The December 15, 2025, HHS roundtable on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases placed long-overdue national attention on the millions of patients and families who have lived with an “invisible illness” for far too long. One of the clearest messages of the event was that the era of dismissing or gaslighting Lyme patients must end. This reflects what our community has endured for years.
The Bay Area Lyme Foundation welcomes this federal focus on the urgent need for accurate diagnostics, rigorous patient-centered research, and better access to care, including the acknowledgment that Lyme disease qualifies as a chronic condition within Medicare care frameworks. These priorities closely align with, and have long guided, the work we have led for more than a decade.
We initiated the Lyme Disease Biobank, which is now a cornerstone resource for diagnostic and translational research across the country and has attracted significant support from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. Through additional philanthropic investment and scientific collaboration, Bay Area Lyme has also supported or co-funded many of the research advances referenced throughout the roundtable.