Charitable non-profit patient assistance foundations help thousands of Americans afford their health care every year, particularly those who are living with expensive chronic and rare diseases. Recently, Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota developed a provision that would allow third-party groups (like patient assistance organizations) to pay premiums on the behalf of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawmakers are considering adding a provision to the next COVID-19 relief package that would allow non-profit groups like patient assistance organizations to provide third-party premium assistance. We need your help! Please contact your Senators and urge them to stand with patients and defend patient access to non-profit charitable assistance.
You can use the template below to create an email to your Senators. You can find contact information for them here or by sending an email to Chelsey.Fix@gbs-cidp.org
Template: copy and paste, add in your information, and send to your Senators’ offices in an email!
Dear [Senator],
As your constituent, I am asking your office to contact Mr. Ben Bergstrom in Sen. Kevin Cramer’s office and cosponsor the Emergency Access to Marketplace Insurance Act provision and support its inclusion into the next COVID-19 relief package.
Charitable non-profit patient assistance serves as a vital safety net that helps thousands of Americans with rare and chronic conditions afford their health care. Patients who live with a chronic disease are vulnerable during the pandemic and Sen. Cramer’s provision has the potential to ensure patients receive treatment and services at no added cost to the public.
As you may know, in 2014, CMS introduced a misguided policy that has allowed insurers to deny coverage to individuals who receive third-party assistance with their premiums or copays from charitable organizations. The Emergency Access to Marketplace Insurance Act will allow payments on behalf of individuals by groups such as non-profit organizations and churches for a limited time. This provision would expire on December 31, 2021 and will close the loophole that has allowed insurers to skirt pre-existing condition protections.
Americans are losing their health insurance coverage by the millions during the national emergency. Why would we limit their access to charitable assistance to maintain their healthcare?
As the Senate considers policy proposals to assist Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I urge you to stand with patients and ensure that non-profit patient assistance remains an option for those who need it the most. Please contact Mr. Ben Bergstrom at Ben_Bergstrom@cramer.senate.gov to cosponsor the provision. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your Address]
[Your email]