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 2010 key priorities include research, patient care, prevention and public awareness:
Research
- $35 billion for the National Institutes of Health in FY11. $1.85 billion for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
- Implementation of the recommendations the 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.
- The Liver Research Enhancement Act, H.R. 1128, which establishes the National Center on Liver Disease Research within the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and coordinates federal liver research efforts.
- The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research and Awareness Act, S. 981, H.R. 2275, which expresses the sense of Congress that the Directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) should support specified research and training goals for inflammatory bowel diseases; requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct, support, and expand existing epidemiology research on inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) in both pediatric and adult populations; authorizes the CDC to award grants and enter into cooperative agreements to develop and administer such epidemiology research; and directs the CDC to award grants to increase awareness of inflammatory bowel disease among the general public and health care providers.
- The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act. (H.R. 745), 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 National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of National Cancer Institute regarding NIH and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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.
- Ongoing NIH efforts to develop an irritable bowel syndrome strategic plan.
- The implementation of recommendations from the recent NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on the prevention of fecal and urinary incontinence in adults.
Patient Care
- The Supporting Colorectal Examination and Education Now (SCREEN) Act, S. 1511 and H.R. 3539, which provides for clinical and community interventions to improve screening rates for colorectal cancer; eliminates numerous barriers facing patients not taking advantage of their coverage by waving Medicare co-insurance for screening and would provide coverage for a preoperative visit with a gastroenterologist prior to receiving a colonoscopy; sets goals for screening rates and implements a preventative services payment modifier for colorectal screens; and supports states by authorizing existing grant programs for screening.
- $4 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in FY11, which will keep funding consistent with the allocations the agency has received in recent years, promotes Congressional efforts to reduce bureaucracy at the FDA, and helps to expedite the development of new, crucial treatments and therapies.
- The Ambulatory Surgical Center Access Act of 2009, H.R. 2049, 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.
- The Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Coverage Act, S. 254 and H.R. 574, 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.
- Expansion of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Compassionate Allowances program to include additional life threatening digestive diseases.
Prevention and Public Awareness
- $44.6 million for CDC's Colorectal Cancer program.
- $50 million for the CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis.
- Restoration of CDC's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Epidemiology Program ($686,000). The President's FY11 budget proposes an elimination of funding. The DDNC recommends continued funding at the FY10 level of $686,000.
- Support for the implementation of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) study on Hepatitis, including increased awareness of the study's results and hepatitis preventative education and primary prevention activities.
- Adequate labeling of food and drug products so that patients with conditions, such as Celiac Disease, are properly informed.
- Support for H.CON.RES.110 - National Celiac Awareness Month,
which promotes work with health care providers and celiac disease advocacy and education organizations to encourage screening and early detection of celiac disease.
- Increasing funding for celiac disease research.
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