ACP Advocate
The ACP Advocate is an online newsletter for ACP members interested in advocacy. An ACP login is required to access these articles. Not a member? Visit our Membership section to learn about joining.
August 15, 2025
ACP Regulatory News
Proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: What Internal Medicine Physicians Need to Know
The proposed PFS includes a projected increase in the conversion factor, an efficiency adjustment and an update to practice expense methodology.
Advocacy in Action
ACP Breaks Down Recent Supreme Court Decisions Impacting Access to Care
SCOTUS decisions on appointment of USPSTF members, gender-affirming care and Medicaid limitations ‘represent a setback in patient care and the patient-physician relationship’.
In Case You Missed It
Action Alert: Ask Members of Congress to Extend Telehealth Waivers, NHSC, and THCGME Before October 1
ACP is calling on you to urge your members of Congress to extend the telehealth flexibilities waivers and reauthorize and fund the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) programs before they expire on October 1, 2025. Extending the telehealth waivers would ensure continued access to care for Medicare, while the NHSC and THCGME programs provide critical training for primary care physicians and support their placement in communities with physician shortages.
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.
ACP Member Exclusive: Health IT Careers Webinar
Getting Involved in Medical Informatics: What You Need to Know
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
In this upcoming member-exclusive webinar, learn about careers in Health IT from industry experts. Register now to hear from both current and former members of the Medical Informatics Committee about their career trajectories and how to get involved in Health IT at various career stages.
Visit the ACP Webinars page to find out more about ACP educational webinars.
New RSS Feed Helps You Stay Current on ACP News
ACP is making it even easier for our members to stay informed about College news with the launch of a new RSS feed. Designed to make it easier for you to stay on top of our latest updates, the RSS feed delivers real-time updates directly to your preferred RSS reader, offering instant access to the latest ACP news.
Internal Medicine Physicians Urge Adults to Get Vaccinated During National Immunization Month
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and ACP is urging adults to get all recommended immunizations for protection against preventable diseases such as influenza, RSV, pneumonia, and COVID-19. ACP's Adult Immunization Resource Hub includes information to assist physicians and their teams to assess, understand and improve adult immunization rates and patient outcomes in their clinical settings. The hub includes helpful resources and links to ACP's latest vaccine-related advocacy efforts.
In a recent commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Christine Laine, MD, MPH, FACP, Editor-in-Chief of Annals and Senior Vice President of ACP, and Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA, FACP, Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President of ACP, express concern over the threat of continued vaccine misinformation and declining immunization rates and includes the 2025 CDC Adult Immunization Schedule, which is available for download within the commentary.
Advocacy News
Joint Comment Letter to the Environmental Protection Agency Regarding the Proposed Repeal of Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants
Joint letter from health organizations urging the EPA not to finalize the proposed repeal of 2024 carbon pollution standards that set greenhouse gas emission standards for coal and natural gas-fired power plants.
ACP Letter of Support for the Family Caregiver Awareness, Resources, and Education (CARE) Partnerships Act
ACP letter offering support for the CARE Partnerships Act, which would strengthen the American health care system by prioritizing family caregiver health.
ACP Letter of Support for the Saving Seniors Money on Prescriptions Act
ACP letter expressing support for H.R. 950, which aims to drive down the rising costs of prescription drugs for patients on Medicare by improving price transparency in Pharmacy Benefit Managers business practices.
Statement from Leading Physician Groups on HHS Decision to Pull mRNA Vaccine Funding
Joint statement in response to the decision to halt most federal investment in mRNA vaccine research, which stifles scientific innovation and our country's ability to react swiftly to future pandemics and public health emergencies—putting millions of lives at risk.
Statement from Medical Association Liaisons to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Being Barred from Nation's Vaccine Review Process
Joint statement in response to being notified by ACIP that liaison organizations will be excluded from the process of reviewing scientific evidence and informing vaccine recommendations.
ACP Letter of Support for S.Res.343, Recognizing the Work of the United States Preventive Task Force (USPTF)
ACP letter expressing support for the resolution, which highlights the important role of the USPSTF in making evidence-based recommendations about health promotion and the effectiveness of preventive health services.
Statement from Leading Physician Groups on USPSTF Changes
Joint statement from ACP and other physician groups, saying that reports of the pending dismissal of the members of the USPSTF reflects an alarming erosion in reliance on scientific integrity and evidence-based health expertise in America's public health infrastructure.
ACP Statement on the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model
ACP statement on the WISeR model, which ACP does not support the implementation of in its current form.
Joint Issue Brief on Improving Access to Naxolone
Joint issue brief with the American Medical Association urging the removal of barriers to medications for opioid use disorder and continue to make naxolone available everywhere, further outlining specific recommendations for actions physicians and public officials can take to utilize naxolone in addressing drug-related overdose epidemic.
ACP Letter to the National Governors Association (NGA) Regarding The Vital Role of ACIP in Immunization Coverage and State Health Cost Savings
ACP letter to NGA emphasizing the critical role that vaccines have in protecting the health of our communities and containing health care costs.
ACP Letter to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Regarding The Critical Role of ACIP and the Link Between Immunization Coverage and State Health
ACP letter asking NAIC to help ensure that patients continue having insurance coverage for vaccines, given their proven benefits of preventing disease, saving lives, and reducing health care costs that directly impact state budgets.
ACP Letter to Ranking Members in Support of Coverage for Vaccines
ACP letter expressing appreciation ranking members' recent letter to insurance plans in support of continued coverage for all routine immunizations without cost sharing while voicing concern that new COVID-19 guidelines from HHS will interfere with the practice of evidence-based medicine and harm patients' access to vaccines.
ACP Letter Underscoring Concerns with the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services (ECAPS) Act
ACP letter expressing concerns with the ECAPS Act, H.R. 3164, which would allow pharmacists to independently perform Evaluation and Management services for influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, or streptococcal pharyngitis for patients on Medicare.
Internal Medicine Physicians Cautiously Optimistic about Proposals in the Medicare Fee Schedule
ACP statement on the proposed 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which has some provisions that would help to strengthen primary care and drive equity and innovation but includes others that threaten coverage of the screening for Social Determinants of Health.
Joint Comment Letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) Opposing Proposed Rollbacks of Energy Efficiency Standards for Appliances
Joint letter expressing strong opposition to the DOE proposal to withdraw covered product status under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act for External Power Supplies, which would significantly undermine public health and consumer protections.
Joint Support Letter Urging Congress to Protect the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
Joint letter urging Congress to protect the USPSTF, which for over 40 years has worked to improve the health of people nationwide and employed rigorous methodologies to formulate guidelines and recommendations for clinical preventive care based on research, data, and evidence.
Letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Concerning Health Insurers' Pledge to Reform Prior Authorization
ACP letter expressing ACP's perspective on the recent announcement from health insurers regarding their commitment to reform the prior authorization process, supporting the intentions outlined in the joint plan its underlying goals while urging CMS to press for immediate and meaningful reforms.
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