AF comments on BO's segment on RA | Arthritis Information

Here is the segment in President-elect Obama's 30 minute program he ran last week, which features a family dealing with RA. It is truly amazing. Thank you Senator Obama.

New Obama Administration

Last week, many of you contacted me to let us know you saw Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama discuss on national television and on multiple networks the ravages of rheumatoid arthritis. (To view the arthritis vignette, click here and advance 7 ½ minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtREqAmLsoA). Through the heart breaking story of Larry and Juanita Stuart from Ohio, we are witness to this devastating disease and the challenges of accessing and paying for the necessary care to treat it. The Arthritis Foundation cannot endorse any candidate for office but we can reach out to campaigns with information. Earlier this week, we sent the attached letter to now President-Elect Barack Obama. The Arthritis Foundation will be working with the new Administration, and with the new Congress, on policies and legislation that will expand access to comprehensive health care to include preventive care, self-management programs, surgical interventions, rehabilitation services, and prescription medications for people with arthritis. We must work together, and with other like-minded organizations, at improving the care for people with arthritis. It truly was a watershed moment for people with arthritis to be featured on national television by a candidate running for our nation’s highest office. We plan on using this opportunity with President-Elect Obama and his new Administration to engage in substantive policy and advocacy work on behalf of the 46 million people, including nearly 300,000 children with arthritis.

Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama

Amy Melnick
Chief Public Policy Officer
Arthritis Foundation
National Office
2011 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 610
Washington, DC 20006
http://www.arthritis.org
Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States.

Great push for RA awareness - maybe something will come of it.

When I was first diagnosed I went to the Arthritis Self Management Program offered here a lot and it really helped. One great thing about socialised medicine is the integrated care.yes, a lot of programs for different aspects of RA are always being offered at the hospital where I see my doctor.An excerpt from AF's letter to members:

"The Arthritis Foundation will be working with the new Administration, and with the new Congress, on policies and legislation that will expand access to comprehensive health care to include preventive care, self-management programs, surgical interventions, rehabilitation services, and prescription medications for people with arthritis. We must work together, and with other like-minded organizations, at improving the care for people with arthritis. It truly was a watershed moment for people with arthritis to be featured on national television by a candidate running for our nation’s highest office."

Many of us RAers struggle with dealing w/this disease, and also must struggle with insurance companies and finding affordable care and prescriptions. On another forum, a woman posted that should would be losing her COBRA in a few months, she was asking for info about insurers that would not exclude or delay coverage because of her RA. One premium rate quoted for her was ,000 a month! As AF says, we must work together to improve the care for people with arthritis by supporting policies and legislation to expand access to comprehensive health care. With the state of our economy, big changes in health care may not be implemented as fast as we would like, but one area that needs to be addressed, is the practice of insurance companies to deny individuals w/pre existing conditions affordable health insurance. Insurance companies should not be allowed to cherry pick the young and healthy, to ensure their profit, and leave those with chronic conditions to taxpayers supported government programs or with no health insurance or access at all.