Q&A with National Health Council: Driving patient-centred policy

Since its founding in 1920, the National Health Council (NHC) has brought diverse organizations together to forge consensus and drive patient-centered health policy in the United States. 

Their work is more important than ever as a myriad of challenging policy initiatives and payment models have threatened patient access and affordability. As such, their 2026 Science of Patient Engagement Summit is focused on turning patient-gathered evidence into impact, empowering participating organizations to turn patient engagement into improved outcomes by strengthening how care is designed and delivered.

Bio.News sat down with Randy Rutta, Chief Executive Officer at the NHC, to discuss the organization’s work, as well as what participants can expect during this year’s summit.

Why is patient engagement so critical to NHC and its mission?

Patient Engagement is at the heart of what the NHC does. We exist to ensure that patients are not only represented but are also at the center of health care. The NHC’s footprint in this field equips all actors in the health sector to meaningfully engage patients from drug and device development to patient care protocols and shared clinical decision-making.

NHC has played a key role in ensuring the patient perspective is incorporated in key policies such as the drug price ‘negotiations’ under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). What do you see as the key to successful patient engagement?

The NHC has worked tirelessly to ensure that patients have been included in the Initial Price Applicability Year (IPAY) drug negotiations from the start. While not required by statute, the NHC successfully advocated for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to incorporate meaningful patient input into the IPAY process, underscoring that doing so is essential to ensuring that any actions taken do not inadvertently undermine patient access to affordable treatments. This approach reflects what effective patient engagement should look like in practice and has already led to meaningful improvements in the process. 

What resources does NHC provide to member organizations and the broader community to support effective patient engagement?

The NHC has a wide range of patient engagement resources on our website. You can find information and resources about the current IPAY process, the NHC’s Patient Engagement Compensation and Contracting Toolbox, Rubric to Capture the Patient Voice, and much more. Many of these tools and more will be highlighted in our upcoming Science of Patient Engagement Summit.

One of NHC’s flagship convenings, the Science of Patient Engagement Summit, is now in its 9th year. How have you seen patient engagement evolve over time?

Patient Engagement has evolved from a “nice to do” to a business-critical function that enables companies to develop treatments and products that truly meet the needs and expectations of patients. At this year’s Science of Patient Engagement Summit, May 11-12 in Arlington, VA, we are focused on how patient engagement is used to shape research, care delivery, and decision-making throughout the health care sector. The Summit is designed to share concrete examples, lessons learned, and approaches you can apply across your work. For the first time, the Summit is open to a wider, health-sector audience, not just NHC members.

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