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for yourself – for others
Help us advocate for the rights of patients with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Work with us at community, state and federal levels in support of reforms and legislation aimed at advancing patient access to and affordability of healthcare.
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News & Updates:
News & Insights
Episode 31: 2020: Year of the Patient
On this episode of the podcast, Terry and Bob lament the politicization of medicine. Rather than relying on science to guide decisions around potential Covid-19 vaccines, the media and interest groups foster politicization. Terry highlights how patients are always the...
State Watch: PA Proposes Modeling Drug Prices Based on Canada
An international drug pricing model developed by the National Academy for State Health Policy has been proposed to be adopted in Pennsylvania to reduce drug costs in the state. Senator Tom Killion introduced the Prescription Drug Cost Reduction Act (Senate Bill 1315)...
Podcast 30: The Vaccine Finish Line
On this week's episode, Terry and Bob give an update on the Covid-19 vaccine, drug pricing, and Operation Warp Speed with Robert Popovian. The release of the first vaccine is set to begin in November for the most vulnerable patients. The goal of Operation Warp Speed...
Episode 29: What Goes Into Drug Prices
On this episode of the podcast, Terry and Bob discuss what goes into a drug price. They pull the curtain to reveal the group of middlemen between drugmakers and the patient that drives up the drug prices patients pay. They highlight the bizarre system of drug rebates,...
Health Care Priorities of the Biden Campaign: Part II
In the first part of this series, we highlighted the overall health care focus of the Biden campaign and honed in on the campaign’s focus on providing a public option health plan that is proposed to be offered via the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s marketplace exchanges....
Podcast 28: Empowering Chronic Disease in the Workplace
On this episode of the podcast, Terry and Bob discuss the prospects of a Covid-19 vaccine, which the whole nation, indeed the whole world, is waiting on with bated breath. The CDC has told states to be ready to distribute a vaccine by November. The letter notes that...
Share your story
Help us get your voice heard. Your personal story is a powerful call to action.
What to share
Tell us whether your insurance company is not responding to your needs, the health care maze is bringing you down, or share your success in solving a patient problem.
Why Stories Matter
We use patient stories to bring attention to patient access issues at the federal level and in state houses around the country. We’ll let policy makers and elected officials know patients are rising now.
Be personal this is your story, focus on your experience, what has impacted you.
Be specific the most powerful stories include real-world examples.
Be concise try to communicate your story clearly so everyone can understand.
Position Statements
Patients Rising Now is committed to engaging in policy discussions that impact the access and affordability of care for patients. We carefully review many issues, weigh opinions from experts, talk with patients, then create these position statements.
We hope these statements can help you understand our mission better and contribute meaningfully to your own position on these issues.
From Our Patient Advocates
“Medicare refuses to cover my tube feeds. Since my doctor is unable to show proof that I will need my feeding tube forever, they don’t deem it as necessary. Reality is, without my feeding tube I wouldn’t be here today. I need it to survive. The rules and regulations are a one-size-fits-all model for humans who are complex and unique.”
“It is essential to find a doctor or team who not only listens to and believes you but also respects you, it’s all too easy to get overlooked, ending up with your insurance company dictating your care. I owe my parents everything for taking me to a psychiatrist when I was six or seven and unable to function due to my intrusive thoughts and obsessive tendencies. I can’t imagine how much more painful my childhood might have been otherwise. Access to the right kind of medical care can be not only the difference between life and death, it can also be the difference between misery and a life worth living.”
“Insurance should protect me from catastrophic costs as that’s the purpose of insurance. My costs should be a reflection of my care, not the cost of a company doing business. I will not be charged unreasonable or unexpected out-of-pocket costs for services after I have paid my premiums. Why should patients like me pay coinsurance based off the list price and not the negotiated rebate price? My insurance company should work to minimize my out of pocket costs and concentrate on providing care to me and my family.”