Combined Federal Campaign
PHA is #0212 Spread the Word!
Fall has arrived and so has the
2004 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Federal and
postal employees as well as military
personnel and retirees can contribute to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
(PHA) through the Combined Federal Campaign.
When you complete your CFC pledge card,
be sure to write in 0212 so PHA will receive your gift. Your
contribution will be
used to support PHA’s important programs, including research,
education, outreach and patient services.
Not a federal employee? Then help PHA spread the word by forwarding
this email or calling your friends and/or family who can participate
in the Combined Federal Campaign. Let them know how they can
make a difference!
With your help we can meet our goal to raise $40,000.
On behalf of the thousands of
men, women, children and families battling pulmonary hypertension,
we extend many thanks to all
who participated in the 2003 campaign. Last year, CFC
pledges totaled nearly $30,000!
Finding
Hope:
Prognosis improving for patients with pulmonary hypertension
Cheryl Massaro calls pulmonary hypertension a horrible, insidious
disease.
And a misunderstood one. “People just think hypertension,
or high blood pressure. ‘Well, gee, that’s nothing.’ But
pulmonary hypertension is much more serious,” says Massaro,
who was diagnosed four years ago.
Pulmonary hypertension...is a rare
disease, affecting an estimated 100,000 people in the United
States.
Inhaled
Nitrite Therapy May Help Babies Suffering in a Low Oxygen State
Scientists
from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center
and the Loma Linda University School of Medicine have found
that use of an inhaled nitrite spray may help babies diagnosed
with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
As Diane Adkins of Jensen Beach discovered, the issue of health-insurance
coverage often hinges on gender because the Food and Drug Administration
has approved Viagra for erectile dysfunction.That's ironic in the case
of pulmonary-hypertension patients, because the majority of them are women.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association estimates that there are about
20,000 patients in the United States taking drugs for the often-misdiagnosed
disease.
Pulmonary
Hypertension - A Patient's Survival Guide The premiere information resource
for people dealing with PH -- they have ARRIVED and are ready to
ship!!!
The author, a PH patient herself,
knows what it is like to live with the disease. She talked to many
other patients, doctors, and researchers while writing the Survival
Guide. Dr. Ronald J. Oudiz and a team of physicians with a deep
knowledge of PH edited the book for accuracy.
New edition contains a chart
of 15 drugs used to treat PH; results of recent
clinical trials;
in-depth discussion of PH secondary to other diseases
or conditions;
a new chapter on what to eat if you have PH; and much, much more!
The agency that runs medicare is looking for 50,000 seniors to participate in a demonstration program that will mirror the Part D prescription-drug benefit slated to begin in 2006.
The program will focus on seniors with chronic and life-threatening diseases -- such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, pulmonary hypertension and a variety of cancers -- who are receiving drugs in a doctor's office that could be administered at home. To qualify, you must not have any drug coverage other than from a medigap policy or Medicare Advantage plan, and your physician must certify that you need a covered drug. Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2004, and participants will be selected at random.
Thelin(TM) Shows Promise in Patients Failing Bosentan Therapy
Encysive Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ENCY - News) today announced top-line results from STRIDE-6, a clinical study of Thelin(TM) (sitaxsentan) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who discontinued treatment with bosentan due to lack of efficacy or for safety reasons. The data suggests Thelin may provide important benefits to this challenging patient group.
PHA’s Guide
to Understanding Your Healthcare Insurance Benefits is
now available for review. This guide was developed
to help patients understand health insurance
coverage and to provide the tools to
obtain the most from benefits.
When we only had a Table of Contents,
we received hundreds of invaluable comments. Please
take the time to review this draft Guide and give us your feedback.
Thank you!
The
information provided on the PHA website is provided for general information
only. It is not intended as legal, medical or other professional
advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations
with qualified professionals who are familiar with your individual
needs.
PHA’s Guide
to Understanding Your Healthcare Insurance Benefits is
now available for review. This guide was developed
to help patients understand health insurance
coverage and to provide the tools to
obtain the most from benefits.
