Until a cure is found, the chapter and MS activists are currently pursuing:
- Health care reform
- Improved community resources
- Disability rights
- Long-term care resources
- Access to quality health care services
- Increased funding for MS research
- Accessible, affordable health insurance
Read more about
- In Washington, DC, we are working toward positive legislative change. Join MS action alerts.
- Read the National Health Care Reform Principles. These principles help guide our role in the national health care reform debate and determine the Society’s policy priorities.
- Read activism success stories.
State Issues
Our California advocacy priorities include:
- S.B. 486 is signed by the Governor!
This MS-CAN sponsored bill authored by Senator Joe Simitian (Dem- Palo Alto) requires that drug manufacturers who make injectible medications post on their web sites and submit plans to the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s successor agency, what actions they are taking, if any, on how they support and provide safe needle disposal programs for the patients who inject their drugs that are not covered under Medicare Part B.
Background: As of September 1, 2008, California state law makes it illegal to dispose of sharps waste in the trash or recycling containers. The new regulations require sharps waste to be stored in approved sharps containers and requires those sharps containers to be disposed of at an approved sharps collection point or hazardous waste site.
Sharps and Disposal
Sharps include lancets, hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpel blades and broken glass articles (other than household items). According to state law, an approved sharps container is rigid, leak-proof, puncture resistant, sealed and clearly marked with the bio-hazard symbol.
For more information about Sharps disposal in your area visit the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
- Setting Standards for Individual Health Insurance and A.B. 786
For the millions of Californians without access to employment-based coverage, buying health insurance on their own in the individual market is a daunting, confusing, and often expensive experience. Consumers want affordable health plans with adequate protection in case they get very sick. However, given the number of products in the individual market, which vary based on what services they cover and the costs to consumers, it is nearly impossible to adequately compare insurance plans. A.B. 786 (Jones) would set standards and categorize plans in the individual health insurance market so that consumers can determine a plan’s value and more easily comparison shop.
- Tiering of Pharmacy Benefits for Specialty Drugs
Health plan medication formularies are classified into one of four tiers, with tier 1 (usually generics) having the lowest co-pay and progressing to tier 4, with the highest co-pay. Legislation to provide greater disclosure of the drug pricing system and classification change policy in insurance policies and health care plans is needed as a first step toward assuring consumers access to critical specialty drugs for serious and chronic diseases. Proposed legislation will address the following:
o Access to specialty drugs
o Mid-policy classification change
o Lack of transparency
Local Issues
At the chapter we think that real people should have a real impact on reforming the system. Many of the local issues that we address come directly from individuals who contact the chapter about a problem affecting people with MS in their community. Some of these issues include public transportation, housing, emergency preparedness, and health care.
To learn more about current hot topics in advocacy or for more information, please contact Amanda.Lasik@mspacific.org at 760-448-8404.