A Message to the Community Following the Election

As our country prepares for the transition to a new presidential administration and congressional session, the CF Foundation is hard at work to understand what the changes in our political leadership mean for people with cystic fibrosis. Our interest is in supporting you. 

| 3 min read
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Mary B. Dwight
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As we move forward our focus is on working together to ensure the health care system, including your health care coverage, works for people with CF. 

We know individuals with CF and their families count on continuous health care coverage to access necessary treatments and care. We want to protect the safeguards in place within the Affordable Care Act that benefit people with CF. Critical among these:

  • Individuals with CF cannot be denied coverage or charged more for their health insurance because of their pre-existing condition.
  • Americans cannot be subjected to lifetime or annual insurance coverage limits, which can cause individuals and families to go into crippling medical debt in order to access vital health care.
  • Young people must be able to remain on a parent's health plan, a critical health care protection during a time of transition for many.

We also know that many people with CF have become insured under the Marketplace and Medicaid and are unsure about the future of individual plans and coverage.  Already this week, President-elect Trump and leaders in Congress stated that health care, particularly the Affordable Care Act, is high on their agenda. We are gathering input from policy makers to understand the current thinking and are in close communication with other chronic disease communities who share our objectives. 

Guiding our work is the Foundation's role as an advocate for the CF community to the new Administration and Congress. Because of decades of our hard work together, we have a strong reputation as a leader among patient advocacy organizations. We remain committed to articulating the needs of the CF community -- to make clear that affordable, accessible, adequate health insurance is critical, that access to high quality care and treatment is vital and that innovative approaches to research, drug development and health care delivery are supported.

We will be reaching out to you, the CF community, in the coming weeks and months to provide updates and ask you to take action to support these efforts. From letters to your member of Congress to participation in advocacy days on Capitol Hill, there are many ways to make your voice heard. We take inspiration and strength from your dedication and determination.

Learn more about the Foundation's work to help ensure that any changes to health care reflect the unique needs of the CF community.

This site contains general information about cystic fibrosis, as well as personal insight from the CF community. Opinions and experiences shared by members of our community, including but not limited to people with CF and their families, belong solely to the blog post author and do not represent those of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, unless explicitly stated. In addition, the site is not intended as a substitute for treatment advice from a medical professional. Consult your doctor before making any changes to your treatment.

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Mary-Dwight-headshot

As senior vice president of policy and advocacy, Mary directs the Foundation's public policy agenda and efforts to support people living with CF. She is a catalyst for accelerating efforts to remove barriers to clinical drug development and also leads the strategic development of the Foundation's efforts to enable and expand access to CF care.

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