I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 930 
To strengthen the Nation’s research efforts to identify the causes and cure 
of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, expand psoriasis and psoriatic arthri-
tis data collection, and study access to and quality of care for people 
with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2009 
Mr. WU (for himself, Mr. GERLACH, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. PLATTS, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. LARSON of 
Connecticut, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. KEN-
NEDY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. DELAHUNT, 
Mr. HOLT, and Mr. BACA) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To strengthen the Nation’s research efforts to identify the 
causes and cure of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, ex-
pand psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis data collection, and 
study access to and quality of care for people with psori-
asis and psoriatic arthritis, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Psoriasis and Psoriatic 
Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Findings. 
Sec. 4. Expansion of biomedical research. 
Sec. 5. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis data collection and national patient reg-
istry. 
Sec. 6. National summit. 
Sec. 7. Study and report by the Institute of Medicine. 
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are auto-
immune, chronic, inflammatory, painful, disfiguring, 
and life-altering diseases that require life-long so-
phisticated medical intervention and care and have 
no cure. 
(2) Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affect as 
many as 7,500,000 men, women, and children of all 
ages and have an adverse impact on the quality of 
life for virtually all affected. 
(3) Psoriasis often is overlooked or dismissed 
because it does not cause death. Psoriasis is com-
monly and incorrectly considered by insurers, em-
ployers, policymakers, and the public as a mere an-
noyance, a superficial problem, mistakenly thought 
to be contagious and due to poor hygiene. Treatment 
for psoriasis often is categorized, wrongly, as ‘‘life- 
style’’ and not ‘‘medically necessary.’’ 
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(4) Psoriasis goes hand-in-hand with myriad co- 
morbidities such as Crohn’s disease, diabetes, meta-
bolic syndrome, obesity, hypertension, heart attack, 
cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and psoriatic 
arthritis, which occurs in 10 to 30 percent of people 
with psoriasis. 
(5) The National Institute of Mental Health 
funded a study that found that psoriasis may cause 
as much physical and mental disability as other 
major diseases, including cancer, arthritis, hyper-
tension, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. 
(6) Psoriasis is associated with elevated rates of 
depression and suicidal ideation. 
(7) The risk of premature death is 50 percent 
higher for individuals with severe psoriasis than for 
individuals without any form of psoriasis. 
(8) Total direct and indirect health care costs 
of psoriasis are calculated at over $11,250,000,000 
annually with work loss accounting for 40 percent of 
the cost burden. 
(9) Early diagnosis and treatment of psoriatic 
arthritis may help prevent irreversible joint damage. 
(10) Treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis 
presents a challenge for patients and their health 
care providers because no one treatment works for 
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everyone, some treatments lose effectiveness over 
time, many treatments are used in combination with 
others, and all treatments may cause a unique set 
of side effects. 
(11) Although new and more effective treat-
ments finally are becoming available, too many peo-
ple do not yet have access to the types of therapies 
that may make a significant difference in the quality 
of their lives. 
(12) Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis constitute 
a significant national health issue that deserves a 
comprehensive and coordinated response by Federal 
and State governments with involvement of the 
health care provider, patient, and public health com-
munities. 
SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’), acting through the Director of the National In-
stitutes of Health, shall continue to expand and intensify 
research and related activities of the Institutes with re-
spect to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. 
(b) RESEARCH BY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRI-
TIS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL AND SKIN DISEASES.— 
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