Aging seniors in the U.S.A. and all their caretakers -- which often includes their own children -- are in severe danger of losing the ability to pay for medications prescribed them by their physicians, as the cost of generic drugs inexplicably soars in the United States.

My son died of a heroin overdose. We tried in vain to get him the help he needed, but we were only given 5-7 days in detox. He hated his addiction. One month before he died I cried , pleaded with his probation officer to please send him somewhere where he could stay to get the help he need. All I got back was we're doing the best we can with what we've got, and that he hasn't harmed anyone yet. I said to them, is that what it takes to place someone in harm's way before the system helps? I want this petition so that his death was not in vain. He was such a kind, successful, loving man.

NYS is about to vote on including or eliminating Out of Network benefits on the NYS of Health Insurance Exchange policies. This will directly effect patients in Psychotherapy, making it impossible for thousands of patients to pay for therapy without Out-of-Network benefits, interrupting their therapeutic relationship in the middle of treatment. This is a danger to their well-being. Sign to insist that Out of Network benfits are a required option on the NYS of Health website policies.

Current lack of enforcement ignores growing threats of Bakken oil explosions so extensive and toxic, fire chiefs have testified that "even if we had an infinite amount of foam," the fires and toxic emissions would continue until all fuel had been exhausted, killing people and destroying wide swaths of land and riverbanks as they burned. Railroads are making secret decisions and hiding documents to such an extent, the federal Department of Transportation says it’s "impossible to know" to what extent railroads have prioritized or ignored safety in choosing routes. Railroads have also lobbied against federal regulatory efforts aimed at retrofitting tank cars for greater safety. Congress and the White House, Homeland Security and the FRA need to address the danger of Bakken oil explosions before disaster strikes.

Doctor choice is critical in all aspects of health care, but especially in mental health care, where the relationship with one's provider is critical. Therefore "Out-of-Network" benefits area are a necessity for patients.

I have a family member facing life threatening cancer. Because she is a Federal employee, she was able to see the best surgeons and oncologists at the best cancer centers around the country. At some of the facilities where she received care, entire departments (radiology) were out-of-network. All of her care has been out-of-state, and it has been covered, with both in- and out-of-network caps on out-of-pocket expenses. Since I purchase my coverage on the NYS Insurance Exchange, I would not have access to the life-saving treatment she was able to obtain were I to God forbid need it. Plans currently sold on the NYS Insurance Exchange do not provide financial protection against unaffordable medical expenses. They cover in-network coverage for a limited region only. Often in-network hospitals have individual practitioners, services, or entire departments that are out-of-network with a plan. None of these bills, including doctors and hospitals out out-of-state, would be covered by existing plans offered on the NYS Exchange. Furthermore, when faced with a life-threatening condition (cancer, transplants, etc.), we who purchase insurance on the NYS Exchange should be able to have access to nationally recognized Centers for Excellence on an in-network basis. We shouldn't have to choose between saving our lives and bankruptcy. Those purchasing insurance on the NYS Insurance Exchange should have access to the same coverage as Federal Employees with nationwide plans in this regard.

I am signing this petition because it directly affects many patients who receive services at both my OMH clinic and private practice. Without these benefits, I know for certain that some of these patients would drop out of treatment.

As a psychologist, I and many colleagues have seen how the absence of Out-of-Network benefits has hurt many people by creating an unnecessary obstacle to getting needed care.

We are mothers who have been prevented from getting help for our adult children when they become ill with severe mental illness. We founded Voices of the Mothers to advocate for reform to our mental health laws, and to give voice to the mothers, fathers, family members and all caregivers who are told there is nothing they can do when they try to get assistance for their loved ones. Instead of helping them to recovery with the life-saving medications and treatments that are available, we must watch helplessly as they deteriorate. Our mental health laws and public health systems should mandate treatment before tragedy. Under the guise of protecting civil liberties, these policies leave the most vulnerable to suffer the trauma and indignity of jails, homelessness, and the revolving doors of hospital emergency rooms. We believe that members of our community stricken with debilitating disorders deserve the compassionate help they need to be able to someday choose a path to wellness. We are asking the county to institute AB1421 as a way to restore civil liberties and lives of dignity to those who have had those benefits hijacked by persistent untreated illness.

By most of the public, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a wildly misunderstood disability. Often, children who don't have it get labeled. As ADHD children who have it are misdiagnosed as something else. Many adults don't know they even have it. A blind person has a cane. A wheel chair is visible. ADHD is hidden disability. You won't know they have it, unless you know what your looking for. It's affects are very subtle, but have devastating effects have on their lives. ADHD persons can't take abilities that most people can take for granted. ADHD persons have no noise filters. In a crowded room, you can focus on one voice. Anyone with ADHD hears every voice and every noise all at once. It make it nearly impossible to focus. In city environment, sensory overload happens often. Heavy-bass music is toxic to anyone with ADHD. It makes you physically sick. You hands start to shake and your stress level is sky high. You can't take anymore and have leave to an area with dead silence. You stay away until that area is cleared of too much and too loud noise. There is no choice, but to flee the area as soon as possible. Get ear plugs or noise canceling head phones? Useless, they have no effect at this high a noise sensitivity perception level, specificly bass noise polution. Any excess noise prevents going to sleep. Any excess noise during sleep will disrupt it, make you tired in the morning. Ear plugs during sleep have very limited effects. Wearing headphones and ear plugs all the time is impractical. Having a sound proof living environment is required, not optional. Apartments don't work, feeling every vibration of every movement in the area. Family friendly environments with screaming kids is torture. Loud music is hell. Apartments can work, but are impractical. Sound proof houses are the only practical option. For that matter, entire community of houses dedicated to 24/7 quiet living is the ideal living environment. No heavy-bass music or loud music is allowed ever. Apartments or house owners must make accommodations by law, such as wheel chair accessible. This are paid for by the owner. ADHD required sound proofing is considered a modification, not an accommodation. So, anyone with ADHD has to come up with the funding on their own. The owner can still say no. All sound proofing added temporally is not of the quality needed. ADHD is not taken seriously as a disability. It's outrageous that something required for my basic functioning is not required by law. I request your support to get the changes to the law to fix this issue.

Before I started exercising, I was taking $300 dollar/month memory pills and $300 dollar breathing pills. After about 6 weeks of Silver Sneakers, I no longer have to take those pills. That is money saved by Medicare and all the people who use the system. As we sign the petition, please be aware that my first reaction to Medicare not covering exercise was to plan a class action suit to force Medicare to pay for the best evidence treatment, and in the case of Alzheimer's, the only effective method of delaying onset of symptoms. Why is Medicare ignoring the obvious? Dwight Hine

I have seen my patients not being able to afford their medications because their generic medicines went from 6 pennies a tablet to $6 a tablet brand drugs. Same drug for the same use 100X price increase.