Lyme Disease

2 February 2010
On February 1, subcommittee #1 of the Health, Welfare and Institutions committee passed a motion to "continue" the bills until 2011, a procedural move that ends consideration of the measures this session. The full committee affirmed this action the next day.  MSV appreciates the efforts of Harry Gewanter, M.D. and Donald Poretz, M.D., who spoke on behalf of MSV in opposition to the bills.

29 January 2010
The Lyme disease bills will be heard by subcommittee #1 of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee on Monday, February 1.  MSV representatives and physicians will be prepared to speak against the bills at this meeting.

27 January 2010
MSV strongly oppose the Lyme disease bills introduced this session (HB 512, HB 897, HB 1017, HB 36 and HB 1288).  MSV does not believe that the General Assembly should legislate the standard of care for this disease or any other condition in the Virginia Code.  Moreover, the reporting requirements in many of these bills are duplicative of existing requirements.  White Coats on Call participants are sharing these messages with legislators. 

MSV Position

• The Medical Society of Virginia traditionally has not supported legislation that defines and attempts to codify the standard of care.
• Long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease is controversial, as demonstrated in NIH studies. In addition to showing that long-term treatment is not effective after a certain point, studies have also shown that long-term treatment may pose serious risks for patients.
• If legislation were passed, in the future should a physician, in accordance with his or her clinical judgment, choose not to render long-term care, such treatment decision could be called into question.
• The Virginia Board of Medicine has never sanctioned a physician for prescribing long-term antibiotics for Lyme disease.
• The Virginia Administrative Code, at 12-VAC-5-90-80 (A), already lists “Lyme disease” as a disease that must be reported to the Board of Health. Legislation requiring reporting would be duplicative of already existing law.

Please oppose:

• HB 36 – Del. Bob Marshall – Lyme Disease Reporting
• HB 512 – Del. Tom Rust – Long-term antibiotic use for Lyme disease
• HB 897 – Del. Barbara Comstock – Reporting and long-term antibiotic use
• HB 1017 – Del. Tim Hugo – Reporting and long-term antibiotic use
• HB 1288 – Del. Ken Plum – Reporting; establish registry