At the American Stroke Association (ASA), we’re fighting every day for public policies to improve the treatment of stroke, enhance stroke research, ensure access to needed rehabilitation, and ultimately to cure this devastating disease. We are pursuing a robust stroke advocacy agenda at the federal, state and local levels. Issues that we’re currently working on include:
Meaningful Healthcare Reform
Fighting to ensure that the needs of stroke patients are met as part of meaningful, comprehensive healthcare reform. Congress is currently considering health reform, and the ASA believes this debate presents an opportunity to address a number of the concerns that stroke patients and their families face. For instance, stroke patients without health insurance have a 24–56 percent higher risk of death, compared to stroke patients with insurance, so ensuring that everyone in America has access to affordable, adequate insurance is a critical priority of healthcare reform. Other priorities include (but are not limited to): improving the coverage of preventive services to help reduce the risk of stroke, eliminating the 2-year waiting period for Medicare for stroke patients who are disabled and have no other insurance, and ensuring that coverage for therapy services and other care needed by stroke patients is adequate for their full recovery.
Resources to States for Stroke Systems of Care
Working to ensure that all stroke patients get the timely, appropriate treatment they need to reduce disability. Time is of the essence in treating stroke, but far too often our fragmented, uncoordinated healthcare system robs stroke patients of the latest treatments. The ASA is working to secure resources to help states and regions facilitate the development of coordinated systems of care for stroke and other acute conditions.
NIH Funding for Stroke
Fighting to increase National Institutes of Health investment in stroke research.
Medicare Caps on Therapy Services
Advocating to ensure that Medicare patients suffering a stroke have access to needed therapy services.
Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry
Working to support and expand this registry, which helps to improve the quality of stroke care in participating states.
CDC Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program
Fighting to increase federal support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program, which provides funding for states to implement state-tailored programs to prevent and control stroke, as well as heart disease.
Stroke Telemedicine
Working to remove barriers to the use of telemedicine in improving stroke care.
Develop and Strengthen State Stroke Systems of Care
Working in each of the 50 states to create inclusive and coordinated statewide systems of care to improve the treatment of the stroke patient. Such efforts include: working to ensure that the recognition, and the protection, of Primary Stroke Centers designation is based on Joint Commission certification or an equivalent process; advocating for the utilization of current AHA/ASA guidelines for stroke care; promoting within Emergency Medical Services Systems statewide standardization and implementation of stroke training, assessment, treatment, and transportation protocols; supporting the utilization of telemedicine to help facilitate the links critical to establishing a meaningful system for stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation; supporting the removal of barriers for rehabilitation referral and rehabilitation treatment of stroke patients; and, promoting the establishment and expansion of statewide registries which utilize Get with the Guidelines — Stroke as the state registry data platform.
HEART for Women Act
Advocating for federal legislation to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of stroke, as well as heart disease, in women.
How can you help? Be a part of the cure. Be an advocate
You don’t have to be a doctor to save lives. Just someone willing to deliver a lifesaving message to public officials whenever you can.
You’re the Cure is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s nationwide network of people who advocate for public policies that advance the fight against heart disease and stroke — and we need your passion, time and talent too!
We’ll give you what you need to succeed and you can choose how you’d like to get involved — whether it is responding to timely online action alerts, meeting with your legislators in person, serving as a spokesperson on key issues and more. Take a look at the You’re the Cure Activists Guide to learn about all of the ways you can reach out and impact key decision makers at the local, state and national level to ensure that policies and programs that help fight stroke and heart disease will be supported and implemented.
And legislators and policymakers respond to advocates like you! Recent You’re the Cure successes include Medicare coverage for acute stroke therapy and the creation of the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry. We’ve also helped secure increases in funding that led to medical innovations and helped ensure that important public health programs reached those in need. And our efforts have led to more smoke-free workplaces and public areas in our nation’s cities.
But much more is needed to break the grip of stroke, our nation’s No. 3 killer and a leading cause of disability. That’s why we need you to join us by lending your voice and becoming an advocate today. Remember — every time you advocate for better health, You’re the Cure!
Join You’re the Cure now, because you truly don’t have to be a doctor to save lives — just an advocate with the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.
This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 11/20/09.
