Liz Helms, Founder and Director of the Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA), issued the following statement in response to Congress’ stopgap funding bill:
“The Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA) commends Congress for taking action to extend critical Medicare telehealth flexibilities as part of the Continuing Resolution. Doing so ensures millions of patients – especially those with chronic conditions – continue to have uninterrupted access to remote care. Telehealth has become an essential tool in modern healthcare, particularly for rural and underserved communities, and we urge Congress to build on this progress by making these provisions permanent.
As Congress moves forward with consideration of the budget reconciliation and further funding decisions, we encourage them to prioritize the needs of patients by including the following key healthcare policies in the final reconciliation package:
- Address Physician Payment Cuts: Mandated payment cuts for physicians could make it harder for some doctors to continue seeing Medicare patients, risking longer wait times and reduced access to care – especially for those with chronic conditions. Lawmakers must include a “doc fix” to counteract these cuts and ensure patients can continue seeing their doctors.
- Include the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Care Act (EPIC Act): The “pill penalty” in the Inflation Reduction Act discourages investment in small-molecule drugs, which are critical for patients with cancer, mental health conditions, and rare diseases. The EPIC Act would fix this imbalance and ensure continued access to life-saving treatments.
- Advance Meaningful Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Reform: PBMs continue to drive up drug costs and limit patient access to essential medications. We urge Congress to move forward with the bipartisan, patient-centered reforms that increase transparency, share savings with patients, and improve affordability in the drug supply chain.
- Protect Patient Affordability and Innovation in IRA Implementation: As lawmakers evaluate IRA-related healthcare provisions, we urge them to support policies that keep treatments affordable while also fostering the research and development needed for future medical advancements.
- Support the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS): This bipartisan bill ensures Medicare patients can access essential pharmacist-provided care, improving healthcare access in underserved areas.
Congress must not lose sight of the real-world impact these policies have on patients. As budget discussions continue, we urge lawmakers to work across party lines to protect access to quality, affordable healthcare for the millions of Americans living with chronic conditions.”
About Chronic Care Policy Alliance
The Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA) works with state and regional chronic care policy networks to further good public policy on behalf of patients with chronic illnesses. Learn more by visiting chroniccarealliance.org or following CCPA on Facebook and Twitter.