Pulmonary Hypertension Association advocates participated in virtual and in-person legislative events this week to urge Congress to support PH issues. On Capitol Hill and online, advocates asked their elected officials to support accessible supplemental oxygen and adequate funding for important health care programs and research. Read more about the live and in-person legislative visits in the May 20 issue of our Advocacy Action Alert.
Want to do your part to support the PH community? Anyone can be an advocate in as few as five minutes. PHA makes it quick and easy to connect with your members of Congress. Visit our Advocacy Action Center and use one of our email templates to ask your legislators to support policies to improve the lives of people with PH.
Here are a few issues where you can make a difference:
Supplemental oxygen. The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act would improve access to supplemental oxygen for Medicare beneficiaries. About 1.5 million Americans need supplemental oxygen because of advanced or serious lung or heart disease. Supplemental oxygen allows people to go grocery shopping, see the doctor appointments, visit family and other day-to-day activities.
Unfortunately, many people – especially those enrolled in Medicare – face challenges in getting the right type and levels of oxygen. The bill would help them access the type of supplemental oxygen they need for active, fulfilling lives.
PHA urges the PH community to ask Congress to pass the SOAR Act. Join other people who use oxygen, as well as patient and health organizations and oxygen providers and suppliers to advocate for improved oxygen access. Use PHA’s script and template to ask Congress to pass the SOAR Act.
Make copays count. People with PH often rely on financial assistance to pay for expensive PH medication. But some insurance companies make it harder for them to afford their copays. The insurance companies accept copayments from patients’ financial assistance sources but don’t count those payments toward deductibles. That means patients still have to pay for the full deductible when their financial assistance runs out for the year.
The Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act would close the loophole that allows insurance companies to “double dip” and take more than their fair share. Tell your legislators to support the HELP Copays Act.
Preserve Medicaid funding. Congress is considering major cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid provides health care insurance to nearly 80 million Americans, including many of vulnerable people in the PH community. Without Medicaid coverage, many Medicaid beneficiaries with PH would have to halt their life-sustaining therapy. Medicaid cuts also strain already struggling rural health systems. Hospitals in rural areas receive large portions of their funding from Medicaid programs and operate on thin margins. Tell Congress not to cut Medicaid.
Research funding. Many PHA-accredited PH Care Centers receive research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The NIH funds support research to improve life expectancy and quality of life for people with PH and others. Research on nearly every existing PH therapy began with work funded by NIH. Ask your legislators to support fully funding NIH.
Want to keep up with PHA’s advocacy work and find out when the next advocacy event is taking place? Stay in the know by signing up for our Advocacy Action Alert monthly newsletter. Or email us with questions about how to get involved.
