Welcome to the ACP Advocate,
Just hours ago, we learned that the House of Representatives postponed a vote on its bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act because of a lack of support. While this is a positive development, the legislation could be brought back for a vote at almost any time, possibly with changes to win votes that would make it even more harmful to patient care. Today's first article, written before the postponement, looks at what the impact of legislation designed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would be if it passes both the House and Senate, and the unprecedented effort that ACP is making to ensure that patients do not lose coverage and benefits. Read the story to see that we found it would result in millions of patients losing coverage and benefits and increasing the deductibles and premiums for insurance purchased on the individual insurance market.
Please check the ACP website for an ACP statement on the postponement and additional updates on Congressional action and ACP's advocacy. We'll have an update in the next issue of the Advocate.
Our second article today looks at how ACP has united with other medical organizations to create a powerful coalition committed to educating the public about the risks of climate change and the benefits of protective measures. ACP joined the coalition to create a unified voice on climate change among medical professionals.
Finally, we look at the Trump administration's recent reversal of protections allowing transgender students in public schools to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. Before the reversal, ACP -- a longtime champion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and transgender equality -- had signed onto an amicus brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of a transgender student.
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.
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 |
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| In the news |
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ACP Stands Up for Transgender Rights
Support for court case reflects College's longtime stance on non-discriminatory and anti-harassment policies
March 24, 2017 (ACP) -- The Trump administration's recent reversal of protections allowing transgender students in public schools to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity kicks this decisio... (read more)
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| About this newsletter |
| The ACP Advocate is an e-newsletter, edited by the College's Washington, DC governmental affairs division, created to provide you, our members, with succinct news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care. To learn more about ACP's Advocacy and to access the ACP Advocate archives, go to www.acponline.org/advocacy. |
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| In focus |
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Leadership Day 2017 Set for May 23 & 24 |
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Leadership Day, ACP's annual two-day advocacy event in Washington, enables members from across the country to bring ACP's issues to U.S. lawmakers. It's a great opportunity for ACP and its members to bring policy priorities to Congress and try to influence the legislative process on behalf of internal medicine. The registration deadline is May 1.
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Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2017 Meeting? Check out Health Policy courses |
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Fri. Mar. 31, Examining the Rise in Prescription Drug Pricing and Costs (9:30am-10:30, Rm 1).
Sat. Apr. 1, 60 Minutes: Special Report on Hot Issues in Health Policy (9:30am-10:30, Rm 8), Climate Change: The Health Perspective (4:00pm-5:00, Rm 2).
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Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2017 Meeting? Check out Medical Practice Management courses |
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Thur. Mar. 30: Patients before Paperwork: What Can Be Done to Ease Administrative Burdens on Physicians and Their Patients? (8:15am-9:15, Rm 2), ACP's Dragon's Lair: Breathing Fire into Health Care Transformation (11:15am-12:45, Rm 14), Implementing Revenue-Positive and Time-Saving Adult Immunization in Your Practice (11:15 am-12:45, Rm 1), Hospital Inpatient Coding: Thinking inside the Box (2:15 pm-3:45, Rm 7), Opportunities for Subspecialists: Navigating Alternative Payment Models under MACRA (4:30pm-5:30, Rm 8),
Fri. Mar. 31: There Is No Place like Home: Why Patient-Centered Medical Homes and PCMH Specialty Practices Are Here to Stay (7:00am-8:00, Rm 7), Promise and Peril of Value-Based Payment: What Will You Be Measured On—and Will You Measure Up? (11:15am-12:45, Rm 8), More News You Can Use: Current Best Practice Advice (11:15 am-12:45, Rm 20A), MIPS Reporting: Managing the Health IT Challenges (11:15am-12:45, Rm 7), New Physician/Provider Boot Camp (11:15am-12:45, Rm 2), Outpatient Coding: Do It Right and Get Paid for What You Do (2:15pm-3:45, Rm 1), iPatient/Electronic Health Records (2:15pm-3:45, Rm 7), What May Change Your Practice Tomorrow: Hot Topics in Medical Informatics (4:30pm-5:30, Rm 2),
Sat. Apr. 1: C. Wesley Eisele Lecture: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Physicians in the Digital Age (8:15am-9:15, Rm 7), Team-Based Care: Interprofessional Practice Innovations in Primary Care (11:15am-12:45, Rm 1), Billing and Coding: What You Didn’t Learn in Residency, and Why It Matters (11:15am-12:45, Rm 8), MIPS or APM: Making the Most of Medicare Payment (11:15am-12:45, Rm 7). |
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Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2017 Meeting? Check out Health Information Technology courses |
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Thur. Mar. 30: Looking Toward 2020: New Care Delivery Models Enabled by Existing and Near Future Technology (11:15am-12:45, Rm 7),
Fri. Mar. 31: Beyond the Hype and into the Real World: Making Mobile Health (mHealth) Matter for Your Practice (8:15am-9:15, Rm. 7), MIPS Reporting: Managing the Health IT Challenges (11:15am-12:45, Rm 7), iPatient/Electronic Health Records (2:15pm-3:45, Rm 7), What May Change Your Practice Tomorrow: Hot Topics in Medical Informatics (4:30pm-5:30, Rm 2),
Sat. Apr. 1: C. Wesley Eisele Lecture: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Physicians in the Digital Age (8:15am-9:15, Rm 7), Blogging and Social Media in Health Care (8:15am-9:15, Rm 2), Telemedicine Use in Providing Quality Care (9:30am-10:30, Rm 7), What Physicians Really Need from EHRs to Be Successful in a Value-Based World (2:15pm-3:45, Rm 7), Wearables, Smartphones, Trackers—Oh My: The New Age of Patient Technologies (4:00pm-5:00, Rm 8). |
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