State Advocacy Recap for Q3 2021

The third quarter of 2021 has ended so we wanted to take a moment to recap some great victories and opportunities still available for Advocates to take action. Thank you to every single Advocate who has taken action on bills in 2021. Each action from you helps us get one step closer to another victory!

Victories

我们自豪地报告的第一个胜利是最近的。On October 9th(是的,从技术上说,已经是第四季度了,但我们太激动了,等不及了),加州州长加文·纽森签署了347号法案,使之成为法律。关节炎基金会一直是这项努力的领导者,它有70多个组织一起工作,几年来,我们非常自豪地看到州长签署了这项重要的法案。Assembly Bill 347 will health insurance plans will now be required to expeditiously grant requests forstep therapyexceptions by establishing a set of standard exceptions to the protocol. It also builds upon previously enacted timeframes to establish a timeframe for step therapy andprior authorizationrequests that the insurer deemed to be “incomplete.” These and other new protections will ensure that health insurance plans operate with expediency and transparency to receive all the information they need to make determinations in a timely manner. This effort has been led in the legislature by Assembly Joaquin Arambula.

In North Carolina, we saw yet another state enact legislation to protect patients fromaccumulator adjustment programs. This makes SEVEN states that have enacted legislation to ensure that all copays count in 2021. Senate Bill 257 was championed by Senators Jim Perry and J.R Britt, alongside 13 other co-sponsors. This bill originally did not contain accumulator adjustment program language but due to great work from Advocates in the state, the language was added to the bill in the North Carolina House. This important bill was signed by Governor Roy Cooper on September 20th.

The next victory took place in Arizona. Championed by Senator Nancy Barto, who also championed a victory on accumulator adjustment programs in 2019, SB 1270 will put in place guardrails on step therapy. Signed by Governor Doug Ducey on July 9th, this bill had amazing support from Arthritis Foundation Advocates over the past several sessions!

On August 16th, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 1745 which will帮助病人负担并计划他们的药物费用。具体来说,该法案确保保险公司提供的保险计划中有一部分是固定的共同支付,而不是共同保险(医药费用的一个百分比,因此很难计划成本,通常更贵)。这项重要的法案得到了众议院多数党领袖格雷格·哈里斯的支持,由51名议员共同发起。

One Down, One to Go

There are several bills that have already passed one of their respective Legislative Chambers and just need to pass their second chamber to get to the Governor’s desk!

Michiganaccumulator adjustment program bill,House Bill 4353, passed the House of Representatives on March 24th以98比9的投票结果!该法案得到了代表Bronna Kahle的支持,并得到了MI立法机构16名成员的共同支持。现在就采取行动!

New Jerseystep therapy bill,Assembly Bill 4815, passed the Assembly by a vote of 65-1. The Senate version of the bill, Senate Bill 3051, is making its way through the Senate. A 4815 is championed by Assemblyman Herb Conaway, Assemblyman Dan Benson, and Assemblyman Antony Verrelli. S 3051 is championed by Senator Joe Vitale and Senator Dawn Addiego. Take action now!

Moving to the 4thQuarter

Don’t miss out on your last chance to take action on state activity in 2021 during the 4thquarter! It’s the perfect time to visit theaction center.

Close to the Finish Line: Funding our JA Kids’ Futures

By Stephanie Livingston, Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Manager

They say first impressions last a lifetime. The same applies to a child’s first interactions with a pediatric rheumatologist. After finding a diagnosis, it’s vital to work quickly as a team to find a treatment plan that slows disease activity as much as possible during developing years.

I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (JA) when I was 12 years old, but there were hints of arthritis activity far earlier that were misunderstood as sports injuries. Misdiagnosis is common with JA, since pain and swelling can be misattributed to growing pains, injuries and other kid-related activities. Now as a young adult, I’m thankful for the impact my pediatric rheumatologist had on my early years with arthritis. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where there are a handful of board-certified pediatric rheumatologists. But even still, it can be difficult to get an appointment, and those appointments can take time away from school or work.

There are nearly 300,000 kids living with juvenile arthritis in the United States, but fewer than 450 board-certified pediatric rheumatologists available to treat them. That means many kids do not have access to a doctor who specializes in treating children with rheumatic diseases, and many patients travel for hours just to see their doctor. Some states that don’t have any pediatric rheumatologists, like Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, require driving more than 250 miles one-way for a doctor’s appointment. This means significant time away from school for the child, and time away from work for a family.

儿科亚专科贷款偿还计划(PSLRP)寻求解决这一严重的劳动力短缺。PSLRP将为选择在服务不足地区行医的新医生提供学费贷款。多年来,PSLRP的支持者们一直在大声疾呼,他们的努力终于得到了回报!

众议院劳工、卫生与公众服务委员会(LHHS)最近发布了一份支出法案和相关报告,其中包括为各种项目和机构提供资金建议,包括CDC关节炎项目和PSLRP。PSLRP之前从未得到过官方的资助,所以这是向前迈出的里程碑式的一步。

This funding is a critical step toward increasing vital arthritis program funding, but the work isn’t over. The Senate Appropriations Committee still needs to negotiate and compromise on their own spending bill to arrive at a final version before funding is finalized.We need you to call on your senators to fund the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program at $50 million to ensure kids with JA can access the care they need. Take action in five minutes or less by visitingbit.ly/AF-PSLRP.Together, we can ensure a better future for kids with JA.

Advocating During a Pandemic: Advocacy and Arthritis Go Hand in Hand

Patrice Johnson, Platinum Ambassador, CA
California State Advocacy Committee Member | Live Yes! Online Community Forum Moderator

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically affected all our lives. On the advocacy front, Arthritis Foundation Advocates and Ambassadors were concerned that we could not meet in person with our legislators to advocate for our priorities, especially as the pandemic made legislative changes even more necessary. Many of us came to the solution of meeting virtually.Continue readingAdvocating During a Pandemic: Advocacy and Arthritis Go Hand in Hand

LA Step Therapy Win

关节炎基金会很高兴地宣布约翰·贝尔·爱德华兹州长已经签署了第263号法案,成为第181号法案。这项法律加强了对路易斯安那州关节炎患者的保护,并巩固了路易斯安那州拥有全国最强有力的步骤治疗法律之一的地位。

Act 181 was prioritized and passed during the COVID-19 pandemic and will improve the state’s existing步治疗。Also known as “fail first,” step therapy is a process that forces patients to try and fail drugs insurance companies choose, before the patient gets to use the medication their doctor originally prescribed. This may occur even if you are already taking a medication and doing well on it.

Our Advocates’ storiespowered this success and will help Louisianans like the Floyd family— who have endured burdensome step therapy requirements for the treatment of their daughter, Emily, who was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis at the age of 9.

Emily and Maria Floyd, Arthritis Foundation state advocacy chair from Lafourche Parish

“I want to thank State Rep. Mike Huval for the introduction of HB 263 to update Louisiania’s step therapy law. My hope is renewed for my daughter, who suffers from a form of juvenile arthritis, so that she will not have to unnecessarily continue to try and fail on multiple drugs not prescribed by her doctors, which would end up causing her greater joint damage. I know this bill will make a difference for so many families like ours.”

Our Advocates were persistent and informed state legislators about the importance of this measure, which received a unanimous vote in the Senate and a near-unanimous vote in the House. Now that Act 181 has been signed, Louisianans will have timely access to the medications they need, when they need them.

If you are a Louisiana resident,send a letter thanking Gov. Edwardsfor his support.

If you have experienced step therapy, or “fail first,” we want to hear your story.Share your experience with our Story Bank tool.

2020 Virtual Advocacy Leadership Retreat: Key Takeaways From 20 Years of Advocacy

2020年3月10日,倡导冠军与倡导工作人员在线参加了第一届虚拟倡导领导力静思会。在COVID-19使面对面的活动变得不安全之前,志愿者们制定了整个项目。他们设计了主题演讲、分组会议和“如何”倡导海报,以便相互传授倡导领导力。保持节目符合志愿者领导的计划,同时切换到员工运营的网络广播是一个独特的挑战。Continue reading2020 Virtual Advocacy Leadership Retreat: Key Takeaways From 20 Years of Advocacy

2020 Virtual Advocacy Leadership Retreat : The Power of Presence

一年前,当我和儿子前往华盛顿特区参加一个倡导峰会时,我非常紧张和兴奋。我的儿子决定成为一名关节炎基金会的初级大使,为了支持他,我报名成为一名大使。我不知道会发生什么,但我希望能帮助我儿子找回他的声音。有趣的是,我找到了我的。Continue reading2020 Virtual Advocacy Leadership Retreat : The Power of Presence