Welcome to the first edition of our quarterly Advocacy & Policy newsletter.

The first half of 2025 has brought sweeping momentum in Washington. With a new Congress seated and the Trump administration advancing aggressive policy shifts, the landscape for medical research, public health, and patient care is shifting—fast.

Broad, structural debates are taking center stage, often pushing aside more targeted legislative work. But behind the headlines, key developments are unfolding that directly affect the communities we serve.

To get up to speed quickly, watch our 90-second highlight video. For a deeper dive, you’ll find detailed updates and analysis below—including how you can speak up, share your experience, and help shape the future of healthcare policy.

Thank you for staying engaged and standing with us.

Budget Reconciliation

Congress continues to work on Budget Reconciliation, commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1). This type of legislation deals with taxes and entitlement programs related federal spending and can be passed with a simple majority. The House has passed its version of the bill, and the Senate is currently working on its own measure with the Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee recently releasing healthcare proposals that can be found below. The House and Senate will need to agree on, and pass, a final measure before September 30th.

• Senate Finance Committee: Click Here
• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Provisions: Click Here

The Issue

The current House legislation and emerging Senate legislation advances cuts to Medicaid benefits, reductions in benefits for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), and reforms to federal student loans. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan entity that tracks the cost and impact of legislation, stated that, in general, resources would decrease for lower income households, whereas resources would increase for middle to upper income households. Additional information can be found here. A summary of Medicaid related provisions from the House proposal can be found here.

FY 2026 Appropriations

Each year, Congress decides how much funding goes to medical research, public health, and patient care programs through the annual appropriations bills. This process (ceremonially) starts when the President releases a budget request to Congress. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, the administration has asked Congress to drastically reorganize programs and to cut overall funding for the US Department of Health and Human Services by 22% and to reduce funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by 40%!

The Issue

While the proposed funding reductions and recommended wholesale elimination of programs by the administration are concerning, Congress ultimately makes annual funding decisions based on input from constituents and individuals impacted by federal programs. Moreover, Accessia Health has been joining efforts of community coalitions to increase funding while advocating with legislators and submitting testimony calling for enhancements to core programs. Congress is currently in the process of drafting FY 2026 funding bills. Thus far, the House has advanced proposals for the VA and its research and care program, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Defense including its patient care and medical research programs. The House has largely preserved funding for these programs, but the Senate is poised to potentially include annual increases. 

• The FY 2026 House VA Appropriations Bill, corresponding Committee Report, and additional information can be found here.
• The FY2026 House FDA Appropriations Bill, corresponding Committee Report, and additional information can be found here.
• The FY 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill, corresponding Committee Report, and additional information can be found here. 

• Bipartisan legislation to address prior authorization and improve care has been reintroduced in the Senate. Despite recently being reintroduced, The Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act (S. 1816) already has 51 cosponsors. Additional information can be found here.
• The Senate has also reintroduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the practice of copay accumulator and maximizer programs so that patients can properly utilize copayment assistance. The HELP Copays Act (S. 864) currently has 11 cosponsors. Additional information can be found here.  
• Congress has been working to advance certain timely legislative efforts through other bills and larger packages. Right now, broad proposals are moving that include fixes for Medicare physician reimbursement, the Kids Access to Care Act (which would improve care and provider access through Medicaid), and the Orphan Cure Act (which seeks to ensure access to innovative therapies in Medicare and drug price negotiation). 
• Congress continues to work on reforms for Pharmacy Benefits Managers, and seeks to end anti-competitive practices like vertical integration and stifling patient choice that dimmish quality and increase prices. This will be an ongoing process throughout the year, but one where lawmakers will look to constituent and affected individuals for feedback. 

The decisions being made in Washington shape the reality patients and families live with every day—access to treatment, affordability, support services, and more.

If you’ve experienced the gaps in our healthcare system, your perspective can push the conversation in the right direction. Lawmakers hear from lobbyists all the time. They don’t hear nearly enough from the people actually affected.

Learn how you can find and contact your representatives today to help make change happen.

Accessia Health, a national charitable patient assistance organization, is dedicated to eliminating healthcare barriers for people with rare or chronic health conditions. Comprehensive services include personalized case management, financial assistance, education, and legal aid support. Our flexible funding model goes beyond copays, allowing individuals to pay for other essential medical expenses including insurance premiums, screening and diagnostics, therapy services, travel costs and more. Accessia Health works to ensure that every individual has access to the care they need to lead a healthier life. 

Accessia Health exists through generous donations like yours.

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