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Welcome to ObesityVote.com!What's this project all about?ObesityVote.com is a grassroots effort organized to alert, educate, and inform the Virginians of legislative issues involving obesity and to encourage them to communicate with their legislators by offering them the tools to do so. We need you to tell your story
of how obesity has affected your life and your health. Right now, many people
with morbid obesity cannot be treated with weight-loss (bariatric) surgery, the
only effective treatment known for morbid obesity. For these individuals, health care insurance does not cover
this treatment, even though research has shown that the vast majority of people
who have had this surgery are cured of other diseases
caused by obesity or experience improvement in them. These diseases
include diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, sleep apnea, and cancer.
It’s important for Virginia’s legislators to understand how you live
and cope with morbid obesity, how it has affected your life, and, if you’ve had
surgery, how it has changed your life and health. Even though weight-loss surgery has been
shown to save money (and lives), some health insurers refuse to pay for the
treatment. At the same time,
insurance companies reap high profits and pass those along to their stockholders
while denying life-saving treatments for their insured. Legislation (House
Bill 624) has been introduced to make it mandatory for health insurance
companies to pay for weight-loss surgery for those people who have morbid
obesity and are motivated to follow the treatment program.
We need your help in letting legislators know how you feel about
this issue by telling your personal stories to them. We need you to urge them to
pass this important legislation so that all individuals with morbid obesity will have health
insurance coverage for the life-saving, life-changing weight-loss surgery they
so desperately need. Important notice:If you have already had surgery, this bill affects you too! Months, even years after your surgery, if you develop a condition requiring corrective surgery that resulted from your weight-loss surgery (e.g., hernia, narrowing of the stoma, strictures, etc.), your insurance company may not pay for it without new legislation to mandate these benefits! This is why it is important that everyone be concerned and for you to Exercise Your Voice! Why should I register with ObesityVote.com?We urge everyone who visits ObesityVote.com to register with us. As a registered visitor, you will receive updates and news about this effort, including calls to action, progress during the 2006 legislative session, and step-by-step-step instructions on how to contact your legislators during each of the phases of our mission. You will also have access to upcoming features we are working on to make it easy for you to continue communicating with your legislators on very important issues relating to obesity. Who sees my information?The information you give us is confidential and will never be shared outside of ObesityVote.com. You will only be contacted if you give us permission to do so. Please read our privacy policy. What do I need to do now to help get legislation passed?There are multiple phases to this process.
Phase I
was completed in August 2005. It
involved seeking a positive decision from the Special Advisory Commission on
Mandated Health Insurance Benefits. On a close
vote, the Commission did not approve the request to make
weight-loss surgery a mandated benefit. The
Commission’s report is only advisory because the General
Assembly plays a more important role in this process. Phase II, completed in December 2005, involved everyone contacting members of the General Assembly in face-to-face visits and educating them about them the need for mandating weight-loss surgery to treat morbid obesity. Phase III: A
Call to Action was issued in January of 2005 in support of the new bill, HB
624. We urged members to send a message to the General Assembly expressing
their support of
the new bill by calling the Constituent Viewpoint Messaging Center, toll-free,
prior to the January 26th General Assembly hearing where the House Commerce and
Labor Committee voted to lay HB 624 on the table. However,
in a parliamentary move several weeks ago, our patron, Phase IV is now in progress. Right now, we need you to thank those members on the Commerce and Labor Committee who voted in favor of this bill, and educate those who voted against it about the benefits of weight-loss surgery. Also, urge your friends and family to do the same. In addition, there are several other suggestions we need you to do to keep this bill alive! Visit Breaking News for more information. Please be sure to sign in now or register with ObesityVote.com to keep informed on the progress of this bill and other issues. Who should contact their legislators?From now until the bill is passed, we are asking everyone in Virginia to contact the General Assembly. Whether you are considering weight-loss surgery in the near future or have already had weight-loss surgery, it is imperative that you voice your opinion now. It is also important to have your family, friends, and co-workers call in with their support. Important notice: If you have already had surgery, this bill affects you too! Months, even years after your surgery, if you develop a condition requiring corrective surgery that resulted from your weight-loss surgery (e.g., hernia, narrowing of the stoma, strictures, etc.), your insurance company may not pay for it without new legislation to mandate these benefits! This is why it is important that everyone be concerned and for you to Exercise Your Voice! Register with ObesityVote.com to get important information and instructions on contacting members of the General Assembly as we progress through each phase of our mission. How do I know who my legislators are?Right now, it is not necessary to know who your individual legislators are. What is important is that you thank those members on the Commerce and Labor Committee who voted in favor of this bill, and educate those who voted against it about the benefits of weight-loss surgery. Further suggestions may be found on the Breaking News page. How can I help to spread the word?You can help by registering and by urging others to register with ObesityVote.com, and visit Breaking News for information on educating local legislators about weight-loss surgery. ObesityVote.com looks
forward to the day when all individuals with morbid obesity have the health
insurance coverage to get the life-saving weight-loss surgery they need to live
a healthier, happier lifestyle. Thank you for visiting ObesityVote.com.
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