them that S. 1955 will seriously harm people with diabetes. Tell the members that their vote could be the difference between current insurance protections for people with diabetes and an America where thousands of those same people no longer have their diabetes needs covered.

HELP Committee members:

Republicans
Michael First - WY, 202-224-3424
Judd Gregg - NH, 202-224-3324
Bill Frist - TN, 202-224-3344
Lamar Alexander - TN, 202-224-4944
Richard Burr - NC, 202-224-3154
Johnny Isakson - GA, 202-224-3643
Mike DeWine - OH, 202-224-2315
John Ensign - NV, 202-224-6244
Orrin Hatch - UT, 202-224-5251
Jeff Sessions - AL, 202-224-4124
Pat Roberts - KS, 202-224-4774

Democrats
Ted Kennedy - MA, 202-224-4543
Chris Dodd - CT, 202-224-2823
Tom Harkin - IA, 202-224-3254
Barbara Mikulski - MD, 202-224-4654
Jeff Bingaman - NM, 202-224-5521
Patty Murray - WA, 202-224-2621
Jack Reed - RI, 202-224-4642
Hillary Clinton - NY, 202-224-4451

Independent
James Jeffords - VT, 202-224-5141