We make the IMPACT; you make the difference!
Often, people with COPD are diagnosed too late, aren't given the support and education they need to manage the disease, and lack access to treatments and devices that allow them to live the best quality of life possible.
Despite being the 4th leading cause of death and the 3rd most common cause of disability in the U.S., COPD research ranks 176th in federal funding1. We advocate for increased investment in research, public health infrastructure to improve prevention, awareness, education, and quality of care.
Advocacy is no longer just about speaking up to support policy changes. Stakeholders, such as those who develop therapies and devices, design health care, and make regulatory and reimbursement policies, are looking to infuse the patient, caregiver, and health care professional's perspectives into their work in a meaningful way.
We are working hard to ensure your voice is heard.
Together, we can create positive change for the 16 million people in the U.S. diagnosed with COPD and the millions more who haven't yet been diagnosed.
“Knowledge is power! We are a group that people tend to blame for our disease…so we can overcome that together. We can learn to speak up for ourselves.”
- Ken Ellis, COPD Foundation Captain, Washington
COPD affects every congressional district in the nation. With your help, we can ensure every member of Congress knows what these four letters stand for and why they should support funding for COPD research and public health education and improved access to necessary treatments like oxygen, non-invasive ventilation, and pulmonary rehabilitation.
The COPD Foundation would like to thank our Corporate Partners for providing the funding to deliver this important program.
IMPACT 2024plus
The policy priorities for the IMPACT Lung Health 2024 in-person meetings were:
- Increase FY25 NIH funding and prioritize COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM research through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) appropriations report language.
- Co-sponsor H.R. 1406 or S. 3021 to extend and make permanent Medicare coverage for virtual pulmonary rehabilitation.
- Co-sponsor H.R. 7829 or S. 3821, the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act, to ensure Medicare patients have access to essential oxygen therapy.
IMPACT 2023plus
The policy priorities for the IMPACT Lung Health 2023 virtual meetings were:
- Increase funding and prioritize COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM research through the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as the FY 2024 appropriations bills are developed.
- Extend and make permanent Medicare coverage for all virtual pulmonary rehabilitation.
- Act to ensure that all individuals requiring supplemental oxygen have access to medically appropriate oxygen.
IMPACT 2022plus
The policy priorities for the IMPACT Lung Health 2022 virtual meetings were:
- As the FY 2023 appropriations bills are developed, Congress should include an additional $100M for lung health research through the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
- Congress should extend and make permanent Medicare coverage of virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, and authorize non-physician clinicians to oversee pulmonary rehabilitation under Medicare beginning in 2022 by co-sponsoring H.R. 1956/S. 1986.
- As the FY 2023 appropriations bills are developed, Congress should include at least $6M for the Chronic Disease Education & Awareness program at CDC.
- Congress should encourage CMS to permanently remove liquid oxygen from Medicare competitive bidding, update reimbursement levels, and streamline clinician review of medical necessity.
- Join the Congressional COPD Caucus.
IMPACT 2021plus
The policy priorities for the IMPACT 2021 virtual meetings were:
- Urge the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize the qualification of outcome measures and biomarkers that reflect the greatest needs of COPD and other chronic lung disease patients.
- Extend and make permanent Medicare billing codes for pulmonary rehabilitation services delivered via telehealth.
- In the final FY 2022 Labor HHS Education Appropriations Bill, include $5 million as recommended by the House Appropriations Committee for the Chronic Disease Education & Awareness program at the Center for Disease Control & Prevention's (CDC) Center for Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.
- Join the Congressional COPD Caucus.
IMPACT 2020plus
The policy priorities for the IMPACT 2020 virtual meetings were:
- In the final FY 2021, Labor HHS appropriations bill includes $3 million for the new Chronic Disease Education & Awareness program at the Center for Disease Control & Prevention's (CDC) Center for Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.
- Urge the Centers for Medical & Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue the suspension of Medicare competitive bidding for oxygen supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Urge CMS to include billing codes for pulmonary rehabilitation services in the list of telehealth services covered by Medicare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Join the Congressional COPD Caucus.
IMPACT 2019plus
The policy priorities for the IMPACT 2019 in-person meetings were:
- Advocating for COPD research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a COPD program at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are two essential requirements for progressing implementation of the COPD National Action Plan.
- Urge Congressional members to address critical issues such as access to supplemental oxygen and the need for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to drop their proposal to include non-invasive ventilators in the competitive bidding program moving forward.
- Join the Congressional COPD Caucus.
- Source: NHLBI. NIH.gov (COPD National Action Plan)