ACP Advocate

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June 27, 2025


ACP and the AMA

AMA, ACP and Others Call for Investigation After Removal of CDC Vaccine Advisers

During AMA House of Delegates meeting, a resolution calling for the reversal of the firing of all ACIP members and other ACP-sponsored resolutions were passed.


Advocacy in Action

ACP Urges State Department to Exempt International Medical Graduates From Travel Restrictions

Combination of travel restrictions and pause in student visa processing impacting ability of IMGs to begin residency training programs next month.


Proposed FY 2026 HHS Budget Contains Significant Cuts to Public Health Systems

ACP warns that the proposed Trump administration budget for the 2026 fiscal year would significantly reduce HHS funding by more than 25 percent.


Quick Hits

Action Alert: Urge Congress to Oppose Changes to Medicaid and Student Loans and Fix Physician Pay

ACP is calling on you to contact your Senators and urge them to oppose the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, or any other legislation that would impose changes to Medicaid and result in Medicaid enrollees losing coverage, and instead pass the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025, which would reverse the 2.83% cut in physician Medicare payment.

Visit ACP's Legislative Action Center to learn more and take action. A sample email is provided for you that includes space for you to personalize the letter. Join the Advocates for Internal Medicine Network to receive ACP's action alerts directly and advocate for the interests of internal medicine in Washington.


Recently in Annals of Internal Medicine

In a commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, “Preserving Scientific Integrity in Vaccine Policy: The Role of, and Risk to, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,” ACP leaders Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP and Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD, discuss the changes facing ACIP and the importance of preserving its independence.


Advocacy News

ACP Letter to Congressional Committee Leaders on Strengthening Vaccine Science
ACP letter urging Congress to quickly pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen our country's public health by codifying the role of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and to hold committee hearings to examine the recent actions taken by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, regarding ACIP.

ACP Letter to Secretary Kennedy on Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Membership
ACP letter expressing deep alarm at the removal of all ACIP members and the subsequent appointment of 8 new unvetted individuals and urging HHS to reinstate the original qualified and vetted ACIP members, recommit to evidence-based vaccine policy, and preserve the longstanding link between ACIP recommendations and insurance coverage for immunizations.

ACP comments to the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy
ACP letter offering comments on the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy and expressing commitment to working with the administration to eliminate the nation's overdose epidemic, prevent substance abuse overdose (SUD) and expand access to affordable, comprehensive care coverage for SUD treatment.

ACP joins multiple organizations in amicus brief on Supreme Court case concerning gender-affirming care

Joint amicus brief statement concerning the United States v. Skrmetti decision, which increases the likelihood that other states will limit or eliminate families' and patients' ability to access medical care.

Internal Medicine Physicians Say Supreme Court Decision Regarding Gender-Affirming Care Puts All Patient Care at Risk
ACP statement expressing extreme disappointment in the United States v. Skrmetti decision, which opens the way to allow states to restrict access to evidence-based medical treatments by leaving in place a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

Joint Letter to Congressional Committee Leadership Regarding Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
Joint letter to Congressional committee leadership asking that they use the committees' jurisdictional authority to protect patients' access to recommended immunizations, which includes holding oversight hearings with Secretary Kennedy and potential legislative action.

ACP Comments on Health Technology Ecosystem
ACP letter to CMS offering input on the health technology ecosystem about the importance of prioritizing the patient-physician relationship, patient safety, data security and reducing administrative burdens.

ACP Written Testimony for the Record to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies for FY2026
ACP testimony for the record about its priorities, urging that funding in the new fiscal year for programs that protect the nation's public health and our public health infrastructure be either maintained or increased.

ACP Response to the Request for Information on Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information (RFI)
ACP letter offering comments on the CMS RFI, offering recommendations on easing administrative burden, streamlining regulatory requirements, and reducing duplicative efforts.

Joint Comment Letter Opposing the Proposed Removal of the Decarbonization and Resilience Initiative from the TEAM Model
Joint letter opposing CMS’ proposal to remove the voluntary Decarbonization and Resilience Initiative from the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), which is a crucial initiative that gives hospitals the critical tools they need to prepare for emergencies, reduce healthcare costs and save lives.

Letter to Department of State Requesting a National Interest Exemption for Medical Students, Residents and Physicians Impacted by Travel Restrictions
Letter requesting a national interest exemption for medical students, residents, and physicians impacted by new travel restrictions, which risk undermining the global exchange of medical knowledge and collaboration.


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