Long Beach, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/24/2018 -- RealTalk MS, the leading podcast for people affected by multiple sclerosis, has released the first RealTalk MS Congressional Report Card, assessing congressional votes and other relevant legislative actions for the past two years. The RealTalk MS Congressional Report Card tracks individual members of Congress overall support for individuals and families affected by MS, with each member receiving a letter grade of A through F.

Key findings from the RealTalk MS Congressional Report Card include:

Of the 60 members of Congress receiving an "A", 53 are Democrats

All 54 members of Congress receiving an "F" are Republicans

A failing grade of "F" is assigned to any member of Congress who failed to cast even one vote or take one action in support of people living with multiple sclerosis.

"I constantly remind my listeners about the importance of advocating on behalf of your own needs," RealTalk MS podcast host Jon Strum said. "And voting is the most powerful form of advocacy there is. So, as we are preparing to vote in the midterm election, I wanted everyone affected by multiple sclerosis – patients, caregivers, family, and friends – to know how their elected officials in Congress fared when it came to supporting the MS community. That way, they can cast an informed vote."

Over the past two years, there have been dozens of opportunities for a member of Congress to support people living with MS. They could have chosen to join the MS Caucus. They could have taken a leadership role in moving important legislation forward. They may have signed on to letters to their colleagues, urging them to support specific bills that offered benefit or legal protections to people affected by MS. And they could have voted in favor of those bills that would have a positive impact on individuals and families affected by MS, and voted against those bills that would have created greater hardship or burden on individuals and families affected by MS. Strum created an algorithm that looked at all of those legislative actions, assigned each a score, and then calculated a grade for the more than 400 members of the House of Representatives and 100 members of the Senate.

To find the RealTalk MS Congressional Report Card for the House and Senate members from any state, visit www.realtalkms.com/reportcard.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/realtalk-ms-podcast-releases-ms-congressional-report-card-1071849.htm

Weekly Podcast Brings the Latest News, Views, Interviews, & Breakthroughs to the Multiple Sclerosis Community

Long Beach, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/10/2017 -- RealTalk MS (www.RealTalkMS.com), a weekly podcast targeted at the multiple sclerosis community, has launched and is now available on Apple iTunes. The RealTalk MS podcast focuses on bringing the latest news, views, interviews, and breakthroughs to people with multiple sclerosis in their lives – as patients, caregivers, family members, or friends.

In this week's episode, RealTalk MS host Jon Strum welcomes Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services, and Research Officer of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, for a discussion about the Progressive MS Alliance and some of the global research initiatives that are currently being funded by the Alliance. Tim and Jon also talk about Ocrevus, the first drug therapy approved by the FDA for treatment of progressive MS.

Podcast host Strum said, "There's amazing MS research being done in laboratories around the world. I launched the podcast so that we could explore some of these complex subjects in easy to understand language. We're also talking about the legislation that will impact the MS community, from changes to our healthcare laws to prescription drug price transparency to new legislation supporting family caregivers. And we're talking with MS activists, MS caregivers, and other heroes who strive to raise the bar for those who battle MS every day."

Fans of the podcast are invited to contact Strum via email to provide feedback and ideas for the podcast.

To listen to the podcast, visit http://www.RealTalkMS.com.

Listeners may also listen, download, and subscribe to the free podcast from Apple iTunes, as well as Google Play Music, and Stitcher.

About The RealTalk MS Podcast
Based in Long Beach, California, the RealTalk MS Podcast serves listeners throughout the multiple sclerosis community. Hosted by Jon Strum, RealTalk MS is distributed on a weekly basis and is available for free download or subscription at Apple iTunes, as well as Google Play Music, and Stitcher.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/new-podcast-realtalk-ms-now-available-on-itunes-872718.htm