WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 1, 2021, Doctors for America launched an official campaign to highlight key healthcare access issues in the United States and encourage doctors and medical students, as well as legislators and other key stakeholders, to take action. The campaign, Prescription for a Healthier America, will touch on three key areas for improvement: access to COVID-19 drugs and vaccines, access to affordable prescription drugs, and access to clinical trial results. The physicians and medical students that make up Doctors For America see the crisis created by healthcare access issues in and outside of where they practice. Their work with patients has driven them to advocate for patients over politics, and to address the access issues that they see in their medical practices head-on. “Before the pandemic, our patients would often tell us they were having a hard time affording the medicines we prescribe because of price. With COVID-19, this has only gotten worse. In addition to losing their loved ones, many have now also lost their livelihoods, forcing them to abandon their prescriptions at the pharmacy counter to pay for food and rent,” says Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, Co-Chair of the Doctors for American Drug Affordability Action Team. “Now more than ever, we as healthcare providers must take action together to ensure that our patients have affordable access to their treatments, including for COVID-19.”

Doctors for America has planned a full year of events, resources, and tools to draw attention to access issues within American healthcare. The campaign will include numerous components, including blog posts by experts, educational videos, Lunch and Learn events, and livestreams with partner organizations and leaders in the healthcare arena. Through the campaign, Doctors for America will provide education to drive advocacy improving healthcare in the United States exponentially. The time for action is now. After years of partisan gridlock and slow progress on healthcare access and equity, and with the glaring issues with American healthcare exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that access and affordability issues be addressed quickly and decisively. For more information about Doctors for America or the Prescription for a Healthier America campaign, contact Project Manager Allison Bailey at allison.bailey@doctorsforamerica.org or (202) 417-6115.

About Doctors for America:

Doctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics–and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X @drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.