Mark your calendars! This year’s生活是的!Advocacy Summitwill 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 readingFind Your Voice & Share Your Story at the Live Yes! Advocacy Summit
2月28日，星期三，新墨西哥州和全国其他17个州一起通过了限制步进疗法的立法。新墨西哥州州长苏珊娜·马丁内斯(Susana Martinez)签署的参议院第11号法案(Senate Bill 11)改革了强制患者尝试保险公司选择的药物的程序，使患者在使用医生最初开出的药物之前“先失败”。
Step therapy是一种保险惯例，要求患者在允许使用更昂贵的药物之前使用较低成本的药物——不管你的医生开了什么。即使你已经服用了昂贵的药物并且效果良好，这种情况也可能发生。参议院第11号法案对这种做法进行了限制，并帮助病人更快地获得正确的药物。
Continue readingNM Governor Martinez Signs Senate Bill 11 into Law to Curb Step Therapy
Platinum Ambassador Assembly Social Campaign
Did you know that the first everPlatinum Ambassador Assemblyis taking place in Washington, DC this March 12-13? There, our most highly engaged grassroots Ambassadors will gather together to be the voice for arthritis on Capitol Hill.
We’re calling on you to help amplify the voice of our Platinum Ambassador Assembly by participating virtually in our#AdvocateforArthritissocial media campaign on Tuesday, March 13. On that day Platinum Ambassador Assembly participants will be on Capitol Hill to meet their elected officials and their staff in person to discuss legislative priorities like reforming burdensomestep therapy practices,addressing the pediatric rheumatologist shortage, and even securing funding for research for a cure!
By Amy Barron, Platinum Ambassador, OH Advocacy Committee
I am privileged to serve as a member of the Arthritis Foundation’s Ohio State Advocacy Committee. Advocacy committees like mine help to chart the course of local and state-wide advocacy action for our arthritis community. Many of our committee members serve as Arthritis FoundationAdvocatesandAmbassadors, at both the state and federal level.
Continue readingPlatinum Ambassador Spotlight: Amy Barron, OHIO
On Thursday, February 1, theArthritis FoundationandAmerican College of Rheumatology (ACR)与其他7个健康倡导组织一道，将在国会山举行简报会，敦促国会议员增加疾病控制与预防中心(CDC)、国家卫生研究院(NIH)和美国国防部(DoD)的研究经费，以应对美国残疾的主要原因。
新的数据揭示了关节炎对美国经济的惊人影响。Between 2003 and 2013, the annual cost of arthritis more than doubled and now totals $304 billion in direct and indirect costs, according to aCDC-sponsored studypublished in the September 2017 edition ofArthritis 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.
On Monday, Danielle Highley of Deer Lodge, Montana, and her mother flew over 2,200 miles to Washington, D.C. with Montana Sen. Steve Daines to attend today’s State of the Union address. Sen. Daines invited Dani, age 9, and her mother, Glory, to join him after he told Dani’s story on the floor of the U.S. Senate earlier this month, urging his colleagues to support long-term CHIP funding.
CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, was created over two decades ago with overwhelming bipartisan support. The program insures vital health care for nearly 9 million children across the country. In September 2017, Congress allowed funding to expire, and the program was in danger of ending coverage for those children. Last week, Congress extended funding to CHIP for six years.
Continue readingDanielle Highley: CHIP Recipient and Special Guest at the State of the Union Address
On Wednesday, December 20, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). There were several health-related changes included in the legislation, such as a repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, and changes to the medical expenditure tax deduction. Below we explain the key health provisions that made it into the final law, how it may impact you, and what’s next.
Let’s start with the individual mandate.
Continue readingAnswering Your Questions About the New Tax Reform Legislation
In 2016, I was fortunate to attend the Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C. alongside some seasoned advocacy veterans from Denver. I had never met with my legislators or shared my story before, so it was a new experience. It was easy to “catch the bug” for advocacy being surrounded by so many other fellow arthritis patient advocates who want to make a difference for all of us. Raising awareness and fundraising for arthritis has been an integral part of my life for the past several years, but advocacy has become an even greater passion. This year, I achieved the Platinum Ambassador Award and will attend the Arthritis Foundation’sPlatinum Ambassador Assemblythis March 12-13, 2018.
Continue readingPlatinum Ambassador Spotlight—Rebecca Gillett, Colorado
During this season of open enrollment, the Arthritis Foundation is here to help you make an informed decision in selecting the best health coverage for your unique needs. Open enrollment is the time of year when individuals elect health care benefits through their employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or the federal and state health exchanges created through the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment periods vary based on the type of insurance you have, but generally occur in the late fall.
As part of our commitment, the Arthritis Foundation hosted awebinar last monthto provide a general overview of open enrollment and the tools and resources you need to secure the best health care for you and your family. In addition, we hosted our very first Twitter chat on November 9th devoted to this year’s open enrollment. Thousands of you engaged with us on Twitter to#AsktheAFand we rounded up your questions in one location.
Read on to learn more about open enrollment and the questions you asked during the Twitter chat. If you have further questions, the Arthritis Foundation also has licensed clinical social workers available to talk with you about these options or any other questions you may have about your care. Call toll-free at 1-844-571-HELP.
From Lori Fagan
I have been living withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)for over a decade. As a full-time working mom and wife living with a chronic condition, the last thing I need is the added strain of fighting with my health insurer.
不幸的是，由于一种被称为“步进疗法”的常见医疗保险做法，过去10年一直是一场持续而紧张的战斗。