OP-ED: MAHA Shouldn’t Leave the Sick Behind
By John Czwartacki
As a person battling a disease, I am thrilled with the efforts to Make America Healthy Again. This promising policy shift is long overdue. We need to address entrenched practices, examine chronic illness, and seek better “health” for Americans, not simply the administration of “care” by a system.
While the administration focuses on prevention, it must not forget those patients who are sick. Before I developed multiple sclerosis more than 30 years ago, I had no family history of disease, had lived a healthy lifestyle, and yet I was still struck by this chronic illness. So, yes, MAHA should enable access to the tools of better health, including preventive medicine, nutritious whole food, and regular exercise.
However, we must also embrace the development of innovative treatments and cures to combat the diseases afflicting patients.
The goal of MAHA should be to eliminate self-sabotage, whether it involves removing harmful food additives or overcoming unnecessary patient obstacles.
An example of a senseless obstacle is coverage with evidence development. It requires Medicare beneficiaries to participate in clinical trials or patient registries to receive a treatment that’s already been FDA-approved. This program is a redundant waste of resources that unjustly delays or denies coverage for patients who are limited by disability, location or other factors. Removing man-made and unnecessary obstacles that prevent patients from accessing better healthcare is one of the easiest ways to improve healthcare.
Rural communities similarly face significant barriers to accessing better health. We should celebrate farmers and families raising kids in exurban communities rather than punishing them. Many patients in these areas struggle to get the treatment they need. Specific requirements compel these individuals to travel unnecessarily long distances. The result is that some patients are given more access than others based on their ZIP code. This “blue-lining” means that people who don’t live close to dense urban areas and near advanced medical centers are at a disadvantage if they can’t readily access the in-person requirements. Addressing these geographic inequities in access to care is another vital step toward making America healthier.
Patients are consistently required to navigate complex pathways within our healthcare system to access treatments. Policies such as coverage with evidence development, step therapy and cumbersome prior authorization requirements all make it more difficult for patients to access medications to treat the symptoms of their disease. In some cases, these policies can be life-threatening.
I’ve been blessed to have access to medical advancements that have kept pace with my illness. It’s why I take any threats to access personally. I have made it my mission to advocate on behalf of all patients and the potentially life-altering future cures they need. It means hope.
Through Survivors for Solutions, I push for policies that promote innovation. Now, with Access for All, I aim to ensure that no policies or programs serve as unnecessary hurdles for patients to access that innovation. Access for All aims to ensure every patient can receive the treatment they need to combat their disease. It is only by unlocking that access that we can achieve the goal of making all Americans healthier. Hope itself is at stake.
Read the full piece in the DC Journal here.