Your Voice for Clinical GI: Advocacy in D.C. and State Legislatures
ACG is honored to serve as your voice for clinical GI in the halls of Congress and state legislatures.
ACG shares your anger with Congressional inaction on Medicare system reform. We also recognize that any ‘doc fix’ providing a temporary increase would not meaningfully address the reimbursement and patient access challenges facing GI practices. With the new 119th Congress on the horizon, Louis Wilson, MD, FACG, Chair of the Legislative and Public Policy Council, was invited to attend the GOP Doctor’s Caucus meeting in December and explained to influential legislators why another year of the status quo is not a viable option.
Looking back to 2024, in April, we held our largest Advocacy Day yet, with over 100 GI leaders joining us in D.C. for more than 200 meetings with legislators and their staff. Our tireless advocates offered legislative solutions alongside the latest data about Medicare cuts, administrative burden, and colorectal cancer screening access. During our annual ‘Political Grand Rounds’ luncheon, ACG was honored to host several Members of Congress – Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Rep. Mark Green, MD (R-TN), Rep. Andy Harris, MD (R-MD), Rep. Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA), and Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) – who all spoke about how best to engage with Congress. We are always grateful to hear from physicians in Congress about their professional journey from serving patients to constituents.
ACG also worked directly with Rep. Dingell and a bipartisan group of 45 House Representatives in sending a letter to HHS about coverage of surveillance colonoscopy as a preventive service. In the fall, thanks to the efforts at our Advocacy Day, the House Appropriations Committee included the issue in its report language for HHS, which is designed to inform federal agency action for the coming year.
Finally, ACG was excited to expand and lead GI-focused state-level advocacy in 2024. Thanks to your support, we secured wins in a dozen states on colorectal cancer screening access and reigning in prior authorization requirements.
Building Coalitions: Partnering with Patient Advocacy Groups and Community Organizations
As part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, ACG participated in Fight CRC’s annual “United in Blue” event on the National Mall. President Jonathan Leighton, MD, FACG, spoke at the rally, highlighting the College’s advocacy and colorectal cancer screening guidelines. In a letter to ACG, Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) thanked the College for its leadership during the month.
ACG proudly began a new partnership with the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity to improve colorectal cancer screening and awareness among Black American men. In May, ACG Trustee James Hobley, MD, FACG and Past President Daniel Pambianco, MD, FACG spoke at a regional event in Louisiana. They were joined by Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), a champion on these issues in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The ACG Board of Governors also expanded its support of the Colon Cancer Coalition’s 5K events, which raise awareness and directly support screening programs in communities nationwide.
Fighting Insurers: Protecting the Patient-Provider Relationship
Throughout the year, ACG remained vigilant against payor policies that are detrimental to the delivery of physician-recommended GI care.
In January, following advocacy from the GI Societies and members who spoke out publicly, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts indefinitely postponed its plan to restrict access to monitored anesthesia care. And in November, we successfully pushed BCBS to back down from changes to preferred status drugs that would have limited access to Avsola and Inflectra for IBD patients.
Additionally, when UnitedHealthCare launched its national gold card program over the summer, the Prior Authorization Task Force summarized the codes most likely to impact GI. Although GI procedures were not included, many codes for GI imaging-related studies were selected.
Reducing Burdens: Member Resources to Help Your Practice
ACG’s Prior Authorization Letter Generator is a go-to resource for reducing administrative burdens in your practice. Our easy-to-use tool helps you create custom letters and does not store any patient data. In 2024, we added five new peer-reviewed letters for IBD treatments with the data payors are requesting. Create your custom letters now >
Our Practice Management Committee also published new articles on locum tenens positions, guidance for billing unlisted codes, and optimizing APP use.
2024 By the Numbers
3,000+ messages sent by 1,000+ ACG members to their legislators
Your individual actions matter! Topics included support for state and federal legislation, Medicare reimbursement cuts and reforms, the Safe Step Act and other prior authorization bills, and surveillance colonoscopy.
400 in-person meetings with Members of Congress
In addition to more than 200 meetings during the April fly-in, ACG members convened with legislators throughout the year and organized in-district meetings in the representatives’ home states.
12 in-depth blogs on the latest policy and regulatory news
The ACG Blog connects the dots between the latest developments in Washington and how they will impact clinical GI practice.
In 2024, we covered state-level advocacy wins, new prior authorization regulations from CMS, the FTC’s ban on non-compete clauses, the potential downstream impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in a fishing lawsuit, and the November elections through a healthcare lens.
8 podcast episodes of Brains & Guts, detailing the basics of innovation
ACG’s Innovation and Technology Committee completed season one of Brains & Guts, the GI innovation podcast. The first slate of episodes, hosted by Chair Vladimir Kushnir, MD, FACG and Toufic Kachaamy, MD, FACG, featured guests from across the innovation spectrum sharing their learnings and advice.
Next year, the podcast will cover practical applications for AI in GI practice.
2 new ACG-FDA fellows to begin their rotation at the agency
ACG is grateful to the FDA for their continued support of this fellowship, which provides GI fellows with direct exposure to drug and medical device registration and approval. Another cohort will open for applications soon.
But most importantly: One Voice for Clinical GI