Advocacy

The Texas Liver Foundation is an active advocate for liver health at the local, state and federal level. We encourage public policies to support liver patients and improve access to care. As a member of the Global Liver Institute Liver Action Network, we support the agenda of the Institute by educating policymakers and elected officials from Texas about the need to improve the treatment and management of liver disease and by advocating for legislative priorities to advance the adoption of programs to elevate liver health.

2022 Priority Policy Initiatives

  • COVID-19 Response: Ensure funding for COVID-19 and liver disease public health programs, research, vaccine dissemination; ensure that people living with liver disease are not disproportionately impacted and do not experience unnecessary or discriminatory health care or treatment disruptions
  • Health Disparities: Address inequities in the care of people impacted by liver disease, especially the excess incidence rate of liver cancer in black men in America
  • Liver Health Policy: Advance the U.S. NASH Action Plan, and ensure patients with liver disease perspectives are represented in relevant legislative packages: COVID-19, diabetes, and obesity
  • Liver Health Regulations: Work with regulators to establish logical pathways to consistently approve therapies for liver diseases, particularly rare liver diseases

2022 Engaged Policy Initiatives 

  • Research Funding: Advocate for funding that ensures meaningful growth of vital liver disease research and the improving of liver health
  • Transplant: Urgently respond to the inequities that impact organ transplantation; modernize the U.S. Organ Donation system, improve care for transplant patients, and increase the number of available organs
  • Viral Hepatitis B and C: Increase support for hepatitis programs and raise awareness of viral hepatitis; advocate for the the elimination of viral hepatitis 
  • Value: Advance health care policies that reflect each person’s unique needs and drive access to personalized, patient-centric care
  • Patient Access and Reimbursement: Support policy solutions that curb patients’ health care expenses; advocate for the smoothing and capping of out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Part D