Illinois
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NPR Illinois
Lawmakers Consider Physician Exemption For Lyme Disease
By JACLYN DRISCOLL • 16 HOURS AGO
Illinois lawmakers could give doctors more protection when it comes to prescribing experimental drugs for Lyme disease. Experts say the bloodsucking bugs could be expanding their range this year, spreading the disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
Often times, those infected don’t realize it or it’s not diagnosed correctly causing lifelong issues. State Sen. Chris Nybo from (R-Elmhurst) says doctors are also generally cautious in treatment methods for the disease.
“It’s very hard to find physicians that are willing to prescribe this type of treatment, even though they believe that it’s medically necessary, because of the disciplinary risk that exists,” said Nybo.
The proposal would exempt doctors from disciplinary action in these cases. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is opposed to the idea. Meghan Kolassa, with the department, said no doctors have been disciplined for treating Lyme disease in Illinois.
“We do have a problem with putting this type of immunity or exemption for doctors inside the Medical Practice Act," said Kolassa. We don’t lay out any other disease in the Medical Practice Act and tell them how to treat or what not to treat.”
Even some doctors have serious reservations about the proposed legislation. They said any experimental process should have oversight. Typically doctors treat Lyme disease with basic antibiotics, but they also recognize that the disease can have chronic issues they do not yet understand.
The bill passed nearly unanimously out of the House and moves to the Senate for consideration.
Link Here-
http://nprillinois.org/post/lawmakers-consider-physician-exemption-lyme-disease#stream/0
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Lyme Disease treatment measure passes Illinois House.
May 2, 2018 Local News
An issue that was brought before 74th District State Representative Dan Swanson by constituents was treatment for Lyme Disease.
Swanson passed the “Lauryn Russell Lyme Disease Prevention & Protection Law” through the Illinois House on Friday to allow physicians to prescribe more aggressive treatment for Lyme Disease without the fear of disciplinary action.
“It requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to create a Lyme Disease Task Force and also amend the Medical Practice Act that requires the treatment of Lyme Disease in certain individuals,” Swanson said.
The legislation was inspired by Lauryn Russell, a 12-year-old student from Mercer County, who has Lyme Disease and has had to seek treatment out of state due to potential disciplinary action that could be taken against her Illinois physician for treating Lauryn’s post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) or Chronic Lyme Disease.
“After local families reported these problems to me with treatment of Lyme Disease, I felt compelled to act on behalf of my constituents,” Swanson said. Advocates for Lyme Disease sufferers say the current recommended treatment of the disease, 10 to 21 days of antibiotics, is insufficient for people with advanced or chronic levels of the disease. Nine states have enacted similar legislation including: Iowa, California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Virginia.
Link Here- http://www.thelaseronline.com/2018/05/02/lyme-disease-treatment-measure-passes-illinois-house/
Articles
UPDATE: Illinois Lawmakers Approve Physician Exemption For Lyme Disease
By JACLYN DRISCOLL • MAY 14, 2018
Comments on this bill...
XXX IL has passed a Lyme bill just for protecting the LLMD---it passed thru the senate unopposed. Next, the same congressman and mom are working on ins for Lymies. IL is a conservative state, medically since the AMA is in Chgo.
Lucy Barnes XXX This bill is a problem. Assuming you mean this one? https://legiscan.com/IL/text/HB4515/2017
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XXX Yes. Why do you think It's a prob?
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Lucy Barnes I am not sure why patients and those who have not worked in the political arena believe they can get a GOOD bill passed? If patients look around they'd see that even the large, long time Lyme organizations are NOT putting in bills. There are many goo...See More
Lucy Barnes Look at page 5, lines 6-11. The guideline clearning house is due to close down July 1, 2018 I believe. (May be wrong on exact date.) It may be purchased or a deal made with those who have interests in keeping up a place for the guidelines, which is by far, the IDSA- the ones beating us in the ground now. If they are in charge, there goes ILADS guidelines. We'd all be under the IDSA guidelines with no choices.
Lucy Barnes See- Page 7, lines 6 thru 26, continued to page 8, lines 1-2. This allows that unbalanced Task Force to make up rules for IL that relate to Lyme and TBD's, including reporting, diagnositcs and treatment. Let's say just as an example- the new IDSA Ly...See More
Lucy Barnes To be honest XXX- I didn't finish reading the entire bill because it goes off in many directions in the middle that are unrelated to Lyme, then the final paragraph on page 23 speaks to the situation with Lyme doctors. In itself it is passable, however, when the Task Force (example here) says all doctors in IL will follow the IDSA Lyme guidelines- that "good paragraph" is shot down too.
XXX- I'm not all that familiar with it.I live in chgo p/t so I know what's going on there.
Lucy Barnes XXX Hope it is something you and others can appreciate. When Lyme organizations aren't doing something, I wish people would ask why and ask for their advice and help before they take off on their own and try.
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Lucy Barnes XXX Bills, if passed, become laws. Those laws aren't easily, if ever, revoked. So having bad bills/laws on the record not only negatively affects you, me and our current doctors, but all future generations too. THAT is what upsets me the ...See More
