Protect Healthy Lungs and Clean Air!

Over the past few days, worrisome events have occurred in Washington D.C. that will have a negative impact on lung health and clean air. While there are unanswered questions on which federal policies and programs are vulnerable to rollbacks and funding cuts, how drastic those changes may be and how soon any changes will occur, it’s become clear that the new Administration is intent on making changes that will be detrimental to lung health and clean air.

As a person who cares about these issues, we urge you to contact your representatives and let them know you want them to ensure lung health and clean air remains a priority and that their decisions should reflect your concerns. Some issues are highlighted in the letter, but you are urged to add your own comments as well by typing into the box below the letter.

SOAR Saves Lives

We need YOUR help to urge your Congressional representatives to support the SOAR (Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform) Act. Millions of Americans suffer from a lack of supplemental oxygen they desperately need, and appropriate access to respiratory therapy is becoming more difficult to find due to increasing costs and inadequate Medicare reimbursements. The SOAR Act will help put an end to the suffering of millions, help to keep oxygen and much-needed respiratory therapists accessible and affordable to the public, as well as establish a patient bill of rights for Medicare beneficiaries who use supplemental oxygen. Help millions by filling out this letter, which will automatically send to your federal representatives.

Tell Your Members of Congress: No Cuts to Medicaid!

Send a Message to Congress Today!  Medicaid is a lifeline for coverage and a foundational source of economic and health security for 80 million Americans, including 3.4 million in Illinois, and a key funding pillar for the doctors and hospitals on which we all rely. When it comes to lung health, this topic is even more critical. According to the most recently available data, nearly 8,000 emergency room visits by children for asthma-related issues were covered by Medicaid, accounting for nearly $55.3 million in healthcare costs. A large portion of COPD patients also rely on Medicaid for their essential healthcare costs.  The Medicaid program is currently under threat from Congress. It is critical that you tell your members of Congress NOW that they cannot cut essential, lifesaving care for Americans.   Congressional Republican leaders have been open about their proposed plans to cut Medicaid, plans that would endanger the lives of hundreds of thousands of Illinois lung health patients and others. Let your congressman know that: We oppose federal requirements that would limit the amount of Medicaid money a patient can access, regardless of needed care. We oppose turning Medicaid into a block grant program that would limit funds for Illinois to a set amount, as opposed to funds fluctuating with the state’s needs. This will reduce funding and limit the scope of services the insurance can provide. We are against cutting or eliminating state use of taxes on health care providers, which would result in slashing essential programs and reducing coverage; and   We oppose work reporting requirements as a condition of program eligibility, also known as community engagement requirements. These reports limit accessibility, increase the time it takes to access coverage, and increase the likelihood of paperwork errors that could prevent lifesaving coverage.   <...