Advocacy in Action
ACP Empowers State Chapters With Personalized Advocacy Tools
State chapters can send customized alerts about state-specific issues and work with ACP national staff to develop or enhance their advocacy strategy and activities.
Congressional News and Perspective
COVID-19-Related Advocacy Remains a Priority for ACP
Recent action includes letter urging Congress to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.
Administration News
ACP Supports Proposed Rule to Ease Access to Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
In letter to Department of Labor, ACP says that if implemented properly, the rule will improve access to behavioral health services, improve outcomes.
In Case You Missed It
ACP Leaders say ‘Enough is Enough,’ Vow to Continue to Fight for Lower Drug Prices for Patients
In a new commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, ACP's Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Darilyn V. Moyer, MD, MACP and Senior Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Shari M. Erickson, MPH have strong words for pharmaceutical and other health care companies that are challenging the implementation of the Medicare prescription drug price negotiation program. So far, these businesses have spent approximately $400 million challenging the program in U.S. courts. ACP, along with other medical societies, is pushing back.
They also express strong support for the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill was signed into law last year, providing the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services with the authority to negotiate the prices for a set number of drugs, with implementation of those decreased prices in 2026. While the first 10 drugs in the Medicare Part D program were recently named, this is only a starting point and more needs to be done, ACP leaders say. Many patients still face what ACP calls a “Sophie's choice,” or having to decide between purchasing their prescription medications or other life-sustaining necessities. For those patients, ACP vows to fight.
New ACP Paper Addresses the Ethical Concepts Related to Health as a Human Right
A new position paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine addresses the complex concept of health as a human right, examining the intersection of human rights, ethical obligations, and health reform.
The paper reflects the College's belief that recognizing health as a human right and supporting the patient–physician relationship and health systems that promote access to care, will lead to a stronger United States health care system. Developed by ACP's Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee, the paper lays out four positions that support the topic and the ethical considerations related to ACP's commitment to patient care.
The paper is accompanied by an editorial "ACP and the Human Right to Health".
Advocacy News From ACP
ACP Letter of Support for S. 2973, the Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability Act
ACP letter with recommendations for improving transparency, accountability, and competition in pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices to reduce the price of prescription drugs for patients.
ACP Letter of Support for the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act
ACP letter in support of legislation that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in Medicare Advantage (MA).
ACP Advocate is copyrighted ©2023 by the American College of Physicians.