Bill Would Expand Access to Long COVID Clinics to Treat Patients in Their Own Communities
“Our response to Long COVID should center justice – disability justice, gender, racial, and healthcare justice.”
WASHINGTON – In a House Oversight Committee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) discussed the intersectionality of the Long COVID crisis and called for passage of the TREAT Long COVID Act, her bill to increase access to medical care and treatment for communities and individuals struggling with Long COVID. The first-of-its-kind bill will fund the expansion of multidisciplinary Long COVID Clinics and empower health care providers—including community health centers and local public health departments—to treat Long COVID patients in their own communities.
The full transcript of her exchange with witnesses is available below and the full video is available here.
Transcript: At Hearing, Rep. Ayanna Pressley Urge Passage of TREAT Long COVID Act
House Committee on Oversight and Reform - Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
July 19, 2022
REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you Mr. Chair, thank you Whip Clyburn for convening today’s hearing and to the members of the select committee for allowing me to participate.
And to the witnesses, for courageously sharing your own stories and the stories of your patients, of your friends and relatives, and the millions of people impacted by Long COVID.
In my district, the Massachusetts 7th, I hear similar accounts from my neighbors, like adults experiencing intense cognitive dysfunction impacting their employment and young athletes struggling to even get out of bed.
Your testimony illustrates, in no uncertain terms, that Congress must take action to alleviate the pain, suffering, grief, and trauma resulting from the crisis-within-a-crisis that is Long COVID.
We need to advance bold, equitable policy that meets unprecedented hurt and harm with significant investments in healing and justice.
Yes, our response to Long COVID should center justice – disability justice, gender, racial, and healthcare justice.
I am grateful to the Biden Administration for taking steps to include care for those experiencing Long COVID, and our work continues.
Which is why I worked in close partnership with Long COVID patients, advocates, clinicians, and public health experts and introduced the TREAT Long COVID Act to expand access to multidisciplinary treatment clinics.
Dr. Gutierrez, in your experience, how do Long COVID treatment clinics help patients?
DR. GUTIERREZ: Thank you very much. I feel that clinics, especially when they're multidisciplinary in nature, and they are willing to take time with the patients, listen to their concerns, and address and have a good history of knowledge of other post-viral illnesses and myalgic encephalomyelitis, CFS as we've talked about today.
And these are the places where patients will be able to get seen, get heard, get diagnostics that they need, that are appropriate for their conditions, and get individualized treatments for what they have.
Some do need resting and pacing and non-traditional rehabilitation programs. Some need further workup with cardiac testing, tilt table testing to work them up for their dysautonomias. Some will need to see immunologists, dermatologists, and so it's important that patients are working with teams, including physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists to be able to treat their Long COVID, including as Dr. Green talked about, the EECP, Enhanced External Counterpulsation Treatments.
REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you.
Ms. Davis, given your research and your lived experience with Long COVID, why do you think the federal government should invest in multidisciplinary Long COVID clinics as an equitable, patient-centered treatment option?
Ms. Davis?
MS. DAVIS: Sorry, apologies for that. I'm a huge supporter of the TREAT Long COVID Act. Long COVID clinics are extremely necessary to get all of the care in one place. We need clinics that don't require treatment be prioritized based on insurance coverage. We really need that clinics have access to providers who are very knowledgeable in post-viral illness, including myalgic encephalomyelitis and dysautonomia. So I really hope that we can make that happen.
REP. PRESSLEY: And Ms. Adinig, in just a few words, how do you think your experience battling Long COVID would have been different if you had access to a clinic of informed, culturally-congruent specialists that could treat you and your son near where you live?
MS. ADINIG: I feel as if we had the care from the beginning, then I wouldn't be in front of you today telling the story. I would have avoided so much suffering, so much trauma, to myself and my son. I'd be fully recovered and doing what I do best, which is working for local non-profits and giving back to my community.
REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you. Our COVID long-haulers deserve more from Congress.
Congress must invest in this.
Original source can be found here
