Posted in support of the Eating Disorder Coalition

3 Ways To Help Move The FREED Act Forward Posted: 19 Oct 2011 09:53 AM PDT It has been a couple weeks now since EDC advocates descended on the Hill for EDC National Lobby Day to share their stories with Members of Congress and staff about why we need the FREED Act. Since then we hope you've continued to be inspired by your advocacy efforts --they made an impact. The forward momentum we began generating on EDC National Lobby Day needs to continue if we want to see the FREED Act passed. Here are three effective and important ways you can help continue moving the FREED Act forward:   One --participate in our Letter-Writing Campaign (details below)   Two --ask at least 10 of your family and friends to participate in this Letter Writing Campaign. We have had Members of Congress sign onto the FREED Act after receiving just one letter from a constituent. Three --Tweet and "share" on FB about the FREED Act and this blog. So many, including providers and sufferers and parents and caregivers, do not yet know about the FREED Act. We need to work together to get the word out about FREED. Imagine if every constituent who has been affected by an eating disorder participated in our Letter Writing campaign? Members of Congress would then clearly see that Eating Disorders are serious, there is hope, and they CAN make a difference by seeing that the FREED Act gets signed into law as soon as possible. Let's continue our momentum, using the power of our collective voices to: Stand up, Believe, Make a Difference! ~ With sincere thanks to each of you for all the time and energy you dedicate to helping pass FREED. yours from the Hill, Kathleen LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN DETAILS: How? Call your Member of Congress' office in DC and ask to speak to the person who handles eating disorders or related issues. Normally you will be asked to leave a message for that person (oftentimes that person is referred to as the "Health LA"). When you leave your message, state that you are a constituent and that you would like to talk with them about eating disorders and the FREED Act. Leave your name and number (speak slowly and clearly), and ask for a return call, or an email. <--Oftentimes the staff member will state their email address within their voicemail recording so be ready to take down their email address and then in your message, let them know you will follow-up with an email. If you do end up emailing the staffer, please see the Sample Letter on the EDC Facebook page and/or website for ideas of how to draft your message.http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/letter-writing-campaign.htm Keep your email message to what would be a one-page letter. When you tailor the sample letter to be personal, you are welcome to include something about the recent NYTimes article, such as, "A couple of weeks ago individuals who have been personally impacted by eating disorders were on the Hill sharing their stories and requested that your boss sign on as a cosponsor of the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders (FREED) Act, H.R. 1448/S 481. I wanted to bring your attention to an article that was on the front page of the New York Times on October 14, 2011 regarding the serious issues individuals with eating disorders are facing with getting insurance coverage. This story further reinforces the importance of ensuring that insurance companies provide coverage for eating disorders, an issue that the FREED Act would address. The New York Times front page story:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/business/ruling-offers-hope-to-eating-disorder-sufferers.html?_r=1 On your emails to staff, please cc: kmacdonald@eatingdisorderscoalition.org so that we can help you follow-up. To find out who your Representative is go to: http://www.house.gov/ and enter in your zipcode; To find out who your Senators are go to: www.senate.gov and search for your State.