Apply now to take part in PHA’s Capitol Hill Day on Monday, March 9, 2026.

Advocates will speak to legislators about the needs of the pulmonary hypertension community, including the challenges of accessing supplemental oxygen and affordable, adequate health insurance coverage.

No prior advocacy experience is needed. The Pulmonary Hypertension Association will provide training and talking points. Advocates will be assigned to small groups by voting district, and each group will have a trained PHA staff facilitator at their meetings.

If you feel nervous about participating, that’s OK, says support group leader Jeannie Kendrick, who was anxious about her first advocacy meeting earlier this year.

“One thing I kept hearing from other advocates … was, “It’s not that hard,” she says. “For me, that wasn’t helpful. When I acknowledged that advocating in person was way out of my comfort zone, my support group and PH friends were able to encourage me and help me prepare for the meeting while still feeling nervous.”

Kendrick, a co-leader of PHA’s South Jersey Support Group, shared her experience advocating for the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act in Sen. Andy Kim’s Barrington, New Jersey, district office.She joined her co-leader Nancy Zeppa in the meeting.

“I felt fear and anxiety leading up to the meeting, but also excitement,” Kendrick says. “So I tried to lean into that. Knowing that I didn’t have to do it alone gave me strength.”

For those planning to sign up for Capitol Hill Day, Kendrick suggests trying to calm your nerves beforehand. Practice talking about the SOAR Act or other legislation with friends, family members or medical professionals you interact with, she recommends.

Hill Day schedule

• Week of Feb. 23, 2026: Online training webinar for all advocates. PHA will send a link to a those who can’t join the in-person training on March 8.
• Sunday, March 8: Dinner and advocacy training
• Monday, March 9, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Advocacy visits on Capitol Hill. PHA will provide breakfast, lunch and transportation to and from Capitol Hill.

Financial assistance

PHA will provide stipends to cover travel and hotel costs for each advocate. PHA also will reimburse travel expenses, such as meals and medical equipment rental (e.g., portable oxygen concentrators), per PHA’s travel policy. Spaces are limited.

Call 240-485-0758 to learn more about Capitol Hill Day.  

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