On Thursday, February 28th, nearly 300 people will head to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of the bleeding disorders community. This year’s Washington Days participants will advocate for:
- Continued funding for the federal hemophilia programs through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau. These programs provide funding for outreach and prevention, as well as HTC surveillance and other services. As budget issues dominate Congressional activity (see here for a primer on current debate), we will emphasize the importance of these programs and the threat that further cuts to the programs could pose to patient care.
- Additional co-sponsors for the Patients’ Access to Treatments Act, legislation that would reduce out-of-pocket expenses on drugs covered under specialty tiers (tier 4). The bill will prevent private insurers from requiring greater cost sharing, through higher co-payment and/or co-insurance, for drugs in specialty tiers than for other nonpreferred drugs. This bipartisan legislation would benefit people with bleeding disorders and many others with high drug costs.
It’s not too late to join us! If you are interested in participating in Washington Days on February 27-March 1, please click here. While there is no fee to register, please be advised participants are responsible for their own travel and hotel expenses.
Additional material on our Washington Days advocacy, including fact sheets and talking points, will be posted on the NHF Washington Days page in coming weeks. Please check NHF’s Web site for more information.
