Help the SAAAVE Act

VDF supports the SAAAVE Act, which is now before Congress. This law provides for a one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) for individuals who are at risk for AAA and who are beneficiaries of Medicare. SAAAVE stands for Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently. The Act directs Medicare to cover AAA screening. AAA is one of our nation's most preventable but often neglected conditions, taking approximately 15,000 American lives every year. VDF is a member of the National Aneurysm Alliance, which worked to get this bill before Congress. Congressional support is now needed for successful passage of this Act. You can help! Send a letter or postcard to your U.S. Representative and Senators, asking them to support the SAAAVE Act (HR 827). It takes only a few minutes and three stamps! See the attached box for a sample letter. Contact us if you have any questions.

AAA is an abnormal expansion of the abdominal portion of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. This expansion can lead to an arterial rupture and cause severe internal bleeding. If the artery ruptures, the survival rate is less than 15 percent. AAA is one of the most preventable common causes of death because it is highly treatable and curable in 95 percent of men and women when detected before rupture occurs. Like other preventive measures, aneurysm screening will ultimately result in a cost savings to the Medicare program because the cost of routine screening pales in comparison to the cost of rehabilitating victims who may survive a ruptured aneurysm.