What is the Headache Disease Policy Action Network?
The Headache Disease Policy Advocacy Network (HDPAN) is a new multi-stakeholder group working together to create, implement, and support advocacy and policy initiatives that benefit the headache disease community. HDPAN (pronounced head pain) was formed in early 2021 with an ambitious goal in mind: launching a four-year strategic plan that would take a proactive approach to advocacy to make real and strategic gains while the community continued to address regular policy and access challenges. The thought of any patient living in pain and unable to access relief motivated our decisions. We’ve had individual successes addressing state-based issues as they arise, but we know policy changes come from the top down. We must focus on system-wide change.
The headache disorder and migraine disease community is growing. As more achieve diagnosis and begin to seek care, advocates for health are stepping forward and stepping up. This has presented opportunities to not only advance research and raise public awareness but also shed light on the need for meaningful policies that can help headache and migraine patients access much-needed care.
Why Advocacy Matters
In recent years, the migraine community has been called to action with intensifying frequency. Longtime advocates have been joined by newer groups to address complex value assessments, raise awareness with and increase support from Capitol Hill, and break down payer access challenges to innovative treatment options. We have made partnerships with like-minded advocates in other communities such as the veterans' population. We have acknowledged disparities in care and sought to address them. At every turn, the community has risen to the occasion, set record levels of patient and clinician engagement, and created change.
As advocacy efforts have deepened, adding new members and successes, there has also been an increased need to have a network to serve as strategic counsel to help identify ways the community could better leverage capacity on advocacy and policy initiatives. No single group can do this work alone - but we can find more ways to cross-collaborate in order to maximize resources and get to goals faster.
Join Us on June 16th
On June 16th, HDPAN will be asking all of our migraine and headache community advocates, friends, family, and supporters to join us by taking part in our first annual Advocacy Day of Action. On this day, you will be reaching out to your Representative in Congress to ask for their support of a House Resolution (H.Res), designating June 2021 as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. This Resolution will serve to educate our Representatives about the substantial impact migraine and headache disease has on our community and show their support for us.
This Resolution is being led by Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4th). Sign up to join our virtual webinar on June 14th to learn more about this day.
Be a part of advocacy action and join our Voter Voice Campaign!
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