Ask your Legislator to support the EPIC Act
The EPIC Act aims to make it easier and faster for patients to access new and potentially life-saving treatments in new forms – like pills.
In the recent Rural Minds / National Grange webinar “Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on New Treatments for Mental Illnesses,” Candace DeMatteis explained the “pill penalty” and discussed how it negatively impacts access to mental health treatments for patients in rural America, as well as all patients who prefer the convenience of taking medication in the form of pills or capsules.
We encourage you to reach out to your U.S. Representative in Congress to support this bipartisan bill (H.R. 7174). You can do so in the following ways:
- Find your U.S. Representative by CLICKING HERE and following the steps.
- Copy the suggested text below and edit it with your name and any other necessary information.
- Follow the steps on your Representative’s CONTACT page, linked from Congress.gov, then paste your email there.
- If you don’t like to email, you can use the phone call script below, and call your Representative using the phone number found on Congress.gov, or their local office, which will be found on their website.
- Please LET US KNOW of any successes in reaching your Congressperson! We like to hear how our work makes an impact!
Thank you for engaging in the legislative process and advocating for all of those living in rural America.
EMAIL / CONTACT FORM SCRIPT
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Dear Rep. [Member of Congress],
As a constituent in our community, I encourage you to support the bipartisan Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act (H.R.7174), which will help ensure that my family continues to have access to the medications they need. This legislation will correct existing law, which unintentionally discourages manufacturers from investing in certain medications that come in pill form.
Having access to existing and new medications in pill form is essential for my family. [Please share any personal stories about medical conditions impacting your loved ones and how pill medications alleviate their conditions.]
It’s important that Congress protects patient access to effective treatments that help patients in rural America manage their chronic illnesses and cure diseases. For patients in communities like ours, access to medications in pill form is vital to managing our health. Pills or tablets are easy and convenient, and many times I can get a few months’ supply at a time from my pharmacist. I’m concerned that existing law will discourage new medications from becoming available in pills and tablets, leaving patients with only infused options if they want the newest cures. Our closest doctor or medical facility is too far away for regular, weekly care – which may be our only option if future medications are only available as an infusion or injection and not available in pill form at my local pharmacy.
Access to the latest, highest quality medications is so important for patients in rural areas who do not have a doctor or hospital nearby. My family cannot afford to lose a day’s work driving to doctors’ appointments to manage our health. Besides, medications in pill form are typically more affordable than the ones administered at a hospital. Ensuring new pill medications are available is a critical part of keeping drug costs down for patients.
This is why we need to make sure that future medications are also available in pill form. I encourage you to cosponsor the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act (H.R.7174) to make sure my family and other patients in our community can easily access the medicines they need to live healthy lives every day.
COPY LETTER TO CLIPBOARD
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PHONE CALL SCRIPT
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Hello, my name is _______________ and I am a constituent in Rep. [Member of Congress]’s district. I am calling to encourage Rep. [Member of Congress] to cosponsor the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures Act, also called the EPIC Act. The bill number is H.R.7174, and it’s a bipartisan bill sponsored by Rep. Greg Murphy.
As a constituent, it’s very important to me that Rep. [Member of Congress] cosponsors and shows their support for the EPIC Act. This bill will make sure that we have access to new medications in pill form, which is essential for my family. [Please share any personal stories about medication conditions impacting your loved ones and how pill medications alleviate their conditions.]
If my family can’t access medications in pill form in the future, then we may be forced to drive [distance] to our nearest hospital for care. And hospital care is really expensive. We want to make sure we can continue to take medicines that we can afford and that we can get at our local pharmacy. That’s why I’m calling to encourage Rep. [Member of Congress] to cosponsor the EPIC Act.
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