The following 2009-2010 Public Policy agenda has been adopted by the Alpha-1 Association and Alpha-1 Foundation Board of Directors as priority issues for 2010:
- Support elimination of the two-year waiting period for Medicare Disability .
- Encourage inclusion of Alpha-1 in Compassionate Allowances for Social Security Income (SSI) Disability. This is a list of diseases that are recognized by Social Security for disability benefits and will not require individuals to engage in an appeals process as they will no longer be denied.
- Support the Lifetime Insurance Caps Bill which will allow people with high cost chronic conditions that have private insurance to maintain their coverage without imposed caps.
- Support Medigap Parity which will allow all Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of age, to be eligible for Medigap Coverage in every state.
- Seek Home Health Infusion benefit specifically for Alpha-1 Medicare beneficiaries. To expand an area of Medicare coverage requires an act of Congress. The Association continues to explore legislative models to address this issue.
- Support the American Association for Respiratory Care legislative initiative to recognize Respiratory Therapists in Medicare Part B.
- Continue federal funding appropriations strategies to enhance Alpha-1 research and promote targeted detection.
- Engage Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to recognize Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as the 4th leading cause of death by establishing a designated program in the CDC Chronic Disease Division.
- Monitor Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Organ Allocation system to ensure that it does not disadvantage Alphas who require lung transplants.
- Support legislative and regulatory policies that will promote the development of urgently needed new therapeutics.
- Ensure blood product safety.




