Close to my heart

Image of what an arthritic flare looks like in a toddler. It is very painful and erodes bone.

Here is a letter I just sent to my Representative. Please consider emailing your representative as well. The email even comes pre-written. I've included the link here. LINK

Dear Representative Hastings:

At age 19 I had to receive a total shoulder replacement. To this day, I still have very little movement in my left arm. The surgery was to stop pain, but now I don't have mobility. I am 24 years old, and RA has disabled me. Arthritis affects children. I was diagnosed at 11. There are kids as young as 3 months who have RA. As someone with arthritis, I am writing to ask you to become an original cosponsor of legislation to improve access to the critical treatments that can keep me, and my loved ones, active and productive citizens. Biologic drugs can now prevent patients with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis, from becoming disabled, seriously ill, or even dying. Arthritis affects organs, including the heart. The cold reality is that I will most likely die of heart failure related to RA. Unfortunately, many health insurance policies are moving these critical medications, such as biologics, into "specialty tiers" that utilize high patient cost-sharing methods known as "co-insurance". This fourth/specialty tier now commonly requires patients to pay a percentage of the cost of medication - anywhere from 20% to 50%, which can often be hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month for a single medication - rather than a fixed co-payment amount. I have been on Enbrel, a biologic, for 12 years now. 144 months of medication payments. Enbrel costs well over $1,000 per month. The only way I can afford it is a payment assistance program directly from Enbrel. I need this medication to stay alive, but my insurance doesn't want to cover it. Congressman David McKinley is introducing legislation later this month, the Patient Access to Critical Therapies Act (PACTA), that would treat these specialty drugs the same as Tier III non-preferred drugs. Under his legislation, commercial health insurers would impose the same co-payment obligations for specialty drugs as they already do for Tier III medications. Providing insured patients access to these treatments will allow me and many more of your constituents to remain in the workforce, raise their families, and avoid becoming permanently disabled or seriously ill. I urge you to step forward and become an original co-sponsor of PACTA and support your constituents who have chronic, life threatening, and disabling conditions. Please contact the Legislative Health Assistant in Rep. McKinley's office, at x54172, to become a co-sponsor of this legislation. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Katie