Announcing our 2024 healthcare policy and education priorities 

The PAN Foundation today announced its healthcare policy and education priorities for 2024, outlining the legislation we will champion and our approach to patient education to increase equitable access to healthcare for all.

“We are proud to serve as both a critical safety net for people living with serious illnesses, and an educational resource for all the communities we support,” said PAN Foundation President and CEO Kevin L. Hagan. “Over the last 20 years, more than 1.1 million people have turned to us when high out-of-pocket costs stood between them and their treatments. We are grateful that we have also become a trusted source when people have questions about Medicare reforms and other complex healthcare topics.”

The PAN Foundation will continue to address longstanding health inequities by asking Congress, the administration, and regulatory agencies to: 

• Pass the HELP Copays Act and ban copay accumulator and maximizer programs.  
• Ensure telehealth services provided during the public health emergency are maintained and made permanent. 
• Mitigate the impact of restrictive utilization management practices on patients through prior authorization and step therapy policy solutions. 
• Enact regulatory or legislative solutions to abolish alternative funding programs. 

We will also expand our educational efforts, working with our network of patient support partners to increase awareness around:   

• Changes to the Medicare Part D program enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act, including the expansion of the federal Extra Help program, Medicare Part D annual cap on out-of-pocket costs, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. 
• The harm caused by alternative funding programs and how employers should avoid them. 

“Advocacy work takes patience, persistence, and expertise—but it always starts with education,” said PAN Foundation Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Amy Niles. “We are grateful that the communities we serve turn to us for clear, easy-to-understand information about complex and nuanced policies and programs.”

The PAN Foundation maintains a Medicare reforms guide, updated about changes to the Medicare program as they take effect. We will also continue to lead the charge with national research and polling around the impacts of these Medicare changes, the many patients who will still struggle with their prescription costs, and the key role charitable organizations will continue to play.  

Read the PAN Foundation’s complete list of 2024 policy positions.

About the PAN Foundation   

The PAN Foundation is an independent, national 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to helping federally and commercially insured people living with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases with the out-of-pocket costs for their prescribed medications.    

Since 2004, we have provided more than 1.1 million underinsured patients with $4 billion in financial assistance. Partnering with generous donors, healthcare providers, and pharmacies, we provide the underinsured population access to the healthcare treatments they need to best manage their conditions and focus on improving their quality of life. Learn more at panfoundation.org.