The ACP Advocate is a bi-weekly e-newsletter that provides ACP members with news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care.
March 21, 2025
Congressional News and Perspective
ACP Continues to Advocate for Vital Medical Funding, Medicare Physician Payment Fix Despite its Exclusion from Funding Bill
Congress passed a continuing resolution that will fund the federal government through Sept. 30.
Telehealth Flexibilities Extended in Latest Appropriations Bill, but More Permanency Needed
ACP is advocating for passage of the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 to extend flexibilities through 2026.
Advocacy in Action
ACP Offers Recommendations for the Updated Version of the 21st Century Cures Act
Recommendations center on patient matching and data privacy.
In Case You Missed It
Be a part of ACP advocacy: register for Leadership Day 2025
Registration is now open for ACP's annual national advocacy event on April 28-29 in Washington, DC. Help ACP increase its presence on Capitol Hill and advocate directly with Congress in support of legislation impacting internal medicine physicians and your patients. If you are interested in attending, please also contact your ACP chapter to help your state chapter coordinate their delegation.
Dr. Jokela on KevinMD: Match Day 2025: Protecting our students' futures
Janet Jokela, MD, MPH, MACP, ACP Treasurer and Senior Associate Dean of Engagement at Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discusses medical students, Match Day, and the threat to the U.S.'s biomedical research and public health infrastructure.
One of Dr. Jokela's key concerns is the impact on graduating medical students, particularly as Match Day 2025 approaches. She stresses physicians' responsibility to support these future doctors and encourage and empower them to provide high-quality care. Read Dr. Jokela's article on the KevinMD website.
Quick Hits
Advocacy News
Coalition Statement on the Impact and Safety of Vaccines
Joint press statement from ACP and a coalition of scientific and medical organizations on the importance of vaccination for public health, scientific research and the fight against preventable diseases.
Internal Medicine Physicians Disappointed House Neglects Medicare Patients and Physicians
ACP press statement expressing disappointment in the continuing resolution passed Tuesday night by the House of Representatives that cuts funding for non-defense programs and services by $13 billion, including medical research supported by the National Institutes of Health, and does not take any steps to help protect access for Medicare beneficiaries and restore Medicare payments to physicians.
Statement from Leading Physician Groups on NIH Decision to Terminate Grants for Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake Research
Joint press statement expressing serious concern and strong opposition to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) decision to terminate grants to study vaccine hesitancy and uptake, which interferes with critical work that seeks to protect patients from vaccine-preventable illnesses.
ACP Comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Registration for Telemedicine Proposed Rule
ACP comment letter on the proposed rule to create a closed system of control for prescribing and dispensing controlled substances, which could limit access to care for those who need it most by constraining the licenses of qualified internal medicine physicians in prescribing controlled substances without a prior in-person evaluation.
Joint Letter Calling on Congress to Extend Telehealth Flexibilities
Joint letter urgently requesting that Congress extend the telehealth flexibilities set to expire on March 31 for as long as possible, and at a minimum, through the end of the year, to provide certainty for clinicians and their patients and continue affordable access to vital healthcare services.
ACP's Letter to Representative Schweikert Raising Concerns About the Healthy Technology Act of 2025
ACP letter raising concerns about H.R. 238, the Healthy Technology Act of 2025, which would amend current law to clarify that artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies can qualify as a practitioner eligible to prescribe drugs if authorized by the state involved and approved, cleared, or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
ACP Comments on HIPAA Security Proposed Rule To Strengthen the Cybersecurity of Electronic Protected Health Information
ACP comment letter expressing concern about the feasibility of the proposed rule and cautioning against implementing regulations that could unintentionally pressure smaller practices financially and make it difficult for them to remain independent.
Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2025 Meeting? Check out these advocacy-related courses
Health and Public Policy Committee (HPPC)
4/3/25, 2:45 - 3:45 PM, Room: 353-355; Hot Issues in Health Policy
4/4/25, 8:00 - 9:00 AM, Room: 265-268; Gender-Affirming Care: Health Policy and Practice
4/5/25, 2:45 - 3:45 PM, Room: 271-273; Supporting the Health Needs of Rural Communities
Medical Practice & Quality Committee (MPQC)
4/3/25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Room: 271-273; Succeeding in Value-Based Payment
4/3/25, 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Room: 265-268; High-Value Care Strategies to Advance Health Equity
4/5/25, 8:00 - 9:00 AM, Room: Ballroom C; C. Wesley Eisele Lecture: The Implications of AI in Internal Medicine
4/5/25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Room: 272-282; Behavioral Health Integration: Sustainable Implementation
4/5/25, 1:30- 2:30 PM, Room: 271-273; Outpatient Coding: Getting Paid for What You Do
Medical Informatics Committee (MIC)
4/3/25, 8:00 - 9:00 AM, Room: 293-296; How AI Can Reduce Clinician Burden
4/3/25, 4:30 - 5:30 PM, Room: 271-273; Evaluating Patient Apps and Other Digital Health Tools for Internal Medicine: Appraising Evidence
4/4/25, 4:30 - 5:30 PM, Room: 353-355; Hot Topics in Health IT
4/5/25, 4:00 - 5:00 PM, Room: 353-355; Leveraging Health IT for Health Equity
Access the Internal Medicine Meeting 2025 Scientific Program here.
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