Epilepsy Talk

The House of Representatives recently passed HR 1, a bill that would provide funding for millions of government programs for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The bill contains cuts to programs that are important to people with epilepsy including:

– $1 billion in research funding at the National Institutes of Health, of which $5 million will likely come from epilepsy;

– $50 million in cuts to the Health Resources Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Block Grant which includes Project Access, an epilepsy program;

– Employment and education programs

– It also redirects funding for key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (health reform) to delay or prevent their implementation.

The Senate is likely to vote on this same measure in the next week. It is vital that you tell your Senators that cuts to programs that help people with epilepsy live safely in their communities are not acceptable.

Cuts to innovative research will mean that finding a cure for epilepsy can be delayed by years, cuts or elimination of programs like Project Access that help children with epilepsy get the best medical care will mean that families, many of whom live in rural areas, will not have access to trained epilepsy specialists, and programs that help children with epilepsy go to school and adults to find jobs will no longer be available.

In other words, cuts to public health and disability programs do more harm than good.

Please ask your Senator to vote against HR 1 when it comes to the Senate.

And please also spread the word by telling a friend about these cuts.