Letters to Policy Makers

Rheumatology advocacy involves several branches of government and various agencies. ACR advocates to Congress, federal agencies, and others by writing or signing on to various policy letters.

2024 Federal Advocacy Letters

Congress: Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) Should be Easy to Access and Safe to Use – 4/3/2024

Congress: Drug Pricing – ACR coalition supports reforming the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in healthcare – 3/18/2024

HRSA: Healthcare Workforce – ACR coalition advising on the application of criteria after the first year of PSLRP awards – 3/5/2024

Congress: Healthcare Workforce: ACR coalition supports 15,000 visas for foreign-born physicians to serve the U.S. healthcare system (additional letter sent to the House) – 2/27/2024

Congress: Healthcare Workforce Support: ACR coalition supports legislation to reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act – 2/15/2024

Congress: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Fees: ACR coalition supports legislation to prohibit health plan fees on health care providers for EFTs – 1/24/2024

Congress: Medicare Reimbursement Cuts: ACR supports legislation to reverse the 3.37% Medicare physician payment cuts implemented on January 1, 2024 – 1/17/2024

CMS: Biosimilars in Medicare Part D: ACR requests guardrails to ensure that patients receive appropriate and timely treatments – 1/4/2024

ACR Responds to FDA Laboratory Developed Tests Proposed Rule – 12/4/2023

ACR Joins Physician Organizations in Support of Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act – 11/27/2023

ACR Joins AMA Letter Urging Congress to Pass Legislation to Stop the 3.37 Percent Reduction to Medicare Physician Payments Scheduled for January 1, 2024 – 11/16/2023

ACR Joins AMA Letter Thanking Congressional Leaders for Introducing Draft Legislation to Reform the Budget-Neutrality Policies that Destabilize & Erode Medicare Physician Payments – 10/31/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Enact the FY2024 Defense Appropriations Act, Ensure Ful Funding Levels for the Defense Health Research Programs, including CDMRP – 10/27/2023

ACR Letter to Support the Protecting Patient Access to Cancer and Complex Therapies Act of 2023 – 10/24/23

ACR Comments on CY24 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule – 9/11/2023

ACR Joins Broad Coalition Letter in Support of CMS Implementing G2211 – 9/7/2023

ACR Leads Cognitive Specialties Coalition Letter in Support of CMS Implementing G2211 – 9/6/2023

Physician Organization Letter to Support the Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act (S. 705/ H.R. 2761) – 8/28/23

Regulatory Relief Coalition Thanks Representatives Burgess and Gonzalez for introducing H.R. 4968, the Getting Over Lengthy Delays in Care As Required by Doctors (GOLD CARD) Act of 2023 – 8/11/2023

ACR/Arthritis Foundation Thank Appropriators for Funding Arthritis Research Program within CDMRP in FY 2024 DoD Appropriations Bill – 8/4/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Thanking Congressional Champions for Introducing the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act – 8/1/2023

All Copays Count Coalition, ACR Urge Congressional Leaders to Include the Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act (HELP Copays Act) in Anticipated PBM Reform Package – 7/14/2023

ACR Joins Safe Step Coalition in Thanking House Leaders of the Safe Step Act – 7/11/2023

ACR Joins Medical Society Letter Asking Congress to Take Action on the Medical Workforce Shortage - 6/29/2023

ACR Joins Letter to Senate Health, Education, Pension, and Labor Committee (HELP) Leaders in Support of the “Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act” to Combat Medical Student Loan Debt – 6/6/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Protect Access to Part B Treatments and Remove Providers from Drug Price Negotiation Processes – 5/30/2023

ACR and the Part B Access for Seniors and Physicians (ASP) Coalition Express Concern to Congress About Continued Payment Cuts to Providers’ Medicare reimbursement - 5/30/2023

As a Leading Member of the Regulatory Relief Coalition, ACR Thanks Congress for the Hearing “Examining Health Care Denials and Delays in Medicare Advantage” and Urges Continued Oversight of the use of Prior Authorization by Medicare Advantage - 5/26/2023

ACR Leads Coalition Letter to Senate Appropriators Requesting $30 Million in FY24 for the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program (additional letter sent to House appropriators) – 5/17/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Thanking Senate Leaders of the Safe Step Act for Introducing the Legislation to Create Guardrails for Step Therapy Protocols – 5/11/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Thanking Senate Leaders of the Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act (HELP Copays Act) for Introducing the Legislation to Increase Access to Medications – 5/10/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter to Congress Endorsing The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act Which Would Fund 14,000 Additional Graduate Medical Education Training Positions Through Medicare – 5/8/2023

ACR Letter Addressing the High Prices of Drugs Covered under Medicare Part B – 5/5/2023

ACR Joins Letter to House Original Co-Sponsors of the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act Thanking them for the Legislation Which Would Apply a Permanent Inflation-Based Update to the MPFS Conversion Factor – 5/3/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Asking Congress to Fund the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs in Fiscal Year 2024 – 4/24/2023

ACR Comments on IRA Drug Price Negotiation Guidance – 4/14/2023

ACR Joins 75+ Health Organizations Urging Congress to Support Permanent Protections for DACA Recipients – 3/21/2023

ACR Responds to the Senate Health, Education, Pension, & Labor Committee (HELP) Request for Information (RFI) on the Healthcare Workforce Shortage – 3/20/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Asking for $60 million for the CDC Arthritis Research Program (additional letter also sent to Senate leadership) – 3/16/2023

ACR Joins AMA Letter Urging Congress to Provide Inflation-Based Physician Payment Updates based on the full Medicare Economic Index (MEI) – 3/15/2023

As a Leading Member of the Regulatory Relief Coalition, ACR Thanks CMS for and Suggests Improvements to the Proposed Electronic Prior Authorization Rule - 3/13/2023

ACR Joins Letter from Ad Hoc Group Recommending $50.924 Billion for NIH’s Foundational Work (a $3.465 billion increase) in FY2024 – 3/13/2023

ACR Joins Letter Thanking Congressional Champions for Reintroducing the “Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act” to Combat Medical Student Loan Debt – 3/9/2023

ACR Joins Coalition Letter Asking Congress for $732 million for NIAMS within the NIH in the FY2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Bills – 3/3/2023

ACR Joins Safe Step Coalition in Providing Information to CMS Related to the Use of Step Therapy in plans that Provide Essential Health Benefits (EHB) – 1/31/2023

ACR Urges CMS to Revisit Copay Assistance Policy in Benefit of Payment and Parameters Proposed Rule – 1/25/2023

ACR Joins 103 Other Organizations to Urge the New Congress to Reform the Medicare Payment System – 1/23/2023

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2024 Federal Advocacy Letters

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