Support a Nationwide Arthritis Program. The CDC Arthritis Program is the only federal program solely dedicated to arthritis and is vital to the nation's understanding of this chronic disease. It provides disease management resources to help people with arthritis better manage symptoms and ultimately improve their health outcomes. At the national level, the program funds organizations that have a broad impact across the country and funds longitudinal research. At the state level, the program helps 12 states implement self-management education and physical activity interventions, which are crucial for overall disease management. We urge Congress to fund the program at $60 million, which would allow the program to fully support a national Arthritis Program in every state, expand partnerships for action, and invest heavily in needed data intervention and prevention research. 

Kids get arthritis too, and the PSLRP can help them get the care they need. The Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program (PSLRP) would provide new doctors with up to $35,000/year tuition loan repayment if they practice in an underserved area of the country. The PSLRP was funded for the very first time ever last year, so now is the time for Advocates like you to raise your voice to make sure this program receives the funding it needs to get off the ground. We are asking Congress to fund the PSLRP at $30 million for Fiscal Year 2026 to ensure that kids can access the care they need.

One in three veterans has arthritis. A dedicated $20 million arthritis research program within the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) is sorely needed to: identify better joint injury management to reduce the effects of joint degeneration, recognize ways to lessen joint injury during military training, and develop interventions at the time of injury to delay or prevent the onset of arthritis. We are asking Congress to fund the DoD Arthritis Research Program at $20 million within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for Fiscal Year 2026.