Heart of Health Policy | ACC Joins Medical Community to Champion Research, Access, Workforce
ACC Joining Medical Community to Champion Research, Access and Workforce
The ACC is banding together with the broader medical community to defend funding for medical research and innovation, champion patient access to care, and bolster the health care workforce. See below for details on recent letters to congressional leadership, as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), addressing these issues.
- Pushing For Continued NIH Funding
In a statement submitted to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, the ACC urged robust and sustained funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), emphasizing its role in addressing chronic disease burden and advancing public health. - Opposing Proposed Changes to Medicaid
The ACC joined 42 other medical groups in urging leaders in Congress to reject changes to Medicaid proposed by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, warning that "changes of the magnitude being proposed, combined with reductions in Medicare physician payment rates, would result in loss of coverage and risk exacerbating hospital and practice closures." Read more here. - Responding to Federal Student Loan Proposals
In response to proposed changes to the federal student loan program from the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, the ACC and other medical societies issued a joint letter to House leadership, stating that these changes would result in fewer students being able to afford medical school, which would exacerbate existing physician shortages. - Outlining Regulatory Priorities
Given the key role CMS will play in Medicare payment reform, structural changes to Medicaid, digital health policy and the provision of services in ambulatory care settings, the ACC outlined its key priorities and considerations in a letter to newly appointed CMS leadership. Read more here.
ACC Calls For Passage of Federal Legislation to Tackle PA Overuse, Abuse
The ACC joined members of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC) to celebrate the reintroduction of the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514/S. 1816). By tackling the overuse and abuse of prior authorization by some Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, this legislation would safeguard patient access to quality, guideline-recommended medical care and ease the administrative burden imposed on clinicians by current prior authorization practices.
Registration Now Open For ACC Legislative Conference 2025
Join your ACC Advocacy team Oct. 5-7 in Washington, DC, for ACC Legislative Conference 2025! Don't miss your chance to learn more about the major issues impacting the practice of cardiology, connect with your colleagues and meet with your members of Congress. Visit ACC.org/LegislativeConference to learn more and register.
"Prior authorization should never be a barrier to timely, evidence-based care for our most vulnerable patients," said ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC. "The bipartisan legislation represents a critical step toward enabling clinicians to prioritize high-quality care over administrative obstacles. By reducing delays and streamlining care delivery, this bill will improve health outcomes and protect patients."
Specific reforms outlined by the legislation include implementing electronic PA processes for MA plans, increasing transparency around PA requirements for MA plans, expediting determinations for routinely approved items and services, expanding protections for MA beneficiaries, and requiring reporting on program integrity and future efforts to improve the PA process.
Reintroduced on May 20 in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the bill had 73 representatives and 47 senators cement their support as original cosponsors. Beyond its substantial bipartisan approval among members of Congress, more than 140 organizations have endorsed the legislation, representing various health care stakeholders such as patients, clinicians, medical technology and pharmaceutical companies, health plans and others, according to an RRC press release. "The RRC urges Congress to act swiftly to enact this legislation into law this year considering its overwhelming support from hundreds of stakeholders and policymakers for many years."
In previous years, ACC members have helped garner support for the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act during ACC Legislative Conference, and the bill remains a federal legislative priority for the College. Explore more ways the ACC is ensuring patients receive high-quality, continuous care at ACC.org/Advocacy.
Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, Health Services Accessibility, Prior Authorization, ACC Advocacy, Public Health, Health Policy, Translational Medical Research, Medicaid
