How the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Represents a Win for Advocacy, Patients With MS: Bari Talente, JD

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The executive vice principal of advocacy and healthcare access at the National MS Society spoke about the role of the National MS Society with patient advocacy and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

“We know that people with MS and the MS clinicians that care for them have similar goals in mind, and oftentimes the same goals. So, we work with the American Academy of Neurology and other organizations to try and really bridge those two groups together.”

In the United States, multiple sclerosis (MS) affects nearly 1 million people, significantly impacting quality of life, with a cost of care that may exceed over $4 million over a patient’s lifetime.¹ Patients with MS face challenges with establishing a cost-effective management plan, such as poor patient adherence to therapy and sometimes inconsistent communication from clinicians. Through patient advocacy groups, patients and clinicians can address the needs of the condition, which can include matching patients to MS specialists and aligning financial incentives.¹

On August 12, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was passed by the United States House, helping to reduce the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs for all patients.¹ In a recent interview with NeurologyLive^®, Bari Talente, JD, spoke about the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and the role that the National MS Society had in patient advocacy. Talente, executive vice principal, advocacy and healthcare access, The National MS Society, also gave insight into how patients and clinicians can align efforts with advocacy and working toward that same goal.