By Randall Curtis

It was nice to be back in Sacramento for Legislative Day this year. The weather was perfect and everything was well organized as usual.

There was a great batch of Future Leaders, fresh out of two days of training.

There were also friends that I see at these events. Folks with years of experience, as well as new folks that were eager to see how government works.

This year was particularly special as they awarded me the Legacy Award for Advocacy.

I had been at Washington Days earlier in the month and had brushed up my lobbying skills at the nation’s capitol.  The program is basically the same. We introduce ourselves at the legislator’s office, the Future Leaders tell their personal stories, and then we present “the ask”.

Our first ask was to create a patient advocate advisory committee within the Office of Health Care Affordability (OCHA). This is Assembly Bill 278. The idea is to have a patient voice in the OCHA cost-control discussions.

The second issue was to maintain eligibility and benefits for Medi-Cal, California Children’s Services (CCS) and the Genetically Handicapped Persons Program (GHPP). These aren’t on the chopping block, yet. It helps to remind folks about how important these programs are for people with chronic health issues like bleeding disorders.

Our teams were well coached and our presentations were well received. Many of the staff had seen us before and were familiar with the programs we were concerned about. The staffers asked good questions and understood what our needs are. It is always amazing to see the government process in action and to be part of an effort that makes a difference.