We talked about Rare Across America, remember?

Well they announced yesterday that 303 meetings took place during the Summer Recess. More info is included below from RDLA about all of the exciting updates that came out of these meetings. I was lucky to participate in 3 of those meetings and on top of making new friends in the Rare Realm, each office reiterated their role and capacity for serving us on the home front.

Our first Meeting was With Deputy Regional Director Kamal Fulani in Senator John Cornyn’s office.

My second meeting was with the amazing Kristin Vandergriff in Representative Grangers office. Major eye opening conversations about how Josie Flores, Director of Casework at US House of Reps helps people like me. Thankfully the great Mattie Parker introduced us a few years ago and Josie held my hand through the medicare/ssdi circus. Josie is a life saver AND gave her promise to help anyone that calls in and get them plugged into their own district office.

Our last meeting was with Constituent Outreach Liaison: Sydnie Long in Senator Ted Cruz’s office. It was awesome to have the opportunity to meet with these legislators in DC twice this fiscal year and then bring those efforts home to the local office. I’ll never ever stop using my voice to advocate for the ALS community.

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Thank you to the nearly 600 rare disease advocates who participated in meetings with their federal legislators during the August recess this summer! 

There were 303 meetings with Members of Congress or their staff in 49 states plus the District of Columbia. This is our highest turnout yet for our in-district meetings program, Rare Across America! 

Rare disease advocates from around the country spoke to their legislative officials and their staff on important rare disease issues. Due to the advocates meetings and hard work, we saw the following results!

• A Rare Disease Burden Study included in the Senate Appropriations Committee Bill: The Senate Appropriations Committee included language to direct the GAO to study what is known about the total impact rare diseases have on the U.S. economy, including direct medical costs, non-medical costs, loss of income, and the societal consequence of undiagnosed and untreated rare disease. Once passed into the law, the GAO will provide a report within two years.

• Six New Cosponsors of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act, H.R. 2507/S. 2158: Reauthorize critical existing federal programs that provide assistance to states to improve and expand their newborn screening programs, support parent and provider education, ensure laboratory quality and effective surveillance. More info here.
  • New cosponsors: Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI), Robert Casey (PA), Amy Klobuchar (MI), Martha McSally (AZ), Krysten Sinema (AZ), and Debbie Stabenow (MI)

• 12 New Members of the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus. The caucus now has 132 members in the U.S. House of Representatives and 22 in the Senate. Click here to invite your legislators to join the bipartisan Caucus.
  • New Members:Representatives Sean Casten (IL), Steve Chabot (OH), James Comer (KY), Jason Crow (CO), Kevin Hern (OK), Chris Pappas (NH), Max Rose (NY), Darren Soto (FL) and Senators Edward Markey (MA), Gary Peters (MI), Debbie Stabenow (MI), and Tina Smith (MN)

• 25 New Cosponsors of the Lymphedema Treatment Act, H.R. 1948/S. 518: Proposes to provide Medicare coverage of lymphedema compression treatment items.
  
  • New cosponsors: Senators Lindsey Graham (SC), Maggie Hassan (NH), Rick Scott (FL) and Representatives Anthony Brown (MD), Ken Calvert (CA), Salud Carbajal (CA), Judy Chu (CA), Henry Cuellar (TX), Elijah Cummings (MD), John Curtis (UT), Sharice Davids (KS), Dwight Evans (PA), Jesus Garcia (IL), Josh Gottheimer (NJ), John Larson (CT), Donald McEachin (VA), Donald Payne (NJ), Michael Simpson (ID), Elissa Slotkins (MI), Bryan Steil (WI), Dina Titus (NV), David Trone (MD), Lauren Underwood (IL), Maxine Waters (CA), Randy Weber (TX)

• 53 New Cosponsors of the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, H.R. 1379/S. 560: Proposes to require private health insurance to provide coverage of medically necessary treatments of congenital anomolies including dental services.
  
  • New cosponsors: Senators Benjamin Cardin (MD), Steve Daines (MT), Kamala Harris (CA), Doug Jones (AL), Martha McSally (AZ), Pat Roberts (KS) and Representatives Jahana Hayes (CT), Darin LaHood (IL), Michael Guest (MS), Suzanna Bonamici (OR), Trent Kelly (MS), Paul Cook (CA), William Keating (MA), Ro Khanna (CA), Stephen Lynch (MA), Nita Lowey (NY), Doug Lamborn (CO), John Larson (CT), Grace Napolitano (CA), Donald Norcross (NJ), Adriano Espaillat (NY), John Sarbanes (MD), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Scott Peters (CA), Mikie Sherrill (NJ), Suzan DelBene (WA), Adam Schiff (CA), Bradley Schneider (IL), Dwight Evans (PA), Lori Trahan (MA), Tom Cole (OK), David Price (NC), Frank Lucas (OK), Katherine Clark (MA), Mark Meadows (NC), Daniel Lipinski (IL), Madeleine Dean (PA), Antonio Delgado (NY), Sharice Davids (KS), Michael Waltz (FL), Andy Harris (MD), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Dina Titus (NV), Cedric Richmond (LA), Theodore Deutch (FL), Jim Banks (IN), Doug Collins (GA), Cheri Bustos (IL), Ross Spano (FL), Mike Bost (IL), and James Comer (KY), Jerry McNerny (CA)

• 8 New Cosponsors of the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, H.R. 2501: Proposes to require private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid to provide coverage of medically necessary food for digestive and inherited metabolic disorders. 
  • New cosponsors:Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR), Rick Larsen (WA), John Moolenaar (MI), Joe Neguse (CO), Dean Phillips (MN), John Rutherford (FL), Kim Schrier (WA), Chris Stewart (UT)

Thank you!

Thank you again to all the advocates who participated in Rare Across America meetings this summer and continue to build relationships with Members of Congress. If you have not already, please take the time to follow up on your meetings by emailing the staffer you met with and thank them for the meeting and repeat your ask.  

Please save the date for Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill on February 25th to 28th, 2020 in Washington, DC. Rare Disease Week attracts hundreds of patient advocates from around the country to Washington, DC for a week of events dedicated to empowering patients, families, and friends to become legislative advocates. Advocates will have an opportunity to meet with Members of Congress and learn best practices for successful advocacy. No advocacy experience required. The travel stipend application for Rare Disease Week is open. Deadline to apply for a travel stipend is December 2, 2019. You can apply here. Registration for Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill opens on January 3, 2020 at http://rareadvocates.org/rdw/.

Thank you!

Shannon von Felden, RDLA Program Manager