Amy’s Advocacy Update

One of WomenHeart’s priorities is to ensure that all women living with or at risk of heart disease have access to insurance coverage and health care. Unfortunately, navigating through the health care system can be complicated and overwhelming, which is why we were very discouraged to see the Department of Health and Human Services cut funding for the Navigator program this year. We joined dozens of patient advocacy organizations to express our concern with the cuts to this program that helps educate consumers about their health insurance options and enroll in appropriate coverage.

It is also critical that people can afford the drugs and treatment their health care providers prescribe. The President recently released a “Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices” with some ideas of how to do this. WomenHeart has submitted comments on this plan, and we will continue to monitor policies and regulations that follow to ensure they are effective and that patients are ultimately the beneficiaries of any cost reductions.

Finally, WomenHeart supports the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act, sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC). The threat of heart disease among South Asians in the U.S. is particularly acute and rising. The bill would raise awareness of and increase research on cardiovascular disease among that population. The bill focuses on the South Asian diet. You can read a personal experince on this topic from WomenHeart Board Member Gayathri Badrinath in US News and World Report.