The Voices of People Living with an Ostomy Were Heard on Capitol Hill

UOAA Advocacy Event Precedes Introduction of ‘Access to Medical Supplies Act’ Bill

By Jeanine Gleba, UOAA Director of Advocacy

UOAA recently rallied advocates in our Advocacy Network to participate in a virtual Ostomy Hill Day to educate Congress on the greatest threat facing our community in decades: the inclusion of ostomy supplies in Medicare’s Competitive Bidding program.  On September 30, 2026, sixty-five advocates met with members of Congress offices to share their experiences and advocate for access to the ostomy supplies they depend on. Twenty-eight states were represented and 73 offices were visited! 

Shortly before the Hill Day, UOAA provided training with a “mock meeting” and supporting materials to ensure every advocate was prepared for their meetings whether it was the first time they ever met with a lawmaker or were seasoned advocates. Most groups also met in advance to get to know each other and assure a smooth day of meetings. Based on feedback from attendees 100% utilized the training materials and felt it was beneficial for preparedness.

Did we make an impact? According to follow-up information provided by the leaders of the eleven groups that day, ninety-nine percent of the meetings were positive and encouraging as noted from one meeting “This office is on it!”.  Many groups showed the variety of ostomy supplies they rely on for their pouching systems and stressed that ostomy supplies are not one-size-fits-all. Staffers were attentive and engaging in particular expressing interest in any bills and sign-on letters. Immediately following the meetings all group leaders sent leave-behind materials to the offices they visited. UOAA also reached out to specific offices who had additional questions. To exemplify a positive meeting: The California team was pleased that Senator Adam Schiff (CA) asked Dr. Brian McNeil, a former urologist, to be present as his representative. “Dr. McNeil heard our voices and immediately understood the clinical importance of reliable access to appropriate ostomy supplies. He expressed his full support for our efforts.”

It truly makes a difference when people are willing to speak up and put a face and personal story behind these issues. Every conversation, every story, and every advocate who showed up helped bring greater awareness to the challenges facing our community and the importance of preserving access, choice, and quality care. It was evident these supplies should not be included in Medicare’s Competitive Bidding Program. 

As noted by advocate Joanna Burgess-Stocks “I believe a lot was accomplished on Hill Day with our 8 visits.  It was efficient and we made very good use of our time and were able to make a great argument for the negative impact competitive bidding would have on ostomy supplies.  It made me feel good to know that I was doing something to help get the word out about this issue.  I also met some wonderful people in my group and that is always a wonderful thing to be with others living with an ostomy.  I felt proud to tell my friends and family that I made an impact on Capitol Hill!  Sometimes you just have to push yourself from behind to do something a little scary – this was worth it!” 

I am grateful to all of the advocates who showed up to be the voice for the almost 1 million people living with an ostomy in the United States. I’d also like to recognize the amazing leaders who stepped up to lead their groups and give even more time and support to ensure that UOAA had a successful Ostomy Hill Day: 

Group 1: Pennsylvania (Leader – Deborah Popp)
Group 2: New Jersey, Delaware (Leader – Jeanine Gleba)
Group 3: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina (Leader – Joanna Burgess-Stocks)
Group 4: New York (Leader – Julie Allen)
Group 5: California (Leader – Becky McElysea)
Group 6: Idaho, Nevada, Washington, Colorado (Leader – Justus Anderson)
Group 7: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana (Leader – Heather Botteicher)
Group 8: Wisconsin, Michigan (Leader – Justine Bykowski)
Group 9: South Carolina, Florida, Georgia (Leader – Theresa Johnson)
Group 10: Missouri, Indiana, Illinois (Leader – Charlie Grotevant)
Group 11: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire (Leaders – Julie Hyams and Dan Boisvert)

The ostomy community showed Congress that our community is informed, engaged, and determined to be heard. 

Several advocates also helped amplify our message by contributing Op-Eds that were published in media outlets across the country, extending our reach to diverse geographic audiences. To date, seven have been published, including this piece by advocate Scott Wuerch, which raises serious concerns about the potentially devastating consequences of competitive bidding for the ostomy community. You can view them all under our Pressroom.

The timing of our Hill Day proved invaluable with building relationships with these offices and the recent introduction of bill H.R. 10787.  Since the bill introduction the leaders of our groups contacted the 75 offices visited and requested that they become co-sponsors of the bill. Please visit our Action Center to learn how to ask your Representative to co-sponsor the Access to Medical Supplies Act.