Advocacy
May Proclaimed Arthritis Action Month in Washington
Governor Christine Gregoire and the Washington House of Representatives have announced that May be known as Arthritis Action Month in the state of Washington. The recently signed proclamations highlight the impact of arthritis and the need for public awareness and action.
View the Proclamation or the House Resolution.
Raise Your Hands Against Arthritis!
Our grassroots advocates are making great strides in 2012:
- Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington signed on to the Congressional Arthritis Caucus, joining 8 representatives from the Great West Region as well as fellow Senator James Risch of Idaho.
- More than 40 people joined in the 2nd Annual Arthritis Awareness Day at the Capitol on February 28, 2012 Olympia, WA
- The Great West Region sent 44 people to the 2012 Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC on April 16-18.
- Our advocates made arthritis a part of the conversation in state news and legislatures this session!
- An Arthritis Foundation survey on medication costs helped get an Oregon story about medication costs in the news.
- Advocates testified in Alaska on House Bill 218 and made a huge difference in passing this legislation ensuring patients are given more notice before insurers can raise medication out-of-pocket costs.
- Advocates testified and reached out to their legislators in Washington on Senate Bill 6241, raising awareness about the unfair burden that the practice of "cost-sharing"places on people who need so-called "specialty" medications to manage conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
- Ambassador Heidi Barrett of Mukilteo, WA was quoted in a follow-up story in the New York Times
We rely on the hard work of volunteer advocates for successes like these - thank you!
You can help us keep up the momentum in 2013 by becoming a member of our grassroots advocacy network or signing up as an Arthritis Foundation Ambassador today! Learm more about these programs below.
You are the Grassroots!
The Arthritis Foundation's grassroots advocacy program is made up of thousands of people just like you who care about making a difference in the lives of people with arthritis. Whether you live with arthritis or love someone who endures the effects of arthritis, you have an important story to share - and we're counting on you to get involved!
E-Advocates, our online advocates, form the base of our advocacy network. As an e-advocate, you receive timely action alerts and updates that help you stay on top of issues related to arthritis - and give you the background you need to call on your legislators (by email) to take action. To learn more about becoming an e-advocate or to sign up, visit our e-advocacy page.
We also depend on the skills of our Arthritis Ambassadors to build and maintain relationships with their legislators througout the year. If you are interested in taking the next step, visit our Ambassador page to learn more about this program.
The Great West Region also offers advocate training sessions and has speakers available to talk with your group about the advocacy program. Please contact us for more information on these activities!
