Spotlight: Health Care Reform Action Team

By Katie Soisson, NHC Policy Associate

The NHC’s Action Teams are an integral part of the organization’s policy-making process and serve as one of the best ways for member organizations to take part in our policy work. Both the Health Care Reform Action Team (HCRAT) and the Medical Innovation Action Team (MIAT) are composed of senior policy and government affairs staff from all NHC member organizations and meet monthly.

The Health Care Reform Action Team focuses on exactly what its name suggests: topics and issues related to health care reform in the United States. This often comes in the form of emerging legislation and/or regulations from the Department of Health and Human Services. When new policies surface, the Health Care Reform Action Team helps the NHC develop the organization’s position – including comment letters, op-eds, toolkits, and other resources. The Action Team also discusses member organization reactions as well as any opportunities to collaborate. One major focus of the HCRAT in 2018 has been the President’s Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs. With an overall direction set by the NHC Board of Director’s Policy Committee, the Action Team helped guide the content of the NHC’s comments submitted to the Administration.

Both Action Teams serve as an environment for the NHC and its member organizations to work together, stay up-to-date on important areas of policy, align positions, and develop operational strategies to continue our mission of providing a united voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities.

If you are an NHC member organization and would like to learn more about the Health Care Reform Action Team, please contact me at ksoisson@nhcouncil.org.