Tag Archives: healthcare advocacy

pharmacist gag clauses legislation

Congress Said Yes! to Transparency at the Pharmacy Counter

In a strong show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed two pieces of legislation at the end of September that would make it easier for pharmacists to tell patients about their payment options at the pharmacy counter.

Beginning last spring, the Arthritis Foundation led the charge by building support in Congress and among other patient and provider organizations about the importance of this legislation. The bills moved quickly through the legislative process thanks to the strength of Arthritis Foundation Advocates and Ambassadors, who called on their members of Congress to vote in favor of the legislation by sharing their stories.

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affordable care act update

TAKE CARE: Advocacy Blog Series

Update on the Affordable Care Act

We are continuing our advocacy blog series meant to help you take care when it comes to important arthritis health care and coverage issues. If you are just now tuning into this series, check out our previous blog posts on accumulator adjustment programs, pharmacist gag orders, President Trump’s drug pricing blueprint, drug rebates, and premium increases.

This week, we break down a recent legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A court case was recently thrown into the spotlight as a result of the administration’s decision to file a brief essentially arguing that federal courts should find the ACA’s protection for people with pre-existing conditions unconstitutional. Read on to learn more.

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arthritis foundation hill briefing US economy

Arthritis Foundation to Host a Hill Briefing on the Rising Cost of Arthritis to the U.S. Economy

On Thursday, February 1, the Arthritis Foundation and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) – along with seven other health advocacy organizations – will host a briefing on Capitol Hill urging lawmakers to increase research funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to combat the nation’s leading cause of disability.

New data reveals the stunning impact of arthritis on the U.S. economy. Between 2003 and 2013, the annual cost of arthritis more than doubled and now totals $304 billion in direct and indirect costs, according to a CDC-sponsored study published in the September 2017 edition of Arthritis Care & Research. These figures include both higher medical costs to patients, as well as lost earnings from individuals who are unable to work due to their condition.

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