At the end of October, CCPA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Liz Helms, traveled to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., for a series of meetings with members of Congress. Over three days, she and her team, including two of our member groups Mark Hobraczk with AiArthritis, Casey McPherson with Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA), more than 20 meetings with a mix of Republican and Democratic offices, as well as key committee staff members.
This trip was one of CCPA’s most successful advocacy visits to date — not only because of the number of meetings, but also because of the depth of the conversations, the enthusiasm from congressional staff, and the clear momentum toward real action on patient-focused reforms.
Across every office, meetings were engaging, substantive, and overwhelmingly positive, with staff repeatedly sharing how much they value CCPA’s expertise and our commitment to elevating the patient perspective in every policy conversation.
This kind of response reinforces why advocacy matters: when patients’ voices are clear, consistent, and grounded in real experiences, people in positions of power listen and act.
Engagement Across Capitol Hill
Throughout the trip, the delegation met with a broad cross-section of influential offices, including:
Senators
- Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
- Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Susan Collins (R-ME)
- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- Steve Daines (R-MT)
- Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
- Ron Johnson (R-WI)
- Dr. Roger Marshall (R-KS)
- Alex Padilla (D-CA)
- Dr. Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
- Tim Scott (R-SC)
- Adam Schiff (D-CA)
- Todd Young (R-IN)
Representatives
- Jacob Auchincloss (D-MA-4)
- Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2)
- Kat Cammack (R-FL-3)
- Buddy Carter (R-GA-1)
- Vince Fong (R-CA-20)
- Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1)
- Dr. Gregory Murphy (R-NC-3)
- Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25)
- Greg Steube (R-FL-17)
Patient-Centered Priorities
In each meeting, CCPA emphasized a simple but critical message: policy discussions must include the people most affected, the patients.
Helms highlighted how PBMs inflate the costs of drugs, harming independent pharmacies and patients alike. Reforming PBM practices is essential to creating a healthcare system that prioritizes patients and ensures access to affordable, life-saving treatments. Policies such as step therapy, fail-first protocols, and copay accumulator programs delay care, increase costs, and worsen health outcomes; Noting that chronic disease patients, in particular, face the highest financial burden and are most vulnerable to lapses in treatment. The CCPA team was happy to hear that many offices, across the aisle, are in agreement that PBM reform legislation is necessary, and on its way
The CCPA team also stressed the need for stronger oversight of the 340B program to ensure savings reach the patients they were intended to serve. Offices engaged deeply in these discussions, reflecting ongoing House and Senate work on 340B modernization and patient-centered program oversight.
Helms also thanked sponsors and supporters of the MCED Act, highlighting that early detection tools are a critical step in reducing mortality, addressing health inequities, and saving lives.
Telehealth access also emerged as a key issue during the government shutdown. CCPA’s team emphasized that permanent protections are essential for specialist access, particularly behavioral health, medication management, and routine monitoring that prevents hospitalizations. Following a CCPA-led sign-on letter, the government reopened and extended these services through January 2026.
Putting Patients at the Center of Federal Health Policy
This visit was more than a series of meetings, it demonstrated the power of bringing patients’ voices directly into the policy arena. CCPA showed up not only with expertise, but with real stories, real data, and real solutions. The message across Capitol Hill was clear: patients can’t wait and must be involved in decision-making.
One of the greatest successes was hearing Congressional staff repeatedly acknowledge that the patient perspective is essential when it comes to health policy.
For a deeper dive into the meetings, join our December 12, 2025, webinar, “From Capitol Hill to Care: Denials, Overturns and Transparency in Utilization Management,” at 10 AM PT. You can register HERE.