That the House of Representatives—
recognizes the important work of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America as it celebrates its 50th year in raising awareness of sickle cell disease, supporting patients and families with the disease and working toward finding a cure for this devastating disease;
supports the goals and ideals of “Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month”;
commits to ensuring equitable access among economic, racial, and ethnic groups to new treatments in order to improve health outcomes for those with sickle cell disease;
calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to create policy solutions aimed at eliminating barriers to equitable access for innovative sickle cell disease therapies, including cell, gene, and gene-editing therapies, in the Medicaid and Medicare system for patients who need them most;
encourages the people of the United States to hold appropriate programs, events, and activities during Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month to raise public awareness of—
sickle cell disease trait;
preventative care programs, treatments, and other patient services for those suffering from sickle cell disease;
complications from sickle cell disease; and
conditions related to sickle cell disease;
encourages the President of the United States to form a Sickle Cell Disease Interagency Cabinet, which would be convened by the White House, to begin working toward policies that will support equitable and appropriate access to innovative sickle cell disease therapies, by bringing together departments and agencies across the Federal Government to address sickle cell disease on multiple fronts, including—
the Department of Health and Human Services;
the Department of Veterans Affairs;
the National Institutes of Health;
the Food and Drug Administration; and
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and
urges that the options to be considered by the Sickle Cell Disease Interagency Cabinet not only address access to potential future curative treatments, but also address the bias that those with sickle cell disease continue to face within the United States health care system.