Hemophilia Federation of America is a national nonprofit organization that assists, educates and advocates for the bleeding disorders community.
For the second year in a row, HFA鈥檚 Patient Fly-In took place as a virtual event. Two dozen community members together with HFA staff made forty (!) Zoom visits with Congressional offices during the week of November 15th. The timing of the Fly-In 鈥 always a bit of a gamble 鈥 ended up being very […]
Due to ongoing concerns regarding public gatherings and the impact of COVID-19 on in-person legislative visits, HFA is again holding its annual Patient Fly-In and Congressional Reception experience as an online campaign. The event is taking place from November 15-19, 2021. On November 16th, grassroots bleeding disorders advocates are participating in Congressional visits by video […]
Dear Addy, I am a Medicare beneficiary weighing my plan options for 2022. What do I need to know about choosing a plan for the coming year? Medicare Beneficiary Dear Beneficiary, Every year Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. This is the time of year when you can decide to stay […]
In this quarter鈥檚 news: advocates notch another win, securing state level protection against copay accumulator adjusters; Missourians begin enrolling in the state鈥檚 expanded Medicaid program; and ACA marketplaces report 2021 enrollment totals, rates for 2022, and other developments. North Carolina becomes 12th state to ban copay accumulator adjusters Governor Roy Cooper signed S.B. 257 into […]
As September ends, HFA continues to closely monitor action on the 鈥淏uild Back Better鈥 Act. Congressional leaders are trying to pass this legislation, which embodies President Biden鈥檚 social infrastructure agenda, via the budget reconciliation process (i.e., a simple majority vote, almost certainly along party lines). The bill, which includes numerous health care proposals, comes with […]
With Medicaid much in the news in August, it seemed timely to offer a refresher on how Medicaid is structured, and why it鈥檚 important to many in the bleeding disorders community. Medicaid is a public health insurance program for low-income individuals, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. States set up and run their own Medicaid […]
The HFA team welcomed a new group of students to our summer 2021 internship program! They participated in our annual Advocacy internship virtually, developing their passion in health care policy and self-advocacy. They participated in regular webinars and online training about legislative, policy and advocacy issues, learning more about hearings and what it means to […]
The HFA team is excited to welcome a new group of students to our summer 2021 internship program! They will be participating in our annual Advocacy internship virtually, developing their passion in health care policy and self-advocacy. They will be participating in regular webinars and online training about legislative, policy and advocacy issues, learning more […]
Every year, HFA holds an inspiring and fun Young Adult Advocacy Summit (YAAS)聽to introduce young adults to legislative and personal advocacy in a safe and supportive manner with hands-on training and peer support. Our outreach to legislative offices on Capitol Hill and federal agencies empowers participants to apply their knowledge and experience in their communities. […]
The HFA team is excited to welcome a new group of students to our summer 2021 internship program! They will be participating in our annual Advocacy internship virtually, developing their passion in health care policy and self-advocacy. They will be participating in regular webinars and online training about legislative, policy and advocacy issues, learning more […]
Administration Issues First Rule on the No Surprises Act On July 1, the Administration issued a first set of rules implementing the聽No Surprises Act. The statute and rules target the all-too-common problem of surprise or balance billing. Surprise billing can happen when a patient inadvertently gets services from an out-of-network (OON) health care provider. Maybe […]
Six new states enact prohibitions against copay accumulator adjusters Bills preventing health plans from pocketing the cost-sharing assistance provided by manufacturers or non-profits (and refusing to apply it to a consumer鈥檚 deductible or out-of-pocket maximum) were signed into law this session in six additional states. The victories in Arkansas (H.B. 1569), Connecticut (S.B. 1003), […]
The HFA team is excited to welcome a new group of students to our summer 2021 internship program! They will be participating in our annual Advocacy internship virtually, developing their passion in health care policy and self-advocacy. They will be participating in regular webinars and online training about legislative, policy and advocacy issues, learning more […]
The Affordable Care Act Remains the Law of the Land On June 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited decision in California v. Texas, a case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. By a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court held that the parties objecting to the ACA (18 state attorneys general […]
Updates During this time of rapidly-changing news surrounding the COVID-19, HFA聽will publish information and resources about to assist our bleeding disorders community. Vaccinations HFA Financial Assistance Other Resources Fraud Alerts Medical, Industry and Product News
COVID relief legislation makes health coverage more accessible and affordable On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law. This sweeping measure provides economic relief to individuals, families, businesses, schools, and state and local governments. The law offers new incentives for holdout states to expand their Medicaid programs […]
The American Rescue Plan (ARP), signed into law on March 11, 2021, provides new opportunities to get health insurance coverage, and/or to reduce the cost of your premiums. Review your coverage now to make sure you are maximizing your benefits under the new law! WHO SHOULD REVIEW THEIR COVERAGE? Anyone who is currently uninsured or […]
Thirty patient groups, representing millions of Americans who live with pre-existing conditions, published a new report that describes the risks patients face when they enroll in non-compliant, substandard health insurance products. The report calls on federal and state lawmakers to take immediate action to limit the proliferation of these inadequate health plans. The report, Under-Covered: […]
All ACA Marketplaces Create New Special Enrollment Periods Due to COVID-19 All 15 of the state-based Marketplaces (SBMs) created pursuant to the Affordable Care Act have established a COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period for 2021 following the Biden Administration鈥檚 decision to reopen the federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) from Feb. 15 through May 15. SBMs can create their […]
Responding to the ongoing pandemic, the federal government has opened a special enrollment period (SEP) in the Healthcare.gov insurance marketplaces. This enrollment opportunity will run from Feb. 15聽to May 15聽in the 36 states that use the Healthcare.gov enrollment platform (most of the remaining states have already announced that they, too, will open a new 2021 […]
Lower Courts Have Ruled Work Requirements Would Reduce, Rather than Expand, Access to Health Care Fifteen groups representing patients, people with disabilities and health care professionals filed an amicus curiae – or friend of the court 鈥 brief today urging the U.S. Supreme Court to protect access to health coverage as it considers the validity […]
The 2021 federal health policy outlook started to come into sharper focus in early January, when runoff elections for both of Georgia鈥檚 Senate seats were decided. The election of Democratic Sens. Warnock and Ossoff means that the U.S. Senate is split 50-50 between the parties, with the Democrats holding the slimmest of majorities (Vice President […]
State Election Results Republican dominance in state elections could hinder new Democratic health initiatives Going into the 2020聽election, Democrats expected a 鈥渂lue wave鈥 at the state level that would build upon substantial gains in 2018, when they won back most of the record number of legislative seats they had lost since 2010.聽 Democrats had high […]
Hemophilia Federation of America is appalled by the recent violence at the United States Capitol. Each time our community has visited the Capitol to advocate on behalf of bleeding disorders, it has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the democratic process set forth in the Constitution. However, the events showed […]
As we enter the new year, there are good reasons to hope the U.S. may soon round the corner on COVID-19. In the meantime, though, we all still need to follow the guidelines of our public health authorities: stay home if sick, practice social distancing, avoid indoor settings, wear masks, and wash our hands. Please […]
Dear Addy, I鈥檓 seeing a lot about the 2020 Election results and it is all very confusing. Does HFA have a comprehensive resource that I can use to better understand the outcomes of this year鈥檚 election. Signed, Dear Constituent, Due to COVID-19, in some states the manner in which people voted may have changed to […]
More than a dozen patient groups representing millions of Americans with serious and chronic health conditions are urging the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to preserve protections in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) patients receiving health care services and restore translation notices […]
HFA鈥檚 virtual 2020 Patient Fly-in took place over the week of Nov. 16.聽 Sixteen community members connected with their lawmakers via phone and Zoom to describe what it鈥檚 like to live with a bleeding disorder 鈥 and to explain what people in this community need in terms of quality, affordable health coverage. Fly-in participants also […]
Dear Addy, I know that open enrollment for health insurance begins Nov. 1, 2020. At the same time, I鈥檓 hearing about a Supreme Court case that could overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA)! As a person with a bleeding disorder, what should I do about health insurance for 2021? Signed, Anxious About Insurance Dear Anxious, […]
Due to ongoing concerns regarding public gatherings and the impact COVID-19 had on in-person legislative visits, Hemophilia Federation of America restructured its annual Patient Fly-In and Congressional Reception experience to an online campaign that took place over the course Nov. 16-20. With that in mind, Congressional visits by patients took place virtually over Nov. 19-20. […]
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