Delaware Lawmakers Focus on Lyme Disease Prevention and Treatment

State lawmakers are taking aim at Lyme Disease, a tick-borne illness that can cause chronic pain and other long-lasting health problems.

A task force formed by lawmakers last year issued several recommendations Thursday aimed at preventing the spread of the disease, raise awareness and improve treatment and insurance coverage.

One proposal is for health insurers to lead a working group to find ways to improve coverage for patients, many of whom do not qualify for coverage for the expensive treatments needed.

Another is for the state's colleges and universities to collaborate on researching tick biology and ecology in order to help reduce the incidence of Lyme Disease.

Officials note that Delaware had the sixth-highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country in 2013.