Welcome to The ACP Advocate

Our first story this week is all about ACP’s annual State of the Nation’s Health Care briefing.  At the event we challenged Congress to prevent the across-the-board cuts called for by the budget deal and replace them with more fiscally and socially responsible changes.  Additionally, we advocated for the use of Overseas Contingency Operations funds to be used to permanently resolve the SGR problem.  And, finally, we released specific questions that you should be asking candidates in this election year to evaluate their health care stances.
 
Our second story looks at the President’s State of the Union address that he delivered a few weeks ago.  After health care being a prominent topic for the past few years it was noticeably absent this year.  Our article explores some of the reasons for this absence.
 
Finally, our last article this week looks at a new report from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.  This new report analyzes the work of the Center over its first year.  While most of their projects are still at the beginning stages we believe that this kind of approach is crucial to the large-scale types of reform our health care system needs.
 
For more coverage of what's happening in Washington, take a look at my award-winning blog, The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty.  You can also follow me on Twitter @BobDohertyACP. 

And, as always, please send your feedback and suggestions on this newsletter to:  TheACPAdvocate@acponline.org.

Yours truly,

Bob Doherty
Senior Vice President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
American College of Physicians