Episode 448: At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 30, 2026 · 31 MIN

Episode 448: At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle

from RealTalk MS · host Jon Strum with David Silbaugh, Cliff Currie, and Michelle Constantine Hibbs

Last week, about 170 MS activists from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. It's hard to come away from this event and not feel outraged by the stories that are shared, but also inspired by the resilience and bravery of the MS Activists who are willing to share some of the worst moments in their MS journey to make sure that our elected representatives in the House and Senate understand why the legislation we ask them to support is so vitally important.     I met so many truly amazing MS activists at this year's Public Policy Conference, and you'll meet some of them in this week's episode.   We're also sharing survey results that paint a disturbing picture of the human consequences that resulted from losing Congressional funding to support enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace Enrollees  The National MS Society has invested $2.3 million in 11 research projects focused on women's health issues and MS. We're sharing details of each new research initiative being funded. You'll learn about a clinical trial for a novel investigational therapy for MS and other autoimmune diseases. And we'll tell you about a study that you can participate in from home...and get compensated for your participation! We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're at the Public Policy Conference  :22 Survey results show the human consequences of losing Congressional funding to support enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace Enrollees  4:45 The National MS Society invests $2.3 million dollars in research projects focused on women's health issues and MS  7:23 The first healthy participant is dosed in the clinical trial for ICP-538  11:24  An opportunity to participate from home in a clinical trial (and there's compensation!)  12:41 MS Activists David, Cliff, and Michelle share their thoughts on attending the MS Society's Public Policy Conference  15:27 Share this episode  30:10 Next week  30:30 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/448 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Support Jon at WALK MS https://realtalkms.com/walkms JOIN: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 446 -- MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern https://realtalkms.com/446 SURVEY RESULTS: Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/a-follow-up-survey-of-aca-marketplace-enrollees PARTICIPATE: A Study to Determine How Well Different Fall Prevention Programs Work for People with Spinal Court Injury and Multiple Sclerosis Email for More Information: [email protected] JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 448 Guests: David Silbaugh, Cliff Currie, and Michelle Constantine Hibbs Privacy Policy

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Episode 448: At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle

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This episode was published on March 30, 2026.

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Last week, about 170 MS activists from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. It's hard to come away from this event and not feel outraged by the stories that are...

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