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Summertime Setbacks and Contacting Your Legislatures
We are PUMPED about our summer programming!
Disney Jam Virtual Camp? Um, sign me up! (No seriously… I may have to sign up for this…)
But as excited as we are, we’ve hit an unforeseen setback to our summer plans.
For the past three years, many of our clients have been able to receive scholarship funding (“Camperships”) to pay for these *camps (hyperlink the list to this word)*. However, we have recently found out that because our summer camps are virtual this year, they are no longer billable. Because of this, many of our campers will lose the ability to attend camp due to lack of funding.
This stipulation comes from the state level, so each Harmony Garden Therapist has reached out to our state officials to see what can be done to make this funding inclusive for both virtual and in-person summer camps for the benefit and safety of each of our valued campers.
If you desire to join us in advocating for the well-being and safety of our campers, please feel free to adapt the following outline to your unique voice and send letters to our legislators.
- Briefly introduce yourself and your connection to music therapy services (number of years receiving services, reason for services, benefits received from services, etc.)
- Briefly describe the problem:
- Due to the current stipulations of CPT code T2037 – Therapeutic Camping Day, potential campers are being denied financial assistance for camps because the camps are virtual. This code is deemed part of “respite” and therefore only being allowed for in-person camps. The rider for telehealth needs added to this code.
- Briefly describe the need for and benefits of virtual camps:
- Music therapy camps provide opportunities for socialization, positive coping skills, normalization of routine, decreased depression and anxiety, increased expression, elevated mood, and the processing of enormous life changes in the wake of COVID-19. Music and music therapy has also been linked in music therapy research to promote immunity.
- Camps must remain virtual this year due to the immunocompromised state of many of our campers. Providing in-person camps at this time would be unwise, unsafe, and raise ethical concerns.
- Briefly provide a call to action:
- I am reaching out to see if there is anything you can do to help release these funds to encompass both virtual and in-person camps to promote inclusive treatment and care for the most vulnerable yet deserving members of our community, regardless of their economic ability.
- Thank them for their time and action, and sign your full name
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Emails may be sent to the following officials at these links, or by searching “Contact [name]” online.
- Congressman Tim Walberg : https://walberg.house.gov/contact/email
- Representative Julie Alexander : https://gophouse.org/representatives/central/alexander/contact-rep-alexander/
- Representative Sarah Lightner: https://gophouse.org/representatives/central/lightner/contact/
- Senator Mike Shirkey : https://www.senatormikeshirkey.com/contact/
- Senator Gary Peters : https://www.peters.senate.gov/contact/email-gary
- Senator Debbie Stabanow : https://www.stabenow.senate.gov/contact
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