Virtual Hill Day

The National Eczema Association (NEA) hosts an annual Virtual Hill Day event. Since 2022, NEA Ambassadors gather virtually each spring to hold meetings with their local elected congressional officials. NEA Ambassadors are people with eczema and their caregivers who volunteer to advocate for the eczema community.

During this event, Ambassadors are lobbying to:

Raise awareness among members of Congress and within federal agencies about how eczema significantly impacts those who live with it and their families
Urge legislators to pass important laws that increase access to affordable, effective eczema healthcare
Advocate for federal funding allocated for eczema research to better understand and treat eczema

Our 2025 policy priorities

On behalf of the eczema community, we are asking Congress to:

This bill would require insurers to implement a clear and transparent process for a patient or healthcare provider to request an exception to step therapy, a protocol where patients must try and fail alternative treatments before being approved for the treatment their doctor has prescribed.

This bill would close a loophole that allows many employer health plans to deem certain covered prescription drugs as “nonessential,” which means that the insurer will not count any cost-sharing toward the patient’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. This bill would ensure that all copays count.

Include eczema in the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program

The Department of Defense’s program provides vital funding for innovative, high-risk, high-reward medical research. In 2023, for the first time ever, NEA Ambassadors helped secure eczema’s eligibility for this crucial funding. However, this inclusion must be renewed each year to continue funding eczema research.