Advocacy
2006 Public Policy Agenda

1. Improve quality of life and find a cure for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
The Psoriasis Foundation calls upon Congress to expand the nation's commitment to developing new, safe, effective and long-lasting treatments for psoriasis, identifying diagnostic tests for psoriatic arthritis, and understanding co-morbidities possible related to inflammation associated with both diseases. The Psoriasis Foundation also requests a report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to Congress on what specific steps have been taken to address the longstanding shortfall in research funding for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The Foundation urges Congress to provide and sustain sufficient funding for NIH and specifically:

• The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS);
• The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); and
• The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH).

2. Ensure access to quality care for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
The Psoriasis Foundation calls upon Congress to ensure all people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have access to the medical care and prescription therapies they need to live the highest quality of life by:

• Enacting H.Con.Res.340 encouraging additional research into treatments and a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, recognizing the need for improved access to care for affected individuals, and urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study the availability of treatments for people living with these conditions and to make recommendations to Congress by February 2007.

3. Increase awareness and understanding of psoriasis.
The Psoriasis Foundation urges members of Congress to show their support for people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by:

• Making statements on the House and Senate floor and submitting comments in the Congressional Record about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and their impact on individuals, families, and the health care system.
• Helping to spread the word through constituent newsletters, guest columns in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis support group newsletters, Web sites, and other modes of communication that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are serious, chronic and life-altering diseases that require sophisticated medical intervention and care; the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are not communicable conditions; and individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis deserve kindness and support.
• Visiting a local psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis support group to learn more about the impact these diseases have on the people affected.