According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), in 2022, the United States spent over $4.5 trillion on healthcare, comprising 17.3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That spending is projected to grow an average of 5.6% annually through 2032. With so much money at stake, it’s no wonder hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and insurers are all competing to get a bigger piece of the pie. But this competition can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war, where players are trying to win at the expense of patients.
Unfortunately, this struggle often spills over into healthcare policy debates. While policy discussions are crucial, the patients rarely hold a central place in the debate. Yet, policy changes can impact the care patients receive, even when the policies seem unrelated to everyday healthcare needs. The goal of the Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA) is to put the patient in the center of the debate.
Case in point: Congress is expected to pass long-needed legislation later this year to reign in some harmful practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). While very few patients have direct interactions with PBMs, the decisions made by these actors significantly impact which medications patients can access, what pharmacies are available for their use, and the price they will pay when they pick up their medications at the pharmacy counter.
As part of our mission to improve care for people living with chronic conditions and diseases, CCPA has retooled and is relaunching our blog. Patients and Policy will shed light on health reforms from the patient perspective. We’ll break down what these changes could mean for an individual patient’s care to ensure that policy changes don’t just happen to patients but are made with them in mind.
Through Patients and Policy, we hope to highlight the changes we believe policymakers should focus on, while offering insights and suggestions to make current proposals better. While significant reforms are needed in our healthcare system, it’s crucial that these reforms prioritize protecting patients, ensuring patients have the care and medications they need to overcome illness and thrive.
To reach these goals, our voice, your voice as patient representatives, and the patient’s voice are needed. Help us shape the future of healthcare by sharing your story, standing up and letting us know you’ll add your voice to ours. We invite you to follow along and share your perspectives or suggestions on social media, ensuring the conversation stays focused on what truly matters – your health.