Throughout the first half of 2026, ACC's Advocacy Team has been actively engaged in shaping policy at both the federal and state levels and working with policymakers to support cardiovascular clinicians and improve patient care nationwide. Read about key highlights from this work below.

Congressional Legislative Victories

ACC Advocacy helped secure several key federal wins in February 2026, including the extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2027, and the reinstatement of virtual in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services through Jan. 1, 2028.

Additional victories include increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, stable funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and continued support for clinician well-being programs and state-based maternal mortality review committees through 2030. Lawmakers also approved increased funding for research and awareness programs focused on valvular heart disease.

State Legislative Victories

ACC Chapters have made significant progress on policies expanding access to care, strengthening prevention efforts and addressing workforce challenges in their respective states.

Notable wins include Kentucky's enactment of comprehensive prior authorization reform and Virginia's new law banning non-compete agreements for health care professionals. Pennsylvania marked a major milestone with the passage of its Smart Heart bill after a three-year campaign, while New York and Vermont secured life-saving AED funding.

Additionally, New York included prior authorization reform in the state's budget and Alaska has advanced CPR education legislation, which is expected to be signed into law.

Expanding Access to Preventive Care

Several chapters also laid the groundwork for future legislative gains aimed at improving access to preventive cardiovascular services. In Illinois, members are pushing to require insurance coverage for coronary artery calcium testing, Rhode Island members are championing coverage for self-measured blood pressure monitoring, and members from New York introduced legislation targeting peripheral artery disease screening.

ASM For Heart Failure

ACC Advocacy has played a central role in supporting members as Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM) for Heart Failure implementation nears. In collaboration with ACC Chapters and MedAxiom, the College engaged selected participants, their practices and health system leaders with tailored resources and education.

The College also communicated member concerns directly to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), including issues related to specialty classification and limited transparency around heart failure cost data.

Medicare Payment Reform

Medicare payment reform remains a top priority for the College. Over the past six months, the ACC joined leading medical organizations in advocating for long-term structural changes, including opposing a –2.5% efficiency adjustment in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which took effect this year.

The College participated in meetings with more than 50 congressional offices, launched grassroots alerts supporting inflation-based payment updates and budget neutrality reforms, and engaged with bipartisan physician caucuses on comprehensive reform legislation.

Interactions With Government Agencies and Policymakers

ACC Advocacy has maintained active engagement with federal agencies, urging policies that promote patient-centered cardiovascular care. This includes input on CMS' reconsideration of national coverage for TAVR, responses to multiple requests for information on AI, digital health tools and clinical research, and comments on proposed regulations affecting research funding and hospital payment systems.

The College also contributed to discussions through the American Medical Association's CPT Editorial Panel and Relative Value Scale Update Committee.

Health Care Workforce

Workforce challenges remain a key focus for ACC Advocacy, with the College weighing in on issues related to student loan burden and physician visa barriers. Efforts included urging reconsideration of federal student loan policies affecting advanced nursing programs, promoting legislation to allow zero-interest loan deferment during training and supporting exemptions for physicians from new H-1B visa application fees.

Looking Ahead

ACC Advocacy will continue to collaborate with policymakers to ensure the needs of cardiovascular clinicians and patients remain at the forefront of health policy discussions.

ACC members are encouraged to engage in advocacy efforts through ACC Action Alerts and by attending ACC Legislative Conference 2026, taking place Oct. 4-6 in Washington, DC.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies, Acute Heart Failure

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Policy, Workforce, Telemedicine, Patient-Centered Care, Prior Authorization, Heart Failure