Welcome!
Chronic Disease Awareness Month
Chronic Disease Awareness Month is an opportunity to elevate the voices of individuals and families living with chronic conditions. Rather than recognizing only July 10, The Alliance is celebrating the entire month. Throughout July, The Alliance will highlight the barriers that make care harder than they should be and the solutions that advance equity. We invite you to engage, share, and learn with us.
Key Statistics
60% of adults live with at least one chronic condition
40% live with two or more chronic conditions
Chronic diseases drive 90% of national healthcare spending
Proclamations
Washington, DC - Proclamation
Maryland- Proclamation
Upcoming Events this month
ACS July Walking Challenge – Walk 62 Miles in July
American Cancer Society
Virtual – Self-Paced
Open to the Public – Free
Walk 2 miles every day in July (62 miles total at your own pace). Join via Facebook or GoFundMe. Optional fundraising supports cancer research. Low-impact and easy to adapt for any fitness level.
Link: cancer.org – Virtual Challenges
Breakthrough T1D Community Events — All July
Breakthrough T1D
In-Person – Multiple U.S. Locations
Open to the Public (Patients & Families)
Breakthrough T1D runs community events throughout the entire month of July — ice cream socials, summer picnics, walks, and chapter meetups happening all across the country. Just like the ACS walking challenge, this is not one single date but something to look out for locally all month long. Check their events page to find something near you.
Patient & Caregiver Resources
CATEGORY | RESOURCE |
Disease Management | CDC Chronic Disease Resources National hub for chronic disease education and prevention. Includes condition-specific toolkits (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, COPD, arthritis), patient education materials, and data dashboards. Free and regularly updated. Link: cdc.gov/chronicdisease |
Patient Navigation | Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) Free case management for patients with chronic, life-threatening, or debilitating illness. Case managers resolve insurance denials, navigate billing, and connect patients to financial aid. Served 193,000+ patients in 2024. Now merged with PAN Foundation. Link: patientadvocate.org |
Financial Assistance | The Assistance Fund (TAF) Financial assistance for patients who cannot afford cost-sharing – copays, deductibles, and premiums. Operates disease-specific funds; accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance. Free online application. Link: tafcares.org |
Copay & Premium Help | PAN Foundation Now merged with PAF, PAN provided copay and premium help for underinsured patients on Medicare needing specialty medications. Check patientadvocate.org for current fund availability. Link: panfoundation.org |
Medication Assistance | NeedyMeds Free searchable database of Patient Assistance Programs, drug discount cards, and free/low-cost clinics. The NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card is accepted at 70,000+ pharmacies – savings available even for insured patients. Link: needymeds.org |
Transportation | Medicaid NEMT Federally required Medicaid benefit providing rides to medical appointments, dialysis, and pharmacy. Eligibility varies by state. Critical for chronically ill patients with transportation barriers. |
Food Access | Feeding America 200+ food banks and 60,000+ food pantries nationwide. Food insecurity drives chronic disease – especially diabetes and hypertension. Use the Find Your Local Food Bank tool to locate nearby services. Link: feedingamerica.org |
Community Support | Global Healthy Living Foundation / CreakyJoints Education, peer support, and advocacy tools for chronic conditions. Resources in English and Spanish. Free 50-State Network gives patients a pathway to advocate for policies affecting their own care. |
Mental Health | NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Education, support groups, and advocacy for mental health conditions that often co-occur with chronic disease. NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI. NAMI Connection Support Groups are free, virtual and in-person. Link: nami.org |
Caregiver Support | Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) Disease-specific fact sheets, healthcare navigation guides, caregiver self-care tools, and national directory of respite services. Family Care Navigator finds state-by-state caregiver support resources. Link: caregiver.org |
Provider Continuing Education- FREE
Provider Educational Resources |
Activity Title: Improving Every Breath: Advancing COPD Care and Outcomes in Rural and Underserved Communities Clinical Focus: Addressing the high burden of COPD in underserved areas, implementing line-by-line guideline therapies to prevent exacerbations, and leveraging telehealth or self-management tools. Credit: 1 hour |
Activity Title: Breaking Down Metabolic Liver Disease: A Primary Care Approach to MASLD and MASH Screening and staging metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (formerly NAFLD) in primary care settings and implementing early clinical interventions. Credit: 1 hour Link: https://www.pri-med.com/ |
Activity Title: Improving Primary Care Management of Asthma Across the Continuum: Lessons Learned Utilizing case reviews and Project ECHO lessons to select biologic therapies for moderate-to-severe asthma based on biomarkers, and building equitable asthma workflows for rural communities. Credit: 1 hour Link: Access the Asthma Management Module |
Activity Title: Think Ahead: Preserving Brain Health in Everyday Practice Incorporating cognitive risk mitigation and brain health plans directly into existing multi-morbid chronic disease management protocols. Credit: 0.50 |
Activity Title: New and Emerging Therapies in IgA Nephropathy: Latest Data and Clinical Implications (Live Broadcast: July 21, 2026) Applying updated treatment targets to slow chronic disease progression, establish protein-lowering goals, and create patient-centered interprofessional care plans. Credit: 1 hour |
Donate: Join the $31 Challenge!
Give one dollar for each day in July and support national work to advance awareness, prevention, early detection, and equitable access to care.