Category Archives: Advocacy Summit

Utilization Management Getting an Overhaul in Washington State

“Going to the WA Advocacy Summit is always a privilege. Being able to effect change to our health care law is an amazing thing,” says Heidi Barrett, Arthritis Foundation Washington state advocacy chair and a Platinum Ambassador. “Knowing this change will make the lives of the 1.3 million adults and 6,100 children in Washington with arthritis better is a humbling experience.” Continue reading Utilization Management Getting an Overhaul in Washington State

Take Action to #AdvocateforArthritis

2019 Advocacy Summit Social Campaign

Kerry Wong Platinum Ambassador

Did you know that the Empowered to Live Yes! Advocacy Summit is taking place in Washington, DC this March 11-12? There, our Advocates and Ambassadors will gather together to be the voice for arthritis on Capitol Hill. We’re calling on you to help amplify the impact of our in-person meetings with legislators by participating virtually in our #AdvocateforArthritis social media campaign on Tuesday, March 12.

Staci Penner Platinum Ambassador

On Tuesday, March 12  our 2019 Advocacy Summit participants will be on Capitol Hill to meet their elected officials and their staff in person to discuss legislative priorities like reforming burdensome step therapy practicesbuilding the congressional arthritis caucus, and even securing funding for research for a cure!

You have an important role to play in making sure these messages stand out to our members of Congress—you can help us #AdvocateforArthritis by participating in our social media campaign. With over 97% of Congress using social media platforms like twitter and facebook to connect with their constituents and learn about what is important to them, we have an enormous power to influence our policymakers by uniting online!

You can take action in five easy steps: 
  1. Create your sign: Print out this sign and in one sentence, written large and legible, tell us why you #AdvocateforArthritis!
  2. Take your picture: Hold your sign and snap a picture- it’s important that your words are large and easy to read in the picture. Ask a friend to take your picture so they can help make sure your message is clear!

    Maggie Barrett Junior Ambassador
  3. Set an alarm: Our goal is to flood the internet with our messages of hope and determination at 12:00 pm Eastern Time on March 12. Coordinating our posts will help our hashtag gain traction on social media. Set an alarm on your phone or calendar right now to remind yourself to post your picture online at 12:00 pm eastern on March 12!
  4. Plan your Post:Your post can be simple, just reiterate the reason that you #AdvocateforArthritis! You’ll want to make sure to include the hashtag #AdvocateforArthritis and tag the Arthritis Foundation. You can find us on FacebookTwitter @ArthritisFdn and Instagram @arthritisfoundation.
  5. Send it live: On March 12 at 12:00 pm Eastern Time, your alarm will ring to tell you it’s time to share your story online. You can view all of the posts in our social media aggregator on our Advocate 101 web page.
If you want to take your post to the next level, you can:
  1. Tag your members of Congress. Your post can tell them why you #AdvocateforArthritis and to keep an eye out for our Advocacy Champions on the Hill that day.
  • Example tweet: “I #AdvocateforArthritis with the @ArthritisFdn because patients are the ultimate stakeholders in health care. @ SenatorCantwell& @PattyMurray, look out for our Arthritis Advocates on Capitol Hill this March 12!”

    TheMoschitta family #Advocatesforarthritis
  1. Share a Link to our Action Center. Encourage your friends to take action by your side by sharing a link to org/actioncenter. There they’ll be able to pick an action alert of their choice that will allow them to send a pre-formatted letter to Congress,emphasizing the asks from our Advocacy Summit. This will help us amplify the voices on Capitol Hill an encourage members of Congress to support our arthritis priorities.
  • Example tweet: “I #AdvocateforArthritis with the @ArthritisFdn because patients are the ultimate stakeholders in health care. Take action with me by sharing your story with Congress at arthritis.org/actioncenter
  1. Raise Awareness for your Walk to Cure Arthritis Team Page.By posting your reason to #AdvocateforArthritis with a link to your team or donation page, you have an opportunity to reach new people with your message and motivate them to help contribute to research for a cure.
  • Example tweet, “I #AdvocateforArthritis because I am one of the 300,000 children in the United States with juvenile arthritis. You can support my @ArthritisFdn advocacy by joining or contributing to my Walk to Cure Arthritis Team. [Include a link to your team page]”

Post your pictures with our #AdvocateforArthritis hashtag and we will show the world that we are Empowered to Live Yes!

Here are some sample signs to help you brainstorm:
Heidi Barrett Platinum Ambassador
  • I #AdvocateforArthritis because sharing my story gives me hope and purpose in my daily battle with this disease.
  • I #AdvocateforArthritis because people with arthritis deserve a cure.
  • I #AdvocateforArthritis because my child lives with JA & because of the Arthritis Foundation, she knows she/he is not alone.
  • I #AdvocateforArthritis because I need to protect my access to my medications so that I can continue to walk.
  • I #AdvocateforArthritis because I am the 1 in 3 military veterans that came home with this disease.

Related Resources:

Importance of Step Therapy Reform

Step therapy, also known as “fail first,” is a tool used by insurers that requires patients to try a less expensive treatment, or series of treatments, before they can access the drug originally prescribed by their physician. Overly burdensome step therapy requirements can jeopardize the patient-provider relationship and unnecessarily prolong ineffective treatment, preventing patients from immediately starting, or in some cases continuing, to access the most appropriate treatment recommended by their doctor. Continue reading Importance of Step Therapy Reform

Connecting | More than Ever Before! Celebrating the Record Breaking 70 Platinum Ambassadors

A record number of individuals achieved the Arthritis Foundation’s highest advocacy honor in 2018 and became Platinum Ambassadors. At the 2019 Advocacy Summit, March 11-12, in Washington, DC, participants will be able to connect with the 2018 cohort of 70 Platinum Ambassadors who will be recognized for their outstanding advocacy achievements on behalf of the arthritis community. Registration for the Advocacy Summit closes on February 4 – register today! Continue reading Connecting | More than Ever Before! Celebrating the Record Breaking 70 Platinum Ambassadors

2019 Advocacy Summit

Find Your Voice & Share Your Story at the Live Yes! Advocacy Summit

Mark your calendars! This year’s Live Yes! Advocacy Summit will take place on March 11-12, 2019 in Washington, D.C. and it won’t be a success without your voices from across the country.  Join us in the nation’s capitol and share your story with policymakers to break down barriers to care for people with arthritis.

Continue reading Find Your Voice & Share Your Story at the Live Yes! Advocacy Summit

2018 Platinum Ambassador Assembly Highlights

Platinum Ambassador Assembly – Highlights from Capitol Hill

Earlier this week, we held our first ever Platinum Ambassador Assembly in Washington, D.C. The Assembly is a meeting for our most highly engaged advocacy volunteers to hone their skills, meet other Platinum Ambassadors from around the country and share their stories with members of Congress. Our Junior Ambassadors and future leaders – volunteers committed to achieving Platinum Ambassador status in 2018 – were also in attendance to learn, share their stories and fight for the over 54 million Americans who are living with arthritis.
Continue reading Platinum Ambassador Assembly – Highlights from Capitol Hill

2017 Advocacy Summit Highlights

Success at Summit! Advocates Meet with Congress as American Health Care Act Released

The 2017 Advocacy Summit was held March 6-7 in Washington, DC, and while the outcome is still developing, we are very pleased with the results thus far.

Arthritis affects people regardless of age or origin, so it was no surprise that this year’s Summit attendees were a mix of all ages from coast to coast. More than 400 people from 45 states attended.
Continue reading Success at Summit! Advocates Meet with Congress as American Health Care Act Released

Advocacy Summit Day 2 Highlights: Advocates Meet with State and Federal Policymakers to Share Their Stories

Day two of the Advocacy Summit started with lots of chatter about the Trump administration’s unveiling of repeal and replace health care legislation.

Several aspects of the bill align with our Patient Principles for Health Care which outlines four principles that, if adopted, will result in a transparent health care system that allows easier access to more affordable care. The bill includes language that prevents denying coverage for people with preexisting conditions, bans lifetime coverage caps and allows young people to remain on their parent’s insurance plans until they turn 26-years-old – all good news for the arthritis community!
Continue reading Advocacy Summit Day 2 Highlights: Advocates Meet with State and Federal Policymakers to Share Their Stories

2017 Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit Day 1

400 Volunteers Prepare for Meetings with Congress: Advocacy Summit Day 1 Highlights

They came from places like Runnels, a small town in Iowa with 507 residents, and New York City, the second largest city in the world.

Lydia and Susanna
Lydia and Susanna Meyer, NV

People like Leticia Hugues and her son, Ashton, from Smiths Grove Kentucky, Lydia Meyer and her daughter Susanna from Reno, Nevada, and Kelli Carlson from Woodbury Minnesota and her friend Kelli Dwyer from La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Continue reading 400 Volunteers Prepare for Meetings with Congress: Advocacy Summit Day 1 Highlights

2016 Arthritis Foundation Platinum Ambassadors

Record Number of Advocates Earn Platinum Ambassador Status

A record number of individuals have achieved the Arthritis Foundation’s highest advocacy honor in 2016 and became Platinum Ambassadors. At the 2017 Advocacy Summit, March 6-7, in Washington, DC, 41 new Platinum Ambassadors will be recognized for their outstanding advocacy accomplishments on behalf of the arthritis community.

Platinum Ambassadors are an elite group of Advocates who go above and beyond the call of duty by accomplishing a challenging list of advocacy assignments along with four bonus activities, all while raising funds to support the Foundation’s mission to conquer and cure arthritis.

“Platinum Ambassadors are the special forces of our Advocate army,” said Sandie Preiss, national vice president, Advocacy & Access. “They use their voice and arthritis stories, at an elevated level of frequency and sophistication, to help knock down barriers to health care.”
Continue reading Record Number of Advocates Earn Platinum Ambassador Status