NHF Statement on HELP Copays Act

NHF has led the All Copays Count Coalition in helping support HR 5801.

The National Hemophilia Foundation applauds Congressional Representatives Donald McEachin (D-VA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) for introducing the HELP Copays Act on the House floor late last night (11/1/2021). This new legislation aims to support the more than 133 million Americans (40%) living with a chronic health condition, by ensuring that all payments—whether they come directly out of a patient’s pocket, or with the help of a copay assistance program, will count towards their out-of-pocket cost sharing requirements. A recent survey found more than 69% of patients who depend on copay assistance for their essential and life-saving medicines make less than $40,000 a year.

“When financially vulnerable patients are told they must pay thousands of dollars out of their own pocket before they can get their medications, they are left with no choice but to abandon their treatments,” said National Hemophilia Foundation Senior Director of Payer Relations, Kollet Koulianos. “These practices don’t help lower health care costs society-wide, as documented in a recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine^[1]. Instead they simply prevent many individuals from being able to get their life-saving medications,  undoubtedly resulting in worsening health outcomes, frequent ER visits and/or hospitalizations, if not worse.”

This legislation was shepherded in part through the efforts of the All Copays Count Coalition, with the following steering committee organizations taking the lead the National Hemophilia Foundation, Aids Institute, Arthritis Foundation, MS Society, and the Cancer Support Community, along with the support of its more than 60 member organizations.

For more on the proposed bill, including statements from NHF’s Kollet Koulianos and Dr. Leonard A. Valentino, read a press release here. Click here to view a release from McEachin’s office. For more from the ACCC, explore the #AllCopaysCount hashtag on social media.

Source: National Hemophilia Foundation