Advocates Make an Impact With World PH Day Legislative Visits

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) advocates met with 25 congressional offices in May to request support for health care reforms.

The advocates urged legislators to cosponsor the Safe Step and the H.E.L.P. Copays acts. They also discussed the need for supplemental oxygen access reform.

Last month, lawmakers voted for to move the Safe Step Act for consideration by the full Senate. The bill also gained seven new Senate and 41 House sponsors in May. The HELP Copays Act received four Senate and seven House cosponsors in May.

Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) signed on to the Safe Step Act four days after meeting with new Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) advocate Wendy McBride of Statesboro, Georgia.

“The opportunity to advocate for what affects me, as well as countless others, makes me feel alive again,” says Wendy, who was proud to be part of something greater than her personal story.

Deborah Webster of Fountain Run, Kentucky, met with legislative staffers for Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Brett Guthrie, both Republicans from her home state.

“These meetings make me feel like I have a voice and a face to our congressional leaders,” Deborah says. “The more they hear from us, the more powerful it makes us as a whole.”

Another first-time advocate, Uraiwan Campbell of Maricopa, Arizona, had been looking for ways to share her story. She says PHA provided her with the right audience: Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly’s offices.

May was a busy month for PH and health care advocates. In addition to helping advance the Safe Step Act in the legislative process, advocates also pushed back against Medicaid work requirements in debt-ceiling negotiations.

Interested in joining PHA’s legislative advocacy efforts? Sign up for the monthly Advocacy Action Alert to stay informed! Email us or call 301-565-3004 x758 to learn more.