What We Do

Chronic conditions in adolescence and young adulthood are increasing. Over 85% of children with congenital or chronic conditions now survive into adolescence. Conditions once seen only in young children are now seen beyond childhood and adolescence. Young adult patients are at a critical point in their lives and face a barrage of challenges that pose a significant threat to their livelihood, independence, and quality of life.

Generation Patient is a nonprofit organization created by and for young adult patients—i.e., young adults living with chronic medical conditions such as lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. We are ensuring a better future for our patient community by providing direct support through our peer-support groups while driving systems-level change through our policy work, leadership programming, and advocacy initiatives across healthcare and research spaces.

An illustration of three young adults: a standing woman with crossed arms, a seated woman in a wheelchair, and a man using a cane, all facing forward.

Direct support through community building!

Young adulthood is supposed to be the “prime” of one’s life. The time to figure out who you are and the person you want to become. But it isn’t easy to form an identity, socialize, or take advantage of all the opportunities that life has to offer when you’re coping with the physical and emotional scars of a chronic condition.

The isolation that results from such conditions can have devastating effects on the mental health of young adult patients. That is why we focus on providing connection and support for our patient community through our peer-support groups. Learn more about our approach to peer support or join one of our peer-support meetings here !

 Systems-level change through our policy work & more!

Generation Patient’s Health Policy Lab spearheads our organization's work in health policy, aiming to drive significant change in areas that have the most impact on young adult patients. These areas include patent reform, pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising on social media, and clinical trial diversity. In tandem with our leadership programming, we work to empower young adult patients with policy education and advocacy opportunities to ensure that their voices are heard. Additionally, through our evidence-generation efforts—such as our roundtable initiatives —young adult patients gain a powerful platform to leverage their lived experiences for systems-level change, collaborating with policymakers, medical and research professionals, higher education institutions, and beyond.

Values & Commitment to our Independence

The financial impact of chronic medical conditions on young adults is often devastating. The high cost of essential medications, insurance premiums, and additional care needs (which are often not covered by insurance) can place an enormous strain on their finances. For young adults, who are often just beginning their careers and have less income, these expenses can be a major source of stress. Those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face an even harsher reality, where the cost of managing chronic conditions can perpetuate cycles of poverty.

To safeguard the integrity of our work, Generation Patient does not accept funding from pharmaceutical or insurance industries—especially at a time when patients across the U.S. and internationally struggle to access life-saving medication and care. This makes us one of the few patient groups independent of private healthcare industry funding, setting a new tone for advocacy. As an organization founded by young adults with chronic conditions, maintaining our ability to advocate for the needs of our community (independent from industry influence) is extremely important to us.