SSA Letter: House of Representatives
Date
The Honorable (INSERT MEMBER'S FULL NAME)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative (INSERT LAST NAME):
I hope you will take the next step forward towards fighting a fatal disease called ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). What makes ALS unique compared to most other diseases is that there is no known cause, cure or prevention. There is hope, however, and we can capitalize on it with your assistance.
You can help to improve the quality of lives for ALS patients by writing a letter to Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart of the Social Security Administration requesting that individuals with ALS be eligible for Social Security Disability after they receive an ALS diagnosis from their primary neurologist. This type of coverage is called presumptive eligibility and we are pushing for the Commissioner to include presumptive eligibility for ALS patients in the soon to be released legislative and regulatory package her office will be sending to Congress.
ALS, more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disorder that occurs when motor nerve cells cease to function and die. While in most cases a person's mind remains sharp and alert, voluntary muscle control becomes completely lost, often resulting in paralysis, leaving the patient unable to move, speak, swallow, or breathe. People with ALS are totally dependent on caregivers for all aspects of life, making it hard to find any disease that causes more disability than ALS.
We hope that you will join the ALS community in the fight to provide ALS patients with the disability benefits they deserve and so desperately need.
Sincerely,
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