Legislative Successes
Since 1977, the Lupus Foundation of America has been driving effective policy change at the federal and state level to improve the lives of people with lupus. We’ve succeeded in the past, and with the continued support of our advocates, we’ll succeed in the future.
Our Approach to Advocacy
When it comes to improving the lives of people living with lupus, the Lupus Foundation of America is honored to work on legislative and policy issues that can make a difference. The government is one of our most valuable partners in the fight against lupus, and we’ll never stop leveraging their resources and pushing them to be more responsive to the needs of the lupus community. We know that no one can tell the lupus story better than our network of advocates, so our goal is to provide advocates with opportunities to engage with their elected officials and maximize the impact by amplifying their voices.
Time and time again, lupus advocates have demonstrated that when they raise their voice, Congress listens.
The National Lupus Patient Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to identify who gets lupus and how we can reduce the time to diagnosis.
Our advocates led the fight to create the Lupus Research Program at the Department of Defense and continue to successfully advocate for congressional funding.
The Office of Minority Health educates health providers about lupus and develops strategies and action plans to drive minority enrollment in clinical trials.
Lupus Awareness Month Proclamations
During Lupus Awareness Month, the Foundation and its advocates gain new supporters in obtaining government proclamations to draw further attention to Lupus Awareness Month among both elected officials and the general public. Sign up as an advocate to receive information about how to help next May!
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have committed more than $665 million to lupus research in the last 5 years alone, making them by far the largest public funder of lupus research in the world. Each year, we urge Congress to support robust funding for NIH, allowing them to conduct basic, clinical, and translational research that will lead to the identification of new targets for lupus drug development.
Learn MoreWe founded the Medicare Access for Patients Rx (MAPRx) Coalition in 2005 to strengthen and improve Medicare Part D. For more than 44 million Americans over the age of 65 or living with a chronic disease, Part D provides timely, affordable access to prescription medications. Today, MAPRx has become the preeminent Part D coalition with more than 60 member organizations representing patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
Learn MoreMore Federal Lupus Initiatives
The National Institutes of Health brings together federal agencies with an interest in lupus to better coordinate their efforts. Learn more.
The CDC’s Agenda provides a broad public health approach to lupus diagnosis, disease management, treatment, and research. Learn more.
Visit Advocate HQ to add your voice to the fight and find out how you can take action right now to support people living with lupus.