August always feels like a reset. Kids head back to school, routines snap back into place, and for those of us in advocacy, it’s the perfect time to sharpen our focus. The noise of summer fades, and the real work takes center stage. In this issue, we delve into the policies shaping access, the economic pressures squeezing patients, the community battles often overlooked, and the technological shifts that are rewriting the rules. The fall is coming fast—and so is the pressure to deliver.

From billion-dollar Medicaid cuts to new gene therapy models, the decisions made in Washington are reshaping who gets care and how fast.

Policy isn’t just paperwork. It determines who receives care, how quickly they receive it, and whether the system prioritizes patient care or profits. This month, we examine the latest regulatory shifts and court rulings, from CMS’s bold moves on gene therapy access to the trillion-dollar healthcare cuts that will impact families first. The stakes keep climbing, and sitting on the sidelines isn’t an option.

Policy changes don’t exist in a vacuum—they permeate the economy, shape community access, and either accelerate or hinder innovation. To understand what’s next, we have to follow where these decisions hit hardest: the cost of care.

Fraud, rising drug costs, and an $8.6T healthcare tab are squeezing patients and employers. The economic math of healthcare isn’t adding up.

Healthcare costs don’t wait for midterms or market trends. They crush patients in real time. August brings fresh data on PBM fraud, ballooning national healthcare spending, and employer budgets stretched to breaking by drugs that double as financial wrecking balls. We follow the money because until we do, every policy fix is just a headline.

Economic pressure sets the stage for inequity. Patients feel the squeeze first, and local communities pay the price. That’s why the next story isn’t about budgets—it’s about people.

Pharmacy deserts, delayed diagnoses, and the fight against policies that devalue lives. This is advocacy where it matters most.

Access lives or dies at the community level. From pharmacies closing their doors in San Francisco to dementia patients stuck in a three-year diagnostic purgatory, this is where the system’s failures hit home. This month, we track the advocates and local leaders who are refusing to let their communities get left behind.

When communities suffer, technology often promises solutions. But innovation without equity is just noise. The real question is whether tech can deliver more than hype.

From AI to payer shakeups, technology promises transformation—but until it reaches patients, it’s just another headline.

Innovation continues to accelerate, but access lags behind. As PDUFA VIII negotiations heat up and payers like OptumRx start rethinking prior authorization, the question isn’t whether tech can transform healthcare—it’s who it’s built for. This section is about distinguishing between what moves patients forward and what’s merely window dressing.

Innovation doesn’t matter if it never reaches the patient. As we move into fall, the challenge is clear: align policy, cost, and community so technology can finally close the gap instead of widening it.

We’re heading into the fall with sharper focus, bigger stakes, and one clear truth: advocacy can’t wait. That message is hitting hard.

Our TEDx talk has just surpassed 650,000 views, as people are no longer accepting a broken system as the status quo.

If you haven’t watched it yet, now’s the time. See why thousands of patients, advocates, and industry leaders are sharing it—and use it as fuel for the work ahead.

Watch the TEDx Talk Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rkzqosn2RQ