Here's 5 Things You Should Know Today to be a More Effective Chronic Advocate.

Twice a month, we provide quick advocacy tips and insights to help you become a more effective chronic disease advocate.This edition, secure your spot for a virtual July 10th release of groundbreaking new polling data, learn about recent legislative wins for kidney patients and living organ donors in Congress, and gain insights into a proposed rule to eliminate medical bills from credit reports.

1. We recently surveyed 1,000 chronic disease patients to better understand how we’re all paying a high price for un- and under-treated health conditions. The results are fascinating and have important implications for the kind of healthcare reform we can all advocate for. To learn more about the poll, join us for a free, virtual event on Wednesday, July 10, from 12:00 - 1:00 pm PT.

We look forward to sharing survey data, patient stories and policy implications with you all. Register here.

2. Chronic Disease Month is next week! Every July, we illuminate the experiences of chronic disease patients and highlight the many ways we can improve the healthcare system for everyone. Nearly half of all Americans are managing a chronic disease, and you know more about the healthcare system than anyone. By looking through your eyes and taking some easy, basic advocacy steps, we can be a force for change.

Check out the 2024 Chronic Disease Month webpage for all the tools, events, and announcements we have in store.

3. Marking a win for kidney patients in Congress, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced the bipartisan Kidney PATIENT Act (S.4510) to delay the inclusion of oral-only end-stage renal disease (ERSD) drugs in Medicare's payment system for two years.

Meanwhile, Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) saw their Honor our Living Donors (HOLD) Act (H.R. 6020) approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House, moving reimbursements to living organ donors one step closer to reality.

4. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a new rule to eliminate medical bills from most credit reports, intended to increase patients’ privacy and boost credit scores. The rule would prevent lenders from considering medical debts in credit decisions and stop debt collectors from leveraging credit reports to coerce payments. The CFPB's research indicates that removing medical debts from credit reports could lead to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional safe mortgages annually.

Read CFPB’s article here.

5. June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and to honor the experiences of those living with chronic migraines, we’re featuring one of our incredible ambassadors — Tiffany Coles, from Pennsylvania.

“I advocate for those who cannot -- whether that is due to sheer inability or untapped confidence. Advocacy is not for the weak and it is not something that should be taken lightly because, like everything else, there is plenty of adversity and difficulty in this work. But like I often say about the outreach work I do with my community service organization, Bosses Give Back, this advocacy work is heart work.”

If you’re interested in joining Tiffany in our Ambassador program, click here.