ADVOCACY ACTION CENTER

Defend Medicaid from (Paper)work Requirements

Congress is considering a proposal which has already been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives that will cut funding to Medicaid and could significantly impact access to Medicaid health care coverage.

The new proposal adds barriers to healthcare called “work requirements.” These requirements add unnecessary and burdensome paperwork that results in people losing their coverage. Many of those at risk for losing Medicaid coverage are already workers, or are caregivers, students, or unable to work due to illness. Medicaid work requirements still puts these recipients at risk of losing coverage because of the administrative barriers this additional eligibility paperwork would impose.

People with pulmonary hypertension rely on regular visits with health care providers and uninterrupted access to life-saving treatments. We know our community cannot afford a sudden gap in care. Join the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in telling Congress to protect Medicaid coverage.

Safe Step Act Ensures Clinician-driven Treatment Decisions

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be a challenging disease to correctly diagnose, and delays in treatment can be devastating for patients with this progressive and potentially fatal illness.

The Safe Step Act (S. 652, H.R. 2630) aims to limit step therapy requirements by providing exceptions for patients who cannot wait for their insurance’s step therapy policy to first try and fail on a different, usually cheaper, drug before receiving coverage for the medical treatment prescribed by their clinician.

Contact your legislators today and ask them to ensure individuals can access their medication in time by cosponsoring the Safe Step Act.

Tell Congress to Pass Supplemental Oxygen Reform

For too long, people who require supplemental oxygen have not had access to the oxygen appropriate for their medical and quality of life needs, especially individuals who require liquid oxygen. For many PH patients, access to portable, accessible, and clinically appropriate treatment has not been available, or has even been revoked by suppliers.

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association urges Congress to pass legislation to ensure anyone who requires supplemental oxygen can access the most appropriate type of oxygen for their needs.

Take action today and urge Congress to pass legislation addressing the challenges associated with supplemental oxygen.

Because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.

Protect Access to Charitable Assistance

The Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act (HELP Copays Act, S. 1375, H.R. 830) protects access to charitable assistance by closing a loophole that insurance companies are using to take more than their fair share of patient copays.

The PH community often relies on charitable assistance to afford copays for expensive PH medications and therapies. Some insurance companies increase their profits by accepting copayments from these third-party sources, without counting those payments towards the patient’s deductible. The means the patient is responsible for the full amount of their deductible once their financial assistance has run out for the year.

Tell your member of Congress to cosponsor the HELP Copays Act and protect our community from this unfair insurance practice.

Stay involved

When you join PHA’s grassroots advocacy network, we send you the resources you need a few times a year to stay in touch with your members of Congress about issues that affect your life. Be heard. Be a PH advocate.

Schedule a meeting with your members of Congress

Your members of Congress work for you. Move PH to the top of their legislative agendas through planned phone calls, video meetings and visits to their offices in your state. Schedule your visit by completing our form or contact us at 301-565-3004 x749.