On May 6, more than 100 members of the rheumatology community participated in 118 meetings with lawmakers from 26 states—urging members of Congress to sustain research funding, address cuts and stabilize Medicare reimbursement, enact pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms and protect Medicaid funding. See photos and stories from the event.
In visits to Congress members and staff, more than 120 ACR/ARP members and patients urged action to improve patient access to quality treatment. The meetings included discussions about the importance of research funding, ensuring adequate Medicare reimbursement, protecting Medicaid, and making PBMs more transparent and accountable. It’s not too late to amplify their message.
When ACR volunteer leaders, members and patient advocates head to Capitol Hill in May, they will urge members of Congress to protect Medicare and Medicaid against cuts, restore research funding and reform pharmacy benefit managers for better transparency and accountability.
This May, more than 120 ACR leaders, fellows and patients with rheumatic disease will converge in Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress on issues including protecting Medicare and Medicaid, National Institutes of Health research funding and pharmacy benefit manager reform.
This annual event, to be held May 4–6, brings together the rheumatology community to advocate on Capitol Hill for the profession and rheumatic disease patients.
In late September, 80 rheumatologists, rheumatology professionals and patients living with rheumatic disease convened in Washington, D.C., for the ACR’s annual Advocates for Arthritis conference, where they marshaled in support of legislation that would reduce current barriers to care for patients.
Applications are open for this year’s Advocates for Arthritis, which brings together patients and rheumatology professionals to advocate on Capitol Hill. It will be held Sept. 26–27 in Washington, D.C.
All ACR and ARP members are invited to apply to join colleagues and patients in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19–20 for advocacy training and meetings with legislators to advocate on priority issues that affect rheumatology providers and patients.
Amid spirited discussions on drug pricing and insurance challenges, participants got hands-on experience advocating for current bills regulating prior authorization and pharmacy benefit managers.
Eric Dein, MD, shared rheumatology perspectives with five congressional offices on Sept. 28 as part of the virtual Hill Day. Read his hour-by-hour account, including staffer education, legislative requests and prior authorization woes.