UOAA Advocates Bring Patient Voices to Capitol Hill

By Jeanine Gleba, UOAA Advocacy Manager

Despite the government shutdown, United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) successfully hosted Patient Voices on the Hill Day on October 8th. UOAA advocates from across the country—strategically chosen from districts and states with influential lawmakers on health policy—traveled to Washington, D.C. to protect access to ostomy and urological supplies.

💬 Patients Speak Out

During a full day of meetings, advocates shared powerful clinical insights and personal stories to educate Members of Congress and Administration officials about the dangers of including ostomy and urological supplies in the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP). They highlighted how treating these medical devices as “one-size-fits-all” equipment could severely limit access to essential, individualized prosthetic supplies—putting patient safety, health, and quality of life at risk.

The patient stories shared were deeply moving. Advocates showed photos, supplies, and firsthand experiences illustrating the physical and emotional impact of pouch leaks, skin damage, and the challenges of living with an ostomy. Their voices made the issue personal, underscoring the human cost of misguided policy changes.

In every meeting, UOAA advocates called for Congressional oversight to ensure that ostomy and urological prosthetic devices remain excluded from the CBP proposal.

Patient Voices on the Hill Day Advocates included, back row from left: Dr. Diego Schaps, Mark Jassey, Rick Riessle, Rolf Benirshke and Mike McGinty Middle row from left: Lisa Donovan, Jeanine Gleba, Jenny Levinson, Laura Kaiser (APRN, CWOCN) Briana Hovermale, Jessica Pelle, Colleen Seeber-Combs, Theresa Johnson, Megan Miller (CWOCN), Christine Ryan, Rebecca Mcelyea (CWOCN) and Kimberly Sanders. Front row from left: Reilly and Tracy Otto, Steve Kearley. Missing from photo: Sananda A. Jones. Photo by Ed Pfueller, UOAA Communications and Outreach Manager.

The fly-in brought together 16 dedicated patient advocates and caregivers, including ostomy nurses and leaders from UOAA, Convatec, and a representative from the WOCN Society. Together, they conducted 30 meetings across Capitol Hill—8 in the Senate and 22 in the House—engaging 16 Republican and 14 Democratic offices. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed strong interest in safeguarding patient access to medically necessary products.

As a result, the event generated significant bipartisan support and strengthened relationships with Congressional champions committed to protecting access to ostomy and urological supplies as essential prosthetic medical devices.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all the advocates who took time from their lives to speak out on behalf of our community, and to Convatec for joining forces with us to make this effort possible.

In addition, thank you to the 1,000 advocates nationwide who responded to our most recent Call to Action!  Your stories and outreach encouraged Representatives to sign a Congressional Letter led by Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Greg Murphy (R-NC)—both urologists—urging CMS and OMB to withdraw the proposal. The final letter, sent on October 9, 2025, was signed by 26 Members of Congress, a strong showing of bipartisan support. UOAA’s advocacy efforts were recognized in a recent HME News Article.

At this time, there are no open action alerts for this campaign. However, if you have received a response from your elected official, please contact us at advocacy@ostomy.org so we can continue the dialogue with their offices. 

We will continue to provide updates as they become available. For background information, updates, and ways to get involved—including social media tools—please visit our Competitive Bidding advocacy page.

We expect the final ruling on this issue in November. Regardless of the outcome, please know that UOAA remains steadfast in its commitment to work with policymakers and ensure continued access to the supplies that support dignity, health, and quality of life for all people living with an ostomy.

Thank you for standing with us and lending your voice to this vital effort.

NEW UPDATE! List of  specific Lawmakers wen need to contact ASAP – take action here.

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