Fellow NHAAMA members,
I wanted to send out a quick email updating everyone on where things stand with regards to HB 610. On Feb 5, Tuesday morning the bill will come up for discussion before a Subcommittee Work Group. This is actually a very good sign — it means that the Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee (the one responsible for taking up the bill), thought it worth assigning to the Subcommittee for fine tuning. Later that day, it will come up for the Executive Committee.
I spoke with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Feb 3, and both were very helpful and gave me a good sense as to some of their concerns and questions are. The Chair of the committee, James Mackay (who happens to currently be having a very good experience with acupuncture), asked if I would be willing to be at the session so that they can ask me some questions. I told him that I would be willing to do so.
The most impactful thing we can likely do at this point is reach out, via both phone and email, to the members of the Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs committee, to let them know that we are in support of the bill. Its particularly impactful if the member called/emailed represents the area where you either live or have your business. We need to indicate to them that we are strongly in support of the bill, and offer our expertise in answering any questions that they may have.
They seem to have concerns over acupuncture’s efficacy–according to Rep. Mackay, the only party who spoke negatively against acupuncture was the Medical Society who claimed that it was “all a big hoax”. I plan to be able to speak to its efficacy and plan to quote several large studies. The Subcommittee is also particularly concerned with anything that can help people dealing with opiate addiction. I plan to discuss acupuncture’s ability to help these folks in 2 ways: 1. Through its ability to effectively treat pain conditions, mitigating the need for opiate prescriptions, and 2. its demonstrated ability to help those people address their addiction directly (helping patients who wish to discontinue opiates).
Based on my conversations with my State Rep, and the other Committee Members, I came away with the feeling that we may be able to have a real impact NOW. I suggest that all of us take some time to both write an email, and call the rep from the committee who is closest to either our home or our business. If you don’t have a rep from your area on the committee, please pick someone else from the committee. I have pasted the committee member contact information below.
I will be going to the Subcommittee session, and will report back as to what transpires. I hope that everyone can take a few minutes today to help advance this bill which has the potential to significantly increase acupuncture’s reach in our communities.
-Adam Learner, L. Ac.President, NHAAMA
Health, Human Services, and Elderly Services Committee:
James Mackay
139 North State Street
Concord, NH 03301-6431
james.mackay@mygait.com
603.224.0623
Kendall Snow
200 Alliance Way #302
Manchester, NH 03102-8403
Ken.Snow@leg.state.nh.us
603.669.1075
Mary Freitas
279 Candia Road
Manchester, NH 03109-4215
Mary.Freitas@leg.state.nh.us
603.622.9056
Jerry Knirk
30 Clancy Road
Freedom, NH 03836-4406
Jerry.Knirk@leg.state.nh.us
617.448.7557
Jeffrey Salloway
20 Langelley Drive
Lee, NH 03861-6646
jc.salloway@unh.edu
603.868.1726
Gerri Cannon
113 Indigo Hill Road
Somersworth, NH 03878-3013
Gerri.Cannon@leg.state.nh.us
603.844.5410
Frances Nutter-Upham
3 Fulton Street
Nashua, NH 03060
Fran.NutterUpham@leg.state.nh.us
603.889.8806
Richard Osborne
195 Lower Beech Hill Road
Campton, NH 03223-4316
Richard.Osborne@leg.state.nh.us
603.254.0265
Joe Schapiro
288 Church Street
Keene, NH 03431-3806
Joe.Schapiro@leg.state.nh.us
603.357.0773
Gary Woods
38 Evangelyn Drive
Bow, NH 03304-4921
Gary.Woods@leg.state.nh.us
603.228.3827
Charles McMahon
11 Floral Street
Windham, NH 03087-1024
cmcmahon55@gmail.com
603.432.8877
Bill Nelson
98 Lyford Road
Brookfield, NH 03872-7337
bill.nelson@leg.state.nh.us
603.522.5279
Joseph Guthrie
15 Madison Drive
Hampstead, NH 03841-2246
lojogut@gmail.com
603.489.1228
John Fothergill
37 Colby St
Colebrook, NH 03576-3045
john.Fothergill@leg.state.nh.us
603.915.1220
William Marsh
742 Pleasant Valley Road
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-7120
William.Marsh@leg.state.nh.us
603.569.6382
Mark Pearson
23 Faith Drive
Hampstead, NH 03841-2370
electmarkpearson@gmail.com
603.571.0205
Dennis Fremont
93 Risloves Way
Fremont, NH 03044-3058
Dennis.Acton@leg.state.nh.us
603.496.6852
Edward Declercq
42 Bell Drive
Salem, NH 03079-1304
Ed.Declercq@leg.state.nh.us
Walter Stapleton
90 Veterans Park Road
Claremont, NH 03743-5021
Walt.Stapleton@leg.state.nh.us
603.542.8656
603.458.5272