Forecast 2026 brought together advocates, health policy experts, health care professionals, and community partners from across the country in San Diego, California for CCPA’s annual conversation about shaping the future of healthcare – our first on the West Coast. Hosted at the California Life Sciences in their San Diego office, the meeting focused on the policy challenges shaping patient access to quality, comprehensive care and the shared commitment to keeping patients at the center of every decision.
CCPA President Liz Helms opened the meeting, followed by comments from Aracely Campa Ramirez, Senior Director, State Government Relations, California Life Sciences, who highlighted the connection between California’s biotech ecosystem, representing nearly $400 billion in economic investment and over a million jobs, and the access to care issues CCPA and its partners work to address every day.
Federal Policy
Mark Smith, Owner and Principal, Smith Policy Group, shared a summary of CCPA’s 2025 legislative fly-in to Capitol Hill, which covered the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare’s drug price negotiation, PBM reform, and more. Alex Khan, President, Valencia Khan Government Relations followed with an update on state policy including 340B, rare diseases, and obesity.
RESULTS Act: Protecting Access to Diagnostic Testing
Laura Stevens Kent, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy, American Clinical Laboratory Association, walked attendees through the RESULTS Act, specifically how reimbursement policies for diagnostic services directly affect patient access to timely, accurate diagnoses, a foundational issue for anyone managing a chronic condition.
Barriers to Care: PDABs, UPLs, and Reference Pricing
Derek Flowers, executive director, Value of Care Coalition and Mark Hobraczk, director of public policy, EACH/PIC Coalition (AiArthritis) delivered an update on the state of Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs) and upper payment limits (UPLs) across the country.
Several states that had previously established PDABs, including Ohio and New Hampshire, have since abolished them after finding them costly to operate and unable to demonstrate meaningful patient savings. At the same time, four states (Maryland, Colorado, Minnesota, and Washington) still hold upper payment limit (UPL) authority, and both Colorado and Maryland have now applied UPLs to specific drugs for the first time, though those limits have not yet gone into effect.
Speakers stressed that this is a moment for people to speak up because advocacy matters. There is no track record of success for these policies, and patients and advocates have a window to ensure that policymakers hear their concerns, particularly around two persistent gaps: no guarantee that patients will share in any savings that result from UPLs, and no guarantee of continued access to the medications people depend on.
CCPA Educational Campaigns: Amplifying Patient Voices
Nick Garlow, managing director, Rational 360 provided an overview of CCPA’s digital campaigns on 340B and PBMs, highlighting how data-driven storytelling and targeted educational outreach are helping shift the policy narrative.
Review of 2025: Issues, Results, and What Lies Ahead
Liz Helms moderated a wide-ranging review of CCPA’s 2025 issue work, with contributions from Keisha Vaughan (Communications and Advocacy Advisor, KVCA), Mary Odbert (COO, CCPA), Casey McPherson (Director of Clinician Advocacy, Alliance for Patient Access), Nancy Glick (Director of Food and Nutrition Policy, National Consumers League), and others. Topics covered included:
- Patient Survey Results: Keisha Vaughan shared findings from EACH/PIC’s patient survey, offering a direct window into the barriers patients with chronic and complex conditions encounter when trying to access the care and medications they need.
- Medicare Negotiations: With Maximum Fair Prices for the first 10 negotiated Part D drugs having taken effect in January 2026 under IPAY 2026, and CMS having announced the 15 drugs selected for IPAY 2028 (including Part B drugs for the first time) the negotiation program is entering a new and consequential phase. CCPA continues to urge caution about the real-world impacts on patient access, particularly as plan formulary changes, tiering decisions, and utilization management requirements begin to take shape.
- Denials and Reversals: Liz Helms presented findings from CCPA’s ongoing coverage denial and reversal reporting work, putting real faces and stories behind the persistent problem of patients being denied access to medically necessary treatments.
- Obesity and GLP-1 Access: Mary Odbert, Casey McPherson, and others spoke to the continued push to have obesity recognized and treated as the complex chronic disease it is. California’s decision to revoke Medicaid coverage for GLP-1 medications for weight loss was a focal point for discussion, as was the national picture of states expanding or pulling back coverage in the face of budget pressures. The BALANCE model proposed by CMS as a demonstration program to expand GLP-1 access through Medicare and Medicaid was also discussed, though challenges with plan participation thresholds have complicated its rollout for Medicare beneficiaries.
- GLP-1 Compounding: Nancy Glick of the National Consumers League addressed the ongoing and evolving landscape around compounded GLP-1 medications, including patient safety concerns and the importance of appropriate regulatory oversight.
- Telehealth: The group also touched on the status of telehealth flexibilities, which have been critical for patients in rural and underserved areas and remain a CCPA priority.
Luncheon Keynote: A Lifetime Journey Through Chronic and Rare Disease
Dominick Spatafora, President, Neuropathy Action Foundation delivered the luncheon keynote, sharing his personal journey navigating chronic and rare disease throughout his lifetime. His remarks were a powerful reminder of why this work matters and what is at stake for the millions of Americans who are counting on advocates, providers, and policymakers to get this right.
Improving Access to Cancer Care: MCED and the Cancer Care and Equity Act
Luis Lopez, director, government affairs, City of Hope and Tom McCoy, CCPA’s State Government Affairs advisor, presented a case study on the Cancer Care and Equity Act and the multi-cancer early detection (MCED) Act. Tom shared a moving story from Nevada that illustrated just how much access to care depends on geography and how patient stories can move legislators to action.
Pharmacists on the Front Lines: SB 41, Vaccines, and Patient Access
Dr. Sean Kim, senior manager, practice and professional development, California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) presented on the results and implementation of California’s PBM reform law SB 41 (Wiener), as well as pharmacists’ expanding role in vaccine access. The session highlighted how pharmacists – often the most accessible point of care for patients, particularly in underserved communities – are stepping up to fill gaps in the healthcare system.
GLP-1 Medicaid Coverage: Communications and Advocacy in Action
Drake Sapigao, director of external affairs, Perry Communications Group presented on CCPA’s national campaign to ensure GLP-1 access through Medicaid, specifically the economic and clinical case for coverage, noting that effective obesity treatment has been shown to significantly reduce long-term healthcare costs and highlighting that when California covered modern GLP-1s in 2023, the state’s obesity rate fell for the first time in a decade. He also shared the story of a Medi-Cal patient who, with access to a treatment plan that included GLP-1 medications, lost 60 pounds, saw his heart failure resolve, and returned to work.
Partner Roundtable:
The afternoon closed with a Partner Issue Roundtable. The discussion ranged from the importance of advocacy follow-through after legislation passes – ensuring compliance and implementation, not just enactment – to the challenge of navigating a complex federal and state landscape where different rules apply to different patient populations. Liz Helms closed the day with an overview of CCPA membership and the opportunities ahead for partners to deepen their involvement.