Hemophilia Federation of America is a national nonprofit organization that assists, educates and advocates for the bleeding disorders community.
Dear Addy, I attended HFA鈥檚 Symposium in San Diego and really enjoyed the history exhibit. Is there a way for me to access the timeline? I鈥檇 like to read more about the history of the bleeding disorders community. Signed, Advocate for the Ages 聽Dear Advocate, Yes! You can access the latest version of HFA鈥檚 historical […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule yesterday on drug pricing in the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D programs. In its final rule, CMS chose not聽to implement a harmful change that it had initially put forward 鈥 a change strongly opposed by HFA and numerous other patient […]
Featured Story: Some relief ahead from accumulator adjusters. Finally some good news regarding accumulator adjusters! Patient advocates, including HFA, have been warning lawmakers that accumulator adjuster programs threaten access to care for people with chronic health conditions. In recent weeks, state and federal lawmakers signaled they have heard this message and took steps to rein […]
Dear Addy- I am having a horrific time with my insurance company getting a prior authorization approved. I know I should call Project CALLS, but I simply don鈥檛 have time to be on the phone with the insurance company and Project CALLS. Why is it so important that I let HFA know what鈥檚 going on […]
17 Patient Groups Urge Appeals Court to Uphold Health Care Law Loss of Patient Protections Would Raise Barriers to Health Insurance HFA joined a group of seventeen patient advocacy organizations in filing an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief today in case of Texas v. United States, pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檝e been sharing HFA鈥檚 Facts a Day about Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month, but I want to do more. How can I help raise awareness about bleeding disorders? Signed, Ready to Activate Dear Ready to Activate, It鈥檚 wonderful to hear that you are motivated to help spread the word about bleeding disorders! As a […]
Featured Story: State Legislative Sessions Pick Up Steam In last month鈥檚 edition of the Washington Wire, we wrote about steps some states are taking with respect to their Medicaid programs. Here is a brief update on some of the Medicaid-related developments that have happened since then. Utah: the state legislature and Governor acted to override […]
Dear Addy, I use a manufacturer copay assistance program to help me meet the out-of-pocket costs associated with my clotting factor product. My insurer just notified me that it will no longer apply that assistance to my deductible and out-of-pocket maximums! Can they do that? Signed, Distressed Over Deductibles Dear Deductibles, You have run up […]
FEATURED STORY What to Watch in the States in 2019 鈥 State Medicaid Trends Legislative sessions have begun in all but four states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Nevada begin sessions in the months ahead).聽 As lawmakers begin to tackle the numerous issues they need to address in the coming months, let鈥檚 look at what to […]
President Trump announced today that he would sign a bill funding the government through February 15th聽and ending the 5-week long government shutdown. The President said he will continue to negotiate with Congress on border security issues over the next three weeks but held out the possibility that the government could shut down again if there […]
Dear Addy I鈥檝e heard the term 鈥渟urprise billing鈥 in the news recently and I鈥檓 concerned about how it could affect my family, especially if we have to go to the emergency room for a bleed and a provider is out-of-network. Can you share more on this issue and what we can do if it […]
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 […]
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