AMERICA'S AGENDA HEALTHCARE EDUCATION FUND

THE ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS LISTED BELOW PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THE RANGE OF HEALTH CARE ECONOMIC RESEARCH, POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL WORK THE AMERICA'S AGENDA HEALTHCARE EDUCATION FUND ("AAHEF") UNDERTOOK DURING 2024 TO ADVANCE OUR MISSION OF ASSURING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS: 1. RESEARCH & POLICY DEVELOPMENT - IN 2024, AAHEF DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE STATE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY AND MARKET REFORM POLICY FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO. AAHEF PRESENTED LEADERS IN THE COLORADO STATE LEGISLATURE A PROPOSED REFORM POLICY FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS SOARING PRESCRIPTION DRUG COST INFLATION AND A RANGE OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT ITS RECOMMENDATION, AAHEF SUBSEQUENTLY RESPONDED TO LEGISLATORS' REQUESTS TO TRANSLATE THE PROPOSED POLICY FRAMEWORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS INTO DRAFT STATUTORY LANGUAGE THAT, IF ADOPTED INTO LAW, WOULD BECOME THE MOST FAR-REACHING PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY AND MARKET REFORM STATUTE ENACTED, TO DATE, BY ANY STATE IN THE NATION. IN AUTIMN 2024, SPONSORING MEMBERS OF COLORADO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE FILED AAHEF-DRAFTED PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FORM OF A PROPOSED PRESCRIPTION DRUG MARKET REFORM BILL AND SECURED IT AS A PRIORITY FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE 2025 SESSION OF THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE. 2..PUBLIC EDUCATION - DURING 2024, AAHEF CONTINUED ITS PROGRAM OF RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE CAUSES OF AND SOLUTIONS TO AMERICA'S HEALTH COST CRISIS BY CARRYING OUT A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY FOCUSED ON AMPLIFYING HIGH-IMPACT AAHEF AND 3RD PARTY RESEARCH COUPLED WITH PERSONAL STORIES OF FAMILIES AND PATIENTS FACED WITH HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES. THE AAHEF MANAGING DIRECTOR HAS CONTINUED TO ENGAGE IN AN ONGOING NATIONWIDE MEDIA TOUR TO RAISE LOCAL LISTENER AND VIEWER UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH RADIO AND TV INTERVIEWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY DISCUSSING WHAT THE DRIVERS ARE OF RAPIDLY RISING PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS AND THE KINDS OF POLICIES SOLUTIONS THAT ACTUALLY OFFER PROMISE TO RESTORE AFFORDABILITY TO AMERICANS.3. LABOR & EMPLOYER HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT ("LEHTP") - AAHEF'S LABOR & EMPLOYER HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT PROVIDES EDICATION ABOUT AAHEF-DEVELOPED PUBLIC POLICY SOLUTIONS AND PROVIDES DIRECT SUPPORT TO EMPLOYER AND LABOR UNION EFFORTS TO ADOPT COMMON GROUND SOLUTIONS FOR RE-ENGINEERING HEALTH CARE DELIVERY AND BENEFITS DESIGN WITH THE PURPOSE OF SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND EMPLOYERS, WHILE IMPROVING HEALTH CARE OUTCOMES. LEHTP PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT AAHEF-DEVELOPED AND 3RD PARTY POLICY AND PROGRAM SOLUTIONS, DISSEMINATING THIS INFORMATION THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS, INCLUDING PRINT PUBLICATIONS, ONLINE VIDEOS, EMAIL MESSAGE BLASTS. AAHEF-DESIGNED SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING FEATURES LINKS TO THE AMERICA'S AGENDA AND RELATED WEBSITES THAT ENABLE ONLINE READERS TO TAKE DEEPER EDUCATIONAL DIVES INTO HEALTH CARE REFORM ISSUES. LEHTP EDUCATIONAL WORK INCLUDES IN-PERSON PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES AND BUSINESS AND UNION LEADERSHIP MEETINGS WHERE AAHEF PRESENTS COMMON-SENSE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM AND STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY UNION AND EMPLOYER HEALTH PLAN SPONSORS. IN 2024, ONE LEHTP PROGRAM REACHED A NOTEWORTHY MILESTONE. FOR SEVERAL YEARS, LEHTP HAS PROVIDED HEALTH TRUST PLAN SPOSORS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SHIFTING FROM RELIANCE ON DIALYSIS FOR TREATING PLAN PARTICIPANTS DIAGNOSED WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE (ESRD) TO A STRATEGY THAT WOULD EXPITE KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION, WHERE MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE. AAHEF EDUCATED SELF-FUNDED HEALTH PLAN TRUSTEES ABOUT BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES AND PROLONGUED LIFE EXPECTANCY WITH TRANSPLANTATION AND POTENTIAL OF CAPTURING SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS BY REDUCING NET COST OF CARE WITH TRANSPLATNTATION COMPARED TO COST OF PROLONGED PATIENT RELIANCE ON DIALYSIS. IN 2024, AAHEF EFFORTS THROUGH LEHTP CAME TO FRUITION WHEN A NEW YORK STATE UNION AND EMPLOYER HEALTH TRUST THAT HAD ADOPTED THE PROGRAM AUTHORIZED THE FIRST KDNEY TRANSPLANT FOR AN ESRD PATIENT UNDER THE TRUST'S NEW EXPEDITED TRANSPLANTATION PROGRAM. AAHEF IS GRATIFIED TO REPORT THAT THE OUTCOME WAS POSITIVE. LEHTP HAS RECOMMENDED A FOLLOW-UP INITIATIVE TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS EARLIER THROUGH AUTOMATED POPULATION HEALTH CLAIMS DATA REVIEW AND ENGAGE PATIENTS AT RISK OF ESRD EARLIER IN THE DISEASE TRAJECTORY WHEN THEY ARE RELATIVELY MORE HEALTHY, HEALTH OUTCOMES ARE PROSPECTIVELY BETTER, AND OVERALL HEALTH COST SAVINGS TO THE SELF-FUNDED UNION AND EMPLOYER TRUST ARE EVEN GREATER. PLANS ARE UNDERWAY TO IMPLEMENT THE EXPANDED LEHTP RECOMMENDATION IN 2025.