Medicare Physician Payments: H.R. 7520- Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act; the CY 2026 MPFS introduced a 2.5% reduction in work Relative Value Units (RVUs) for non-time-based procedures with additional reductions scheduled every three years. The Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act would delay the implementation of the policy until 2030 and require CMS to provide a justification and improved implementation report to Congress. Educating members on the need for updates to the physician fee schedule with an annual update based on a portion of the growth in the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). Educating members about the harm caused by CMS reducing the indirect practice expense (PE) allocated per work RVU allocated to facility services to 50% of the amount allocated for non-facility (office-based) services. Medicaid Cuts: Urging Congress to preserve Medicaids vital role in the healthcare system and explore solutions that maintain access to high-quality care, particularly for underserved communities. Access to Care: H.R. 1509/ S.752- The Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act; would require state Medicaid programs to establish a process through which qualifying out-of-state providers may temporarily treat children without undergoing additional screening requirements. It also requires pass-through pricing models for covered drugs under Medicaid. This became law during this quarter. H.R. 2433- Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act; requires Medicare coverage decisions, including prior authorization requirements and adverse coverage decisions, to be based on written clinical criteria that is developed in consultation with physicians. H.R. 4331- The Access to Claims Data Act; would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a program that allows clinician-led clinical data registries access to Medicare claims data for research, quality of care measurement, and reporting. Educating CMS about the importance of continuing Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) through the STS/ACC TVT Registry to support the safe and evidence-based expansion of TAVR.
Expanding GME opportunities: H.R. 3890- Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act; adds 14,000 new residency slots over seven years. Loan Repayment: H.R.2028/ S.942- Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act; would permit a pause on student loan interest accrual and principal loan repayment for the duration of medical residencies and fellowships.
Lung Cancer: H.R.4417/ S. 2927- Mobile Cancer Screening Act; would establish a competitive grant program through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to fund mobile cancer screening units, grants of up to $2 million would help providers acquire vehicles, imaging equipment, and essential software to reach more patients where they live. H.R. 2319/ S.1157- Women in Lung Cancer Research; would provide additional funding for prevention and treatment of lung cancer in women, particularly non-smokers. H.R.1197- PREEMIE Reauthorization Act; would reauthorize through FY29 epidemiological studies, data tracking, and prevention efforts conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention related to preterm birth. This quarter this became law. NIH Funding: Requesting that Congress fund NIH for FY27 at at least $51.303 billion; an 8.7% increase over the enacted funding level for FY26. CDC Funding: Requesting full funding for CDC's Firearms Violence Research and the Office of Smoking Health.
Workforce: S. 266/ H.R. 929- The Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act; would reauthorize a grant program for healthcare organizations and professional associations for employee education on strategies to reduce burnout, peer-support programming, and mental and behavioral health treatment for five years. Communities with a shortage of health care workers, rural communities, and those experiencing burnout due to administrative burdens, such as lengthy paperwork, will be prioritized. This became law this quarter. H.R. 1585/ S.709- The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act; would modify the Conrad 30 Waiver program, which incentivizes qualified foreign physicians to serve in underserved communities. H.R.3178- The Save Health Care Workers Act; would make it a federal crime to assault or intimidate hospital workers. S. 2031- Workforce Mobility Act; would prohibit certain noncompete agreements. H.R. 7961- H-1Bs for the Physicians and Healthcare Workforce Act; would exempt physicians and health professionals from the $100,000 H-1B filing fee imposed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Telehealth: H.R. 4204/ S. 1261- CONNECT for Health Act; would permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes, among other provisions. This quarter a 2 year extension for telehealth flexibilities was signed into law.
H.R.2414- To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a military and civilian partnership for trauma readiness grant program (aka Mission Zero); would reauthorize a military and civilian partnership for trauma readiness grant program. Securing Defense funding for Lung Cancer Research. This quarter $20 million was appropriated for the Lung Cancer Research Program via the DoD's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, which had been eliminated in FY25. Educating members about the need for military readiness of surgeons.