16 Fox Focus | Policy
Historic Legislation to End Parkinson ’ s Introduced in Congress
This summer , the U . S . House of Representatives introduced the first-ever legislation devoted solely to ending Parkinson ’ s disease . The National Plan to End Parkinson ’ s Act ( H . R . 8585 ) will unite the federal government and the private sector to make an actionable plan to help prevent and cure Parkinson ’ s , alleviate financial and health burdens on American families , and ensure those living with the disease have access to the care they need .
MJFF ’ s public policy team in Washington , D . C ., worked closely with colleagues in Congress to prioritize work on The National Plan to End Parkinson ’ s Act since the beginning of the year and , as this newsletter went to print , is working with both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to advance the legislation through this session of Congress .
This is historic legislation for PD , which will create a win-win for individuals impacted by this disease , and for the government . The public-private advisory council created as part of this bill will report every year to Congress on their progress and impact in ending Parkinson ’ s .
A 2019 study co-funded by The Michael J . Fox Foundation found that Parkinson ’ s costs the U . S . $ 52 billion every year , half of which is shouldered by the federal government . That annual cost is expected to grow to $ 80 billion by the year 2037 , as the number of people with Parkinson ’ s is expected to double by the year 2040 .
As has been demonstrated by a similar approach to Alzheimer ’ s , a national plan to end Parkinson ’ s has the potential to : dramatically increase federal research funding ; improve early diagnosis ; spark new care models ; create Parkinson ’ s prevention standards ; address health disparities in diagnosis , treatment and clinical trial participation ; and enhance public awareness of the disease .
More than 10,000 members of the Parkinson ’ s community have asked their Representative to support this important bill . Call or email your Representative in Congress at 202-225-3121 and ask them to co-sponsor The National Plan to End Parkinson ’ s Act . Visit
michaeljfox . org / advocacy to take action today . And stay tuned to our channels for regular updates on this legislation .