Hundreds to Urge Congress for More Arthritis Support
New York, NY—February 28, 2013—Chelsea Lynn Pelsone of Youngstown, NY will be traveling to Washington, D.C. in March to ask Congress to support people with arthritis through policies that will ensure more research, better treatments and greater access to care. Miss Pelsone will share her story of the daily struggle of living with arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability.
Miss Pelsone was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of seventeen; she is now a junior in college studying Communications. She will join nearly 350 other Arthritis Foundation advocates March 4-6 on Capitol Hill for the annual Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit.
Advocates will urge Congress to support legislation that will make medications more affordable for patients with arthritis; fund a pediatric subspecialty loan repayment program to address the critical shortage of pediatric rheumatologists in the U.S.; and include 'post traumatic osteoarthritis’ and ‘rheumatoid arthritis’ in the Department of Defense research program.
“People are very surprised when I tell them I have arthritis—they think it’s an old person’s disease,” said Miss Pelsone, who enjoys singing, reading, and spending time outdoors. “I want to help change that stereotype and make others more aware of the different types of arthritis that exist,” she added.
While patients now have access to the benefits of research through the discovery and development of drugs like biologics, excessive cost-sharing makes it extremely difficult for many to afford the medication they need. Miss Pelsone is among the 50 million Americans or one of the 300,000 children suffering from arthritis.
“I am very lucky to have a great team of doctors always looking out for my health, but others living with this disease either can’t afford their medication or just don’t have access to the doctors they need. I plan to use my time in Washington to help change that,” stressed Miss Pelsone.
“Many people are finding themselves facing a huge financial burden simply to get the drugs their doctors have prescribed because of discriminatory insurance practices and others are being forced to travel hundreds of miles just to see the closest doctor,” says Amy Melnick, vice president of advocacy for the Arthritis Foundation. “These are reasons why the Arthritis Foundation is so committed to educating our lawmakers on the devastating toll arthritis takes on our nation’s health and economy.”
About the Advocacy Summit
Arthritis Foundation’s 15th annual Advocacy Summit will be held March 4-6 in Washington, D.C. The summit will bring together nearly 350 key arthritis advocates from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to meet with members of Congress to educate them that more needs to be done for people with arthritis.
About the Arthritis Foundation
Striking one in every five adults, arthritis is a serious, sometimes life-threatening disease and also the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to reducing the impact of arthritis, which can severely damage joints and rob people of their ability to live normal lives, including children. The Foundation provides proven programs to help fight arthritis pain, pursues public policy on behalf of patients, and supports groundbreaking research for effective treatments and a cure.
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