Public Policy Initiatives
Activities

The IDF maintains a full-scale public policy program focused on national healthcare issues. Both IDF professional staff and volunteers work in collaboration with Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other Federal agencies to impact decisions that affect primary immune deficient patients and family members.

• Advocating for a safe and adequate blood supply;
• Ensuring access to quality health care for primary immune deficient patients;
• Increasing funding for medical and scientific research.

To meet these objectives, IDF monitors issues that are important to the primary immune deficient community and takes actions necessary to enhance or improve outcomes. These actions can include public testimony at congressional and administrative hearings, meetings and other liaison activities with government officials, grass roots activities such as letter writing and telephone campaigns or organized visits with members of congress. The Foundation also is active with other patient advocacy groups, coalitions, and industry partners to further these objectives.

Current Issues

HR 2914 Medicare Access Act

ATTENTION MEDICARE PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published its final rule for next year that will affect all sites of care for Medicare patients.

Immune Deficiency Foundation Comments to CMS proposed rule on changes to the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (CMS-1471-P)

Immune Deficiency Foundation Comments to Proposed Rule to Revise Medical Criteria for Evaluating Immune System Disorders of Adults and Children for Disability Benefits under Title II and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)) Payments Based on Disability under Title XVI of the Social Security Act

Advocates for Primary Immune Disease Community Take to Capitol Hill to Warn of New Challenges, Applaud Progress
Patients living with primary immune deficiency diseases and their caregivers are gathering on Capitol Hill today to recognize progress made in the past two decades, and to urge Congress to maintain and increase crucial research funding for the treatment of diseases that threaten the lives of thousands of Americans. Read more...