National Patient Advocate Foundation

10/19/2026

We're proud to share that NPAF's Financial Health is a Vital Sign campaign is a finalist for the 2026 Anthem Awards in the Health – Campaign (Nonprofit) category.

The Anthem Awards, launched by The Webby Awards, honor mission-driven work creating change around the world. This recognition belongs to the patients, caregivers and advocates who shaped this campaign.

The public now chooses the Anthem Community Voice Award. Click the link and scroll to NPAF's logo to vote: https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting/ #/2026/health/campaign/non-profit

10/16/2026

🔔 Medicare Open Enrollment is officially OPEN!

From now through December 7, people with Medicare can review their coverage and make changes for 2027. Plans, costs, and covered medications can change every year, so even if you were happy with your plan last year, it’s worth taking a fresh look.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. Our Medicare Toolkit walks you through each step, explains how Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medigap fit together, and connects you to free, unbiased help.

Get the toolkit: https://www.npaf.org/resources/getcovered-medicare-toolkit/
Share this with a parent, neighbor, or friend who’s on Medicare. One conversation could save them hundreds next year.

10/13/2026

Ever opened a medical bill you weren’t expecting? You’re far from alone.

Our own Rebecca Kirch spoke with WebMD about surprise medical bills: “The health system and the health policy environment are a combination of a dumpster fire and Whac-A-Mole.”

Learn why surprise bills happen, what you can do about them, and more from Rebecca in the full article: https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/cm/deal-with-surprise-bills

More resources from NPAF: https://linktr.ee/NPAF

Surprise medical bills from an out-of-network provider can hit your wallet hard. Know what you can do about them.

10/12/2026

"There is an enormous difference between having insurance and being able to afford to use it."

Tessa M., NPAF Grassroots Ambassador, Indiana

Picking the right plan matters. Before you choose, look at the full cost of care: premiums, deductibles, copays, and whether your doctors and medications are covered. The right plan is one you can afford to use when you need it.

Mark these dates for choosing your coverage:
Medicare open enrollment starts October 15
ACA Marketplace open enrollment starts November 1
Medicaid renewals are happening year-round, so open every notice and respond by the deadline

Find resources to help you get covered & how to share your story: https://linktr.ee/NPAF

10/05/2026

"The gap between what Medicaid promises and what it delivers is something policymakers rarely see from the inside."

My-Lan Truong lived that gap firsthand, serving as her mother's sole medical advocate, translator, and caretaker during a life-threatening hospitalization. Now a pre-nursing graduate and NPAF Ambassador, she's bringing that experience straight to policymakers.

"It's not a safety net, but a system we're constantly trying to find our way into while being told there's no room."

The full conversation from our Medicaid Decoded Policy Consortium is now live: https://youtu.be/gPE4C49CLRw

09/24/2026

Speaker Spotlight: My-Lan Thi Truong

My-Lan Thi Truong is a first-generation Vietnamese American and pre-nursing graduate from Tacoma, Washington. Raised in one of Tacoma's most underserved communities, she has built her career around advocating for patients who cannot navigate the healthcare system alone, a calling rooted in her experience serving as her mother's sole medical advocate, translator, and caretaker during a life-threatening hospitalization.

My-Lan currently volunteers in hospice care and the Emergency Department at St. Joseph's Hospital and Auburn MultiCare Medical Center. She also serves as Recognition Programs Coordinator at St. Joseph Medical Center, overseeing the DAISY, Sunshine, and Gold Star award programs in collaboration with hospital leadership, and is an NPAF (National Patient Advocate Foundation) Ambassador.
My-Lan is applying to BSN nursing programs with the goal of becoming a nurse who centers compassion, equity, and advocacy at the bedside.

Join My-Lan as a featured speaker at Medicaid Decoded, a Policy Consortium session, on September 30 at 3pm ET, where she'll bring her firsthand experience navigating Medicaid to the conversation on proposed work requirements.

Register now: https://www.npaf.org/events/september-2026-policy-consortium/

09/21/2026

Misinformation about Medicaid is spreading faster than the facts.
Swipe through to see what's actually happening, from coverage losses already underway to the paperwork barriers putting millions more at risk.

You can help by educating your community about these changes and sharing the stories of those who will be impacted. If you or someone you care for is facing these changes, tell us what it looks like on the ground. Share a story. Spark change.

Want to go deeper on what's really at stake? Join us for Medicaid Decoded, a Policy Consortium session, on September 30 at 3pm ET.

Register now: https://www.npaf.org/events/september-2026-policy-consortium/

09/20/2026

Nearly all of us in the U.S. are one diagnosis away from financial devastation.

That risk is even higher if you're uninsured, underinsured, or already stretched thin. Financial distress doesn't just hurt your wallet. It can also lead to worse health outcomes.

We believe needs navigation is a critical part of the solution: a real person who works with you to identify your needs, connects you to financial and other support, and guides you through a healthcare and social support system that is often overwhelming and difficult to navigate alone. This work is done by social workers, community health workers, nurse navigators, and many other trained professionals.

The problem? Needs navigation exists in pockets — it's scattered, inaccessible for many, and inconsistent across settings.

NPAF is advocating to change that.

📥 Help us spread the word.

Download our Needs Navigation Outreach Toolkit and help bring this critical support to your community: https://www.npaf.org/actions/get-the-needs-navigation-outreach-toolkit/

09/16/2026

Policymakers rarely see the gap between what Medicaid promises on paper and what it actually delivers on the ground. My-Lan Truong has lived in that gap her entire life.

Now a pre-nursing graduate, hospital coordinator, emergency department volunteer, and National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) Grassroots Ambassador, My-Lan brings a vital perspective to discussions around proposed Medicaid work requirements.

"Work requirements don't filter out people who aren't contributing. They filter out people who don't have the infrastructure to prove it."

The people who struggle most with paperwork barriers aren't disengaged — they are often working 60 to 70 hours a week, surviving in a language they don't speak, without administrative support.

My-Lan will be joining us for our next Policy Consortium: Medicaid Decoded on September 30 at 3pm ET — You too can be a part of this timely conversation.

Register now: https://www.npaf.org/events/september-2026-policy-consortium/

📖 Read My-Lan's full story:https://www.npaf.org/blogs/what-medicaid-coverage-actually-looks-like/

08/26/2026

Check out our latest resource on NPAF’s approach to regulatory advocacy, inspired by our webinar earlier this month led by Marian Grant

https://www.npaf.org/resources/grassroots-handout-regulatory-advocacy/

When Congress passes a law, federal agencies like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) write the detailed rules that turn that law into practice. This regulatory process directly determines how care is delivered, what patients pay out-of-pocket, and who is covered.

At NPAF, we practice continuous regulatory advocacy. We monitor rulemaking year-round, advocate for patient financial health so treatment does not come at the cost of everything else, and push for practical solutions like Needs Navigation in CMS models.

Want to go deeper into how regulations work and why public feedback matters? Watch our full webinar, The Hidden Half of Health Policy: Regulations and Why They Matter, on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I1OBzlJe200?si=PuOvWVEvN6e2NOLN

Patient stories are an important part of this process and inform our upcoming regulatory comment letters.

Consider sharing your stories with us here: https://bit.ly/4aZDCl1

Ever wonder who actually decides what Medicare and Medicaid cover? ...