Latest news with #GlobalHealthyLivingFoundation
Business Wire
12-05-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
Global Healthy Living Foundation Takes National 340B Reform and Transparency Briefing To New York
UPPER NYACK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Steven Newmark, Chief Legal and Policy Officer of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), takes the organization's national 340B reform message to a policy briefing in Albany, NY, on May 13, addressing the national implications of unchecked expansion of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program — a critical but increasingly controversial tool designed to support healthcare access for underserved populations. 'The 340B program is a lifeline when it works as intended — but without oversight, it risks becoming a loophole instead of a safety net.' Newmark will join lawmakers, academic experts, and fellow advocates to urge greater transparency and accountability in how hospitals and other healthcare institutions use the steep drug discounts they receive under 340B. While originally intended to help vulnerable patients afford essential medications, the program has come under scrutiny for allowing covered entities to pocket savings without passing them along to patients. 'The 340B program is a lifeline when it works as intended — but without oversight, it risks becoming a loophole instead of a safety net,' said Newmark. 'We need reform before expansion. Patients, not institutions, should be the primary beneficiaries.' As it has in other states, GHLF, a national nonprofit that advocates for people living with chronic illness, is raising concerns about proposed legislation in New York (S.1913 / A.7789) that would make it easier to expand 340B eligibility to additional entities without requiring clear patient benefit or public accountability. The Foundation has issued a memorandum in opposition, warning that such policies may incentivize profit-seeking behavior at the expense of patient care — a trend already observed across multiple states. The May 13 policy forum, co-hosted by Assemblymember Amanda Septimo and the Community Liver Alliance, comes amid growing national debate about the future of 340B. Lawmakers in Congress have also introduced bills to audit and modernize the program, reflecting a bipartisan understanding that reform is needed to preserve the program's original mission. Why It Matters Nationally More than $50 billion in drug discounts flow through 340B each year — yet little data exists on how those savings are used. Chronic disease patients, especially those with high drug costs, often see no direct community benefit. Without reform, analysts warn the program may undermine drug pricing systems and continue to erode public trust. 'This isn't just a New York issue. Every state should be asking: is 340B still doing what it was meant to do?' said Newmark. GHLF urges lawmakers nationwide to adopt transparency mandates, patient benefit requirements, and regular audits before allowing the program to expand further. About GHLF The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit for more information.
Business Wire
07-05-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
Vaccines Still Matter – Global Healthy Living Foundation Sees Strong Patient Engagement Despite Current Negative Rhetoric
BUSINESS WIRE)--At a medical conference for vaccine professionals, Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) social media posts, podcasts and YouTube videos had surprising uptake among chronically ill patients, despite continuing anti-vaccine rhetoric from many media, individuals and government sources. ...Surprising uptake among chronically ill patients, despite continuing anti-vaccine rhetoric from many media, individuals and government sources. GHLF's coverage of the World Vaccine Congress, held in Washington, D.C. last week, reached more than 23,000 non-attendees and generated more than 800 engagements across platforms including LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. A special video podcast episode of Healthcare Matters recorded at the conference and published on April 25 has so far garnered more than 4,900 views/listens and continues to climb. 'These aren't big numbers for consumer-oriented social media posts or podcasts,' said Robert Popovian, PharmD, MS, GHLF's Chief Science Policy Officer. 'But GHLF's digital output is organic, high-credibility and tailored to niche audiences of professionals, as well as individuals and caregivers with specific chronic diseases. It isn't necessarily relevant unless you have, or care for someone, with a very specific disease, so these are significant numbers in a short time frame,' he said. 'It signals to us that maintaining and protecting health in the face of a chronic illness is important to this audience. They want information about vaccines, and they understand the value of vaccinations in reaching their health goals,' Dr. Popovian added. 'Before the current drop in vaccination rates among the general public in some areas of the U.S., people with ongoing illnesses who were often immunocompromised, could rely on the overall community immunity to add an extra measure of protection against disease. This extra protection, afforded by healthy vaccinated individuals who felt a responsibility to their neighbors, isn't as prevalent today so we lose community immunity and diseases that were eradicated in the U.S. many years ago are returning,' Popovian added. 'What really struck me at the World Vaccine Congress was how aligned people were — from pharma leaders to advocates to policy folks — about the urgency of fighting misinformation and navigating funding shortfalls. Even with different perspectives, there was a real sense of unity and shared purpose, which left me hopeful about the road ahead, especially with new applications for mRNA vaccines,' Ben Blanc, MS, GHLF's Director of Digital Production and Engagement said. The Healthcare Matters podcast, which proved immediately popular among patients, was recorded live at the Congress and hosted by Dr. Popovian and Mr. Blanc. The episode featured vaccine experts, including: Richard Hughes, Partner at Epstein Becker & Green and Lecturer in Law at George Washington University Tommy Acciani, Director, U.S. Vaccine Policy, GSK Abby Bownas, Co-lead, Adult Vaccine Access Coalition Rekha Lakshmanan, Chief Strategic Officer, The Immunization Partnership The podcast explored the current landscape of adult immunization policy, funding threats to vaccine infrastructure, misinformation challenges, and what's next for vaccine innovation. For continued updates and to access GHLF's World Vaccine Congress content, visit: All interviews, as well as our special video episode, can be found here: About GHLF The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit for more information.
