Hemophilia Federation of America is a national nonprofit organization that assists, educates, and advocates for the bleeding disorders community.
Featured Story: Federal court rules that the ACA is unconstitutional: Texas v. Azar On Friday, Dec. 14, we learned a federal judge had ruled in the case of Texas v. Azar聽that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety. This news has alarmed many. HFA staff posted a number of updates to tell the […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檓 the parent of a hemophiliac and I鈥檇 like to become more involved in advocacy work to support my child and the bleeding disorders community at-large. Does HFA have any advocacy programming available for parents? Signed, Active Advocate 聽 Dear Advocate, Yes! HFA recently announced the creation of a new Advocacy Leadership Council. […]
Congress and the President failed to reach agreement on a government spending bill before the deadline of December 21, 2018. As a result, number of U.S. government agencies have halted work and will remain shut down until a deal is reached. In contrast to some earlier budget standoffs, though, this time approximately 戮 of the […]
Last Friday evening, we learned that a federal judge had ruled in the case of Texas v. Azar聽that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety. This news has alarmed many. HFA staff want to update you on what we know at this point. First and foremost, please be aware that this ruling does […]
HFA learned late Friday night that a federal court has struck down the entire Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional. You can find an explanation of聽the lawsuit (Texas v. Azar) here and can read a description of the latest ruling here. HFA is studying the ruling and will post a more detailed update soon. In the […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檝e heard about HFA鈥檚 new Learning Central, but I鈥檓 not sure how to find it and the benefits of using it. Can you provide more information? Signed, Lifelong Learner Dear Learner, HFA鈥檚 Learning Central is part of the HFA Institute, a new e-learning initiative designed for the bleeding disorders community. The HFA Institute […]
Featured stories: Healthcare was a driving issue for many voters in the 2018 mid-term elections. The results of the 2018 election are in and we now know that the 116th聽Congress will be a divided Congress 鈥 聽a Republican Senate and a Democratic House. Will the new Congress do anything to impact access to meaningful healthcare? […]
Dear Addy, My district elected a new member of Congress in the mid-term election and I鈥檇 like to start building a relationship with them. How can I connect with my legislator as they prepare to take office? Signed, Proactive Advocate Dear Proactive, It鈥檚 never too early to start building a relationship with your new legislator. […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檇 like to be more involved in my local organization鈥檚 advocacy work in the new year, but I have a hard time coming up with the right words to get my point across. Does HFA have any resources for storytelling for advocacy? Signed, In Need of Instruction Dear Instruction, You came to the […]
Featured stories: New HHS policy could diminish protections for people who depend on quality, affordable health insurance. On Oct. 22, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new guidance spelling out how states can win approval to waive various Affordable Care Act requirements. This arcane new policy could seriously impact protections for patients […]
Dear Addy, I know that the Open Enrollment Period for health insurance is right around the corner. As a person with a bleeding disorder, what should I look for in an insurance plan? Signed, Savvy Subscriber Dear Subscriber, The聽Open Enrollment Period is a time frame each year when health insurance plans or聽HMOs (health maintenance organizations)聽are […]
Dear Addy, I recently enrolled in Medicare and I got a notice that open enrollment for 2019 is coming up. What do I need to know about choosing my plan for the coming year? Signed, Medicare Madness Dear Medicare Madness, You are right: Medicare open enrollment for 2019 is fast approaching! The open enrollment period […]
As we鈥檝e previously reported, several lawsuits are currently pending in federal courts concerning aspects of the Affordable Care Act. One lawsuit questions whether the ACA is still valid, despite the elimination of the individual mandate penalty; other cases take an opposite tack, challenging recent Administration actions and rulemakings as inconsistent with the ACA. Today, HFA […]
Dear Addy, I watched a few of HFA鈥檚 PRIDE Project webinars. Can you explain to me how engaging in research will make me a better advocate? Signed, Curious about Research Dear Curious, It鈥檚 great to hear that you watched some of the PRIDE Project webinars, as those webinars provide an introduction to and basic training […]
Featured Stories: As November draws near, #DefendPreEx remains in the spotlight. We have written before about聽Texas v. United States, a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act鈥檚 protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. In September, the federal court with jurisdiction over the case held a hearing to consider the parties鈥 arguments. At issue […]
Dear Addy, With the midterm election fast approaching, does HFA have any tools to assist voters? I鈥檇 like to see who the candidates are in my district and state and where they stand on access to healthcare for the bleeding disorders community. Signed, Informed Voter Dear Voter, This is a great and timely question with […]
Dear Addy, My local organization is hosting a few events this fall and I鈥檇 like to invite our U.S. Representative to attend. How do I send them an invitation? Signed, Active Constituent Dear Constituent, This is a timely question, as mid-term elections are a few months away and members of the House of Representatives and […]
Featured Stories: HFA, along with other patient groups, continues to argue against restrictive Medicaid eligibility policies. HFA has written before about a new federal policy that allows states to cut off Medicaid coverage for adults who don鈥檛 meet state work requirements. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has so far approved work requirements […]
The Trump Administration issued a final rule on June 19, 2018 expanding association health plans. The rule鈥檚 stated aim is to 鈥渉elp Americans struggling to afford health coverage find new, more affordable options.鈥 You can read more about the rule聽here. HFA and many other patient advocacy groups think the final rule takes the wrong tack.聽Association […]
Dear Addy, I recently attended an event and learned about submitting issues with my insurance to HFA鈥檚 Project CALLS. However, I still have some questions about how CALLS works and what happens when I submit an issue. Can you explain the process? Signed, CALLS Quandary Dear Quandary, HFA created an infographic to answer this very […]
Earlier this summer we welcomed our summer policy and governmental relations interns to our D.C. office. Alexandra and Catherine are part of the bleeding disorders community and were chosen to participate in a 10-week internship because of their leadership qualities and interest in the field of policy and advocacy. Throughout the summer, Alexandra and Catherine: […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檝e heard friends in the bleeding disorders community speak about depression and other mental health concerns. I want to support them, but I鈥檓 not sure how to approach this sensitive topic. Can you offer guidance on how to have a conversation with friends about mental health? Signed, Caring Friend Dear Friend, Thank you […]
New federal rules, released Aug. 1, roll back limits on short-term health plans. Short-term plans are primarily designed to bridge gaps in coverage that can occur, e.g., when an individual is transitioning between jobs. As such, these plans don鈥檛 have to meet Affordable Care Act standards. They can deny coverage and/or can charge higher premiums […]
Hemophilia Federation of America will recognize 25 years serving the bleeding disorders community in 2019 with plans to display historical records at its annual symposium in San Diego. The Washington, D.C.-based organization is currently collecting archival-type material, such as vintage medical equipment, supplies, rally posters, journals, diaries, newsletters, documents, photographs and other items representing the […]
Last week, Alexandra and Catherine had the opportunity to tour Grifols鈥 plasma collection center in Frederick, Md. Centers like this collect plasma from donors and returns the red blood cells to the donor. The plasma that is collected then undergoes several levels of strict testing and is pooled and parted out to create many different […]
Dear Addy, I have a bleeding disorder and two siblings who are unaffected. My siblings often ask how they can help or what they can do to support me. How do I share with them what I鈥檓 feeling and how to best support me? I don鈥檛 want to burden them with my issues. Signed, Supportive […]
Many in our community have questions about a recent Slate magazine聽article聽that reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reallocating money from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to help defray costs of the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement as a result of current immigration policy. The Ryan White Program, named for […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檇 like to meet with my legislators at home during Congress鈥檚 August recess. How do I schedule a meeting? Signed, Recess Rockstar Dear Recess, August recess is a great time to meet with your federal legislators at home. Members of the House of Representatives will be on recess from July 27 through Sept. […]
The halfway point of our Policy and Government Relations Internship program is an excellent time for Alexandra and Catherine to reflect on the first five weeks of their internship. In this blog post, Alexandra and Catherine break down what an average week looks like for them as HFA interns and they talk about what the […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檝e seen HFA post information on accumulator adjuster聽programs, but I鈥檓 still a little unclear about what this means and how I could be affected. Does HFA have any other resources on accumulator adjuster聽programs? Signed, Deductible Detective Dear Detective, This is a great question, as accumulator adjuster programs (AAPs) are increasingly common in the […]
Sign up for E-mails, Dateline Magazine, and other ways to stay connected.
CONTACT HFA
999 N Capitol Street NE Suite 201
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202.675.6984
Toll Free:
Fax: 202.675.6983
Email: info@hemophiliafed.org
HELPFUL LINKS
FOLLOW HFA
CERTIFICATIONS
