January 26, 2024

Advocacy Alert
Urge Congress to Reverse Medicare Physician Pay Cuts  

On January 1, Medicare physician reimbursements were cut by 3.4%. Now, legislators need to hear directly from you as an emergency physician on the front lines of our health care system that these cuts must be reversed as soon as possible.

The bipartisan “Preserving Seniors’ Access to Physicians Act of 2023” (H.R. 6683), introduced by Reps. Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC), Danny Davis (D-IL), Brad Wenstrup, DPM (R-OH), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN), and Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX), represents a critical opportunity to fully eliminate these harmful cuts.

As ACEP continues to work with Congress to identify policy solutions that will provide long-term stability for Medicare beneficiaries and the physicians who provide their care, we need Congress to reverse these cuts now so that patient access to life-saving care is not threatened. Urge your U.S. Representative to cosponsor H.R. 6683, the “Preserving Seniors’ Access to Physicians Act of 2023.”
Contact Congress!

Leadership & Advocacy Conference
Register Now with Special Promo Code!

Come together for ACEP's Leadership & Advocacy Conference (LAC), April 14-16 in Washington, DC, to advocate for your specialty and your patients. Both the House and Senate are scheduled to be in session during LAC this year! Register today – there’s a $100 discount for the first 100 Regular ACEP Members who use promo code StrongerMemb and a $50 discount for the first 50 Residents, Medical Students or Fellows who use promo code StrongerRes.

During the conference, you’ll join EM colleagues from across the country to tackle issues such as the current boarding crisis and develop tools to advocate and build relationships with policymakers at all levels. Experienced participants will build upon your existing valuable connections, while first-time attendees will be trained in effective ways to educate your Members of Congress and staff. 

ACEP on the Hill
Senate Finance Committee Releases Drug Shortages White Paper

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Finance released a white paper highlighting the ongoing issue of generic drug shortages and outlining several areas of focus for developing legislative solutions. Notably, the white paper calls out longstanding issues with shortages of generic sterile injectables and their essential role in everyday care in the emergency department.

Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) announced the bipartisan effort as a follow-up to a December hearing on drug shortages. ACEP provided a statement for the record for that hearing to shed light on how shortages of essential medications, especially generic sterile injectables, affect patient access to lifesaving emergency care. ACEP staff continue working with the Finance Committee to help inform these efforts and provide the emergency medicine perspective.

Inform ACEP’s Advocacy: 
Survey Responses Needed! 
No Surprises Act Survey

As part of ACEP’s ongoing advocacy efforts to fix the flawed implementation of the No Surprises Act, we are collaborating with the American College of Radiology and the American Society of Anesthesiology to collect data to demonstrate to policymakers how insurers are exploiting aspects of the law’s implementation to profit at the expense of hospital-based physicians.

We need you to contribute to this effort by having someone from your group familiar with its out-of-network claims and contracting processes complete this short, anonymous, and largely multiple-choice survey. We seek input from groups large and small, national and local, and of all ownership types and structures. Policymakers have specifically asked us for data to show insurers are not keeping up with their end of the law, and results from the survey will be useful in getting them to take action to address these shortcomings.

Physician Payment Survey

The American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Practice Inventory Survey is currently out – it is important that emergency medicine has a good response rate to inform future reimbursement levels!

Yesterday, a survey reminder was sent with the subject line “Reminder: The AMA needs your input to support fair and accurate physician payment”, from sender PPISurvey@mathematica-mpr.com. If you or your group receive the survey, please complete it! It includes topics such EMTALA mandated uncompensated care levels – the most recent national data on this topic is 23 years old. Your survey responses will help ACEP’s advocacy efforts!

NEMPAC
Increase Your Advocacy Impact

In addition to your grassroots advocacy, the National Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee (NEMPAC) is an important advocacy tool that helps us keep emergency medicine’s priorities front and center with legislators. By supporting NEMPAC, you join with your colleagues to help educate and elect federal candidates who will work with the specialty and protect our patients. Watch ACEP members across the country reflect on the power of our advocacy work. 

Donate today to help make emergency medicine’s voice stronger! Log in with your ACEP ID: [CONTACT: contact id].

ACEP Advocacy Leaders Program

ACEP's Advocacy Leaders Program supports emergency physicians interested in taking their engagement and advocacy with federal legislators and staff to the next level. If you are interested in joining or already have a relationship with a federal legislator, complete this short form to receive more information.

State Updates
Virginia Advances Model Legislation Requiring Physician Oversight of ED at All Times

Virginia House Bill 353 requires any hospital with an emergency department (ED) to have at least one licensed physician on duty and physically present at all times. Current law requires such hospitals to have a licensed physician on call, though not necessarily physically present on the premises, at all times. This bill is identical to legislation in Indiana that passed in 2023.

State Legislation Tracked by ACEP

To share legislative activity happening in your state, contact Adam Krushinskie. Check out the state legislation that is currently identified and being tracked by ACEP:

Copyright © 2024 American College of Emergency Physicians. All rights reserved.

ACEP Advocacy | 901 New York Ave NW Suite 515E | Washington, DC 20001

Contributions or gifts to NEMPAC are voluntary and are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. The amount given or refusal to donate will not benefit or disadvantage you. By law, we may only use your contribution to support federal candidates if your contribution is made using a personal credit card or personal check. We are required to provide your employer name, your occupation, and to obtain an original signature of the ACEP member if contributing by credit card. NEMPAC encourages personal contributions. All non-personal contributions to NEMPAC will be used to defray costs of educational programs for NEMPAC and other activities permissible under federal law.