Current Actions

Ask Your Senators to Support Funding for Celiac Disease Research

Tue, 06 May 2025 04:00:00 GMT

We have an important opportunity for our advocates to reach out to their U.S. Senate offices today to encourage action to support federal funding for celiac disease research. Please join us in our effort to spread the word!

The U.S. Senate is currently determining its priorities for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Bills, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) is now circulating a letter of support to:

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, requesting that they continue to include celiac disease as an eligible condition under the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program; and
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies, requesting increased funding for celiac disease research at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

Email your Senators and ask that they sign on to this letter in support of continued and expanded celiac disease research funding. The deadline for Senate members to sign-on is May 19th, so contact them today!

Please Note: The Quill link in the email template is only accessible by Senate staffers. Please see the link below to view the letter.

FY26 Letter: https://celiac.org/FY26BlumenthalLetter

Ask Congress To Restore FY25 CDMRP Funding

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Advocates, we need your help!

The Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), first established by Congress in 1992, has been a critical source of funding for dozens of diseases for decades, and it has included celiac disease since Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23).

The CDMRP has awarded more than 21,000 research grants since its founding, providing resources that researchers need to conduct life-changing studies.

Unfortunately, Congress voted on March 15th to slash funding for the CDMRP, from $1.507 billion in FY24 down to $650 million for FY25.

This is a 57% cut, and it is by far the biggest funding decrease for the CDMRP in the program's history. The program within the CDMRP that celiac disease is eligible to receive funding from, the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), was slashed from $370 million in FY24 to $150 million for FY25 – an almost 60% decrease.

This cut will have devastating consequences on medical research advancements for years to come if it remains in place!

Please fill out the form below to contact your Members of Congress, telling them to fight back against the CDMRP cuts to restore FY25 CDMRP funding back to its FY24 level.

Every voice matters in the fight to restore pivotal research funding, so please submit the form below today to raise awareness with your legislators and ask them to join our cause!

Celiac Disease Caucus

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

In a huge step toward increasing federal government recognition of celiac disease, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) first established the bipartisan Congressional Celiac Disease Caucus in 2021 during the 117th Congress. The bipartisan Caucus was created to support federal funding of celiac disease research and to advance legislation that will ease the suffering of celiac disease patients. The growth of the Celiac Disease Caucus is one of the highest legislative priorities for the Celiac Disease Foundation. The Caucus will help Members of Congress to raise awareness of celiac disease, both in their districts and in Washington, as well as to amplify the voice of the celiac patient community.

Please use our form below to email your Representative! Ask them to join the Congressional Celiac Disease Caucus and support the more than 3 million Americans living with celiac disease.

Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

On April 26, 2023, the Food Labeling Modernization Act (FLMA) of 2023 (H.R. 2901 and S. 1289) was introduced in the 118^th Congress by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) also joined as original cosponsors of the legislation.

This bill would update front-of-package food labeling requirements, require updates to the ingredients list on packaged foods, and apply consumer friendly labeling requirements, including the disclosure of gluten-containing grains.

Certain food ingredients pose significant risks to people with medical conditions, including the more than three million Americans living with celiac disease – a serious, lifelong genetic autoimmune disease. It's currently far too difficult to figure out whether (and how much of) these ingredients are present in foods. For those with celiac disease, ingesting gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye sources - causes damage to the villi of the small intestine, leading to long-term health complications. Adapting to and maintaining a strict, gluten-free diet is a complex, life-changing process, and lack of compliance significantly affects mortality – including a 6x greater risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a 4x greater risk of small bowel cancer.

Food labels play a critical role in managing diet-related diseases, yet federal labeling rules have not kept up with the changing marketplace. Current food labels do not always provide the simple, straightforward information that celiac patients need to evaluate products and make the choices necessary to successfully manage their disease and prevent further health complications.

Please join us in asking your Members of Congress to support the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023! Let’s work together to make it easier and safer for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to understand ingredients and purchase food.

Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2023

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:00:00 GMT

We are pleased to share that the Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Act of 2023 (S. 3297/H.R. 6407) has been introduced in both the U.S. Senate by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswomen Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA). Securing insurance coverage for registered dietitian nutritionist visits for celiac disease patients is a priority for the Celiac Disease Foundation, and we are encouraged to see progress toward this goal.

This bill would expand Medicare Part B coverage of outpatient MNT services to a number of currently uncovered diseases or conditions – including celiac disease. It would allow providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, and psychologists to refer patients for essential nutritional counseling.

Our patient and caregiver community consistently share how difficult it is to adopt and follow a gluten-free diet in a food ecosystem that includes gluten in more than 80% of its products – while also maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Healthcare providers strongly recommend counseling by dietitians skilled in celiac disease, and research shows that counseling from a registered dietitian or other nutrition professional is essential for the well-being of our community.

Your voice matters in the fight to secure these services for celiac disease patients!

We extend our deepest gratitude to Senators Collins and Peters and Representatives Kelly and Kiggans for their leadership on this issue, and we urge members of Congress to pass this important legislation this session.

Learn more about the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2023 here: Senators Collins, Peters Introduce Bipar... | U.S. Senator Susan Collins (senate.gov)

Please join us in asking your Members of Congress to cosponsor this important piece of legislation to ensure that medical nutrition therapy visits – a physician-recommended tool for dietary adherence – is covered for Medicare beneficiaries.