#HealthCutsCost is a national, nonpartisan effort to document and share how cuts to biomedical research funding—especially NIH, CDC, and DoD programs—are harming real people and stalling lifesaving science. We’re collecting first-person stories from patients, families, and researchers affected by funding cuts. These stories will be used to raise public awareness and push lawmakers to protect and restore funding.

We are currently in Phase 1: story collection via personal networks. Later phases will involve paid outreach and media engagement to collect and share a wider set of stories.

HealthCutsCost was founded by Karen Kaludov—an Ocular Melanoma patient and researcher/strategist with more than 20 years of experience in communications, public affairs, and advocacy. She’s joined by a volunteer board of colleagues and friends who bring deep expertise in health, public affairs, and advocacy. Each board member contributes their time, passion, and unique perspective—including personal stories about why protecting biomedical research matters.

Together, we’re building a community of patients, researchers, and supporters making the value of biomedical research impossible to ignore—and the need to sustain it impossible to dismiss.

All story submissions are collected and stored securely on the Stratalys survey platform, which is built and maintained in-house. We do not use third-party tools like Google Forms. Your data does not pass through social media platforms or ad providers. I will not share your data (other than what you allow me to) with anyone outside our small research team.

For more details on Stratalys’s data storage and privacy protections, see our full privacy policy here.

Your story may be used in the following ways, with your consent:

• To educate the public (through social media, op-eds, or media pitches)
• To inform lawmakers (through direct outreach or campaign collateral)
• To support advocacy organizations (that are lobbying for research funding)

You control how your story is used. When you submit, you’ll be asked to choose your level of anonymity—you can remain anonymous, share only selected details, or attach your name and photo if you’re comfortable doing so. We will never share your story or contact informoation without your permission.

No. HealthCutsCost is an awareness and advocacy campaign—not a partisan or electoral effort. Our focus is on protecting biomedical research funding by engaging with the lawmakers who shape those budgets.

Right now, the campaign is supported by a small team of colaborators:

• Former researchers
• Communications professionals
• Patient advocates
• Volunteers helping with tech, outreach, and social media

We are actively seeking partnerships with disease-specific nonprofits, academic institutions, and professional associations willing to help spread the word or contribute stories.

We are still in the early phases, but examples will include:

• Quote cards on social media (with consent)
• First-person op-eds in local media
• Case studies shared in one-pagers or lobbying materials
• Coordinated posts by patient and research communities using #HealthCutsCost
• As soon as the first wave of stories is live, we will share examples (with consent) on this website

We’re currently looking for:

• Researchers and patients willing to share their story
• Advocates who can help test or distribute our story collection forms
• Volunteers for media outreach, content creation, and grassroots mobilization