The Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) is an advocacy organization comprised of the major national voluntary and professional societies concerned with digestive diseases. The DDNC focuses on improving public policy related to digestive diseases and increasing public awareness with respect to the many diseases of the digestive system. The DDNC was founded in 1978 and is based in Washington D.C.
The DDNC will work cooperatively to improve access to and the quality of digestive disease health care in order to promote the best possible medical outcome and quality of life for current and future patients with digestive diseases.
The DDNC's key priorities for the 112th Congress include research, patient care, prevention and public awareness:
Research
- $35 billion for the National Institutes of Health in FY12. $2.16 billion (12% increase over FY10) for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
- Implementation of the recommendations of NIDDK's National Commission on Digestive Diseases put forward in the report entitled, Opportunities and Challenges in Digestive Disease Research: Recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases.
- Introduction of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Awareness Resolution which expressed the sense of Congress that the directors of the NIH and the NIDDK should support research and training goals for inflammatory bowel disease; urges the CDC to expand epidemiology, as well as public and professional awareness about inflammatory bowel disease; and, promotes National Inflammatory Bowel Disease Awareness Week.
- Expansion of NIH's efforts to study functional gastrointestinal and motility didsorders, including introduction of the Functional GI and Motility Disorders (FGIMD) Research Enhancement Act, which seeks to advance scientific understanding of FGIMDs and improve treatment options for patients by encouraging and bolstering research; reintroduction of H.Res. 1309 (111th Congress), which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that there is need further study of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGID), including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); implementation of NIDDK's strategic plan; and, implementation of recommendations from NIH's State-of-the-Science Conference on the prevention of fecal and urinary incontinence in adults.
- Reintroduction of the Liver Research Enhancement Act, H.R. 1128 (111th Congress), which establishes the National Center on Liver Disease Research within the NIDDK and coordinates federal liver research efforts.
Patient Care
- Co-sponsorship of the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act, S. 362/H.R. 733, which provides advice on overall research objectives for pancreatic cancer research and develops a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness, and provides recommendations to the Director of the NIH, and the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Director of the CDC to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. This legislation has been reintroduced in the 112th Congress.
- Reintroduction of the Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act, H.R. 3974/S. 3711 (111th Congress), which requires NIH and CDC to conduct research on viral hepatitis; enhances CDC's public health response to viral hepatitis; provides counseling and education on viral hepatitis; and, authorizes the HHS to award grants or enter into cooperative agreements with governmental and nonprofit entities that have special expertise related to viral hepatitis prevention activities.
- Reintroduction of the Ambulatory Surgical Center Access Act, H.R. 2049 (111th Congress), which directs Medicare to revise the requirements and the formula for payments for services, including an implantable medical device, furnished to individuals in ambulatory surgical centers; revises requirements for reporting of data by ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments; and, directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) to study and report to Congress on outpatient surgical services.
- Reintroduction of the Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Coverage Act, S. 254 and H.R. 574 (111th Congress), which provides for Medicare coverage of home infusion therapy and home infusion drugs and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement the Medicare home infusion therapy benefit in a manner that ensures: (1) Medicare beneficiaries have timely and appropriate access to infusion therapy in their homes; and (2) there is rapid and seamless coordination between drug coverage under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and home infusion therapy services coverage under Medicare part B.
- Reintroduction of the Supporting Colorectal Examination and Education Now (SCREEN) Act, S. 1511 (111th Congress), which provides for clinical and community interventions to improve screening rates for colorectal cancer screening, and supports states by authorizing existing grant programs for screening.
- $4.4 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in FY12. Funding should be consistent with the allocations the agency has received in recent years; promote congressional efforts to reduce bureaucracy at the FDA; help to expedite the development of new, crucial treatments and therapies; provide support for the implementation of the recently passed Food Safety Modernization Act; and ensure adequate labeling of food and drug products so that patients with conditions such as Celiac Disease and food intolerance or allergies are properly informed.
Prevention and Public Awareness
- $50 million for the CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis, including support for continued development and implementation of the HHS Action Plan on Viral Hepatitis and the implementation of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) study on hepatitis, as well as increased awareness of the IOM hepatitis study's results.
- Support for the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Grant Program (CDPHPGP) at CDC to increase the number of adults who receive a colorectal cancer screening based on the most recent guidelines and provide $50 million for CDCÕs Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.
- Reintroduction of H.Con.Res. 110 (111th Congress) Supporting the goals and ideals of National Celiac Awareness Month which promotes work with health care providers and celiac disease advocacy groups and also education organizations to encourage screening and early detection of celiac disease.
- Reintroduction of H.Res. 245 (111th Congress) Recognizing the life-saving role of ostomy care and prosthetics in the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States , which requests the Secretary of HHS ensure that HHS' programs facilitate innovation of medical devices that improve intestinal or urinary system function of people with an ostomy, and requests that a custom-fit, medically prescribed ostomy prosthetic should be available to patients without substitution and should be adequately reimbursed.
|
