2022 AMAC Action Mid-Year Advocacy Report Details Noteworthy Victories
A MAC Action released its 2022 Mid-Year Advocacy Report detailing robust activity combined with significant policy victories during the first six months of the year. The year began with a significant victory as AMAC members’ advocacy to save the Senate filibuster carried over from efforts in 2021. In January, AMAC members in Arizona, Montana, New Hampshire, and West Virginia sent 3,856 messages to Senators Sinema, Kelly, Tester, Hassan, and Manchin, compelling them to preserve the Senate filibus- ter. Senators Sinema and Manchin ultimately voted with Republicans to uphold the filibuster, paving the way for the minority party to defeat several of the Biden Administration’s radical initiatives. AMAC Action has long advocated for lowering the cost of prescrip- tion medicines. Our approach begins with transparency in the outpatient prescription drug supply chain, specif- ically working for oversight into the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBM). In March, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) opened their website for comments on how PBM business practices nega- tively impact physicians, pharmacists, and patients. When comments closed in late May, the FTC received a total of 24,100 comments with 17,245 of them
left by AMAC members representing the voice of the patient! This voice was clearly heard by the FTC as they announced in June that they would be investigating the business practices of the top six PBMs. This is one of the most signif- icant advocacy victories achieved by AMAC members, and AMAC Action will continue to monitor the progress of this investigation. In a companion effort to the FTC’s probe into PBMs, AMAC Action is advocating for S. 4293, the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act. This bipartisan bill would prevent the use of anti-competitive practices by requiring PBMs to be more transpar- ent and hold them accountable to the rule of law. After a Senate committee quickly decided to vote on the bill, AMAC members responded in large numbers by participating in an after- hours call to action. In the 14 hours preceding the vote, AMAC members made over 10,000 contacts with the Senate, urging them to support S. 4293. The Committee passed the bill with a 19-9 vote, and as of this writing, it is being considered for a floor vote. AMAC Action stepped into corpo- rate advocacy in April by launching a campaign facilitating membership comments directed to Walt Disney
World executives and board members regarding their “woke” policies and opposition to parental rights. Over 145,000 email messages combined with over 3,500 telephone calls were delivered by AMAC members express- ing their opinions on these policies. AMAC Action launched 41 call-to- action campaigns enabling AMAC members to make nearly 250,000 contacts with federal and state legislators and regulatory agencies through June of this year. AMAC members also answered our calls to become poll workers for the primary and midterm elections in states throughout the country. These are just a few highlights of the activities carried out on behalf of the membership by AMAC Action during the first half of 2022. We encourage you to scan the QR code below to read the full report. Andrew Mangione Andy Mangione is Senior Vice President for AMAC’s advocacy arm, AMAC Action. He leads AMAC Action’s grassroots advocacy efforts, is a member of the advocacy team in Wash- ington, DC, and helps chart the organization’s policy course. He also serves as a national spokesperson.
Read the full report here!
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