In 2024, the PAN Foundation celebrated our 20th anniversary and unveiled an expanded mission that opened new doors—allowing us to reach millions of people on their healthcare journeys.
Accelerating access to care
The PAN Foundation’s expanded mission focuses on accelerating access to affordable, equitable healthcare for all. Our enhanced mission underscores our commitment to engaging communities and providing the knowledge, resources, and support necessary to empower patients on their healthcare journeys, regardless of their location, income, or background.
We awarded over $332 million in financial assistance to more than 86,000 people across 80 financial assistance programs. Through nationwide grassroots campaigns, we engaged nearly 4,000 advocates. And we reached over 65 million people through educational initiatives around Medicare Part D reforms, clinical trials, and alternative funding programs.
As we look ahead to our next 20 years, the PAN Foundation builds upon three essential pillars to make meaningful advances in improving access to affordable, equitable healthcare: financial assistance, advocacy, and education.
The money that would come out of my pocket, [PAN] picks up. And that’s been a tremendous help, both mentally and physically, since the drug is working so well.”
Bill Allen, PAN grant recipient living with prostate cancer
Helping people access care through financial assistance
As part of our efforts in 2024 to expand patient reach, PAN opened five new copay funds, three new health insurance premium funds, and expanded eligibility criteria for four funds to include commercial insurance. In total, PAN served as a critical safety net to help 86,402 patients access the healthcare treatments they need through 80 disease funds.
Reaching patients and healthcare professionals nationwide
PAN’s wide national reach and growing network sets us apart from other organizations. We engage a broad range of patient and provider groups through national and community level engagement efforts, and millions of others from across the country through advocacy and education. In 2024, PAN participated in 29 speaking engagements and attended 13 national conferences to connect directly with healthcare professionals and patients. We reached millions of people through multimedia campaigns, including 12 million listeners through Spanish-language radio, 300,000 email subscribers, and more than 1.5 million website visitors.
Advocating for healthcare access and affordability
In 2024, we focused on driving progress toward access to care through these policy priorities:
- Banning copay accumulator and maximizer programs
- Ensuring telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries are made permanent
- Mitigating the impact of prior authorization and step therapy
- Abolishing alternative funding programs and increasing awareness of their harm to patients
- Increasing participation in clinical trials to foster better health outcomes
- Including coverage of dental, vision, and hearing services for people on Medicare, Medicaid, and who are insured through marketplace exchange plans
Prioritizing collaboration for change
Collaboration with other patient-first groups is a powerful way that PAN is making a bigger impact and amplifying patient voices. Through these strategic partnerships and coalitions, we are leading the charge on long-term solutions to improve the healthcare system for millions. PAN submitted 35 policy letters to federal agencies and Congress, many as part of these partnerships.
Standing up for patients, with patients
PAN held our second annual in-person Advocacy Action Summit over three days in Washington, D.C., where 63 passionate patient advocates and caregivers from across the country came together on Capitol Hill to advocate for eight pieces of legislation that would expand access to affordable, equitable healthcare. PAN and patient advocates attended more than 280 Congressional meetings.
Activating our grassroots network
We make sure that voices from all populations are being heard and help drive meaningful change on policies that promote equitable health outcomes through grassroots advocacy efforts. Through our online advocacy action center, PAN engaged people across the U.S. to send more than 12,000 messages to their members of Congress advocating for policy that addresses step therapy, prior authorization, copay accumulators, and more.
Centering the patient experience through research
Recognizing the need for more insights and evidence on the healthcare experiences of people living with chronic diseases, PAN officially launched its Center for Patient Research in 2024. Since its launch, PAN’s Center for Patient Research has been at the forefront of understanding the challenges patients with chronic illness face in accessing care. These findings are used to create practical
solutions and actionable knowledge for healthcare stakeholders and policymakers, to help inform policies and educational opportunities.
Our portfolio of research findings included a scorecard for the state of healthcare access for patients with chronic health conditions, an analysis on the awareness and impact of key Medicare Part D reforms, perceptions related to clinical trial participation, and much more.
Introducing the State of Patient Access Report
PAN’s Center for Patient Research released the inaugural State of Patient Access Report in 2024, a groundbreaking research initiative identifying that surveyed patients with chronic health conditions directly about the challenges they face in healthcare access and affordability.
The report revealed that patients across all demographics face significant challenges in accessing and affording the necessary healthcare and treatment. In collaboration with The Harris Poll, we developed a scorecard to share ratings for five key categories around patient access to care.
Educating patients to navigate healthcare journeys
In 2024, we expanded our educational initiatives, reaching millions of people and equipping them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health. We listen to the data, and the people behind it, to shape the education we offer. Whether it’s understanding clinical trials, navigating Medicare reforms, or advocating against harmful healthcare policies, education is at the heart of everything we do.
We’ve seen patients become more confident, informed, and equipped to navigate their healthcare journeys. PAN’s education programs break down barriers to care and empower individuals to take control of their health.
Expanding awareness of Medicare reforms
We reached more than 58 million Americans with information about two key Medicare reforms that would take effect on January 1, 2025, a major step in potentially lowering out-of-pocket costs and improving access to life-saving treatments for many. These changes—the Medicare Part D cap and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan—can make a difference for millions of beneficiaries. Awareness of these reforms remained low, however, in the months leading up to implementation. To address this, we launched a nationwide education campaign timed around Medicare Open Enrollment. From webinars and speaking engagements, to materials in English and Spanish, PAN empowered millions of Medicare beneficiaries to navigate the changes with confidence.
Engaging communities and improving access
To reach more people who may be experiencing access challenges, PAN continues to engage communities at the grassroots level to help connect with the populations in greatest need. PAN identified Atlanta, Georgia, as a key city for community engagement work because of its large population of underserved residents facing significant challenges in accessing healthcare. We created a task force of community-based organizations and healthcare systems in the Atlanta area, and in November 2024, PAN hosted the Stronger Together: A Journey to Wellness Family Festival. The festival attracted hundreds of attendees and provided direct access to free health screenings, support in applying for assistance programs, free fresh produce, and more.
The opportunity to engage with communities at the local level affords us the ability to listen, to hear, and be responsive to patient needs.”
Kim Baich, PAN’s Chief Impact Officer
Improving access.
Transforming health.
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