Members of the House and Senate Support the Appointment of a Surgeon to the National Health Care Workforce Commission
Read the Senate letter (60K PDF)
ACS Signs Joint Letter to House and Senate Leadership to Request Funding for the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program in FY 2011
On April 19, the American College of Surgeons and 32 other organizations sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chairman David Obey (D-WI) requesting that the $26.25 million that was authorized for the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program in FY 2011 be fully appropriated. This funding will continue the success of the EMSC program and allow it to maintain and improve its current activities, take advantage of important opportunities, and address emerging threats to child health.
Read the Senate letter (20K PDF)
Read the House letter (20K PDF)
Members of the House and Senate Support the Appointment of a Surgeon to the National Health Care Workforce Commission
On June 17, 2010, more than 50 Congressmen and Senators led by Representatives Dan Maffei (D-NY) and Tom Price, MD (R-GA), and Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Richard Burr (R-NC), sent letters to Acting Comptroller General Dodaro requesting that a surgeon be included in appointments to the National Health Care Workforce Commission. The National Health Care Workforce Commission, created as part of health care reform legislation, will serve as a resource to Congress, the President, and State and local governments to ensure that the expanding demand for health care services is met now and in the future.
Read the House letter (300K PDF)
On May 11, the American College of Surgeons and 24 other surgical societies sent a letter to members of the House and Senate stating our opposition to a five year freeze in Medicare payment rates. The letter followed a February 2010 survey of our memberships, which demonstrated the detrimental impact that a 21.2 percent cut in Medicare physician payments would have on the accessibility of quality care. ACS and the surgical coalition remain committed to repealing the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and establishing a new base-line for the physician payment system.
Read the letter (30K PDF)
Click here to view the survey report (610K PDF)
Members of the House and Senate Support Trauma Systems Funding
On April 16, 2010, 10 Senators led by Jack Reed (D-RI) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) sent a letter requesting funding for the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act (P.L. 110-23), in fiscal year 2011 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, & Education Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS). Led by Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and Michael Burgess (D-TX), 12 members of the House also sent a letter in support of trauma systems funding.to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, & Education Chairman David Obey (D-WI) and Ranking Member Todd Tiahrt (R-KS). The American College of Surgeons thanks all members of its Committee on Trauma who called their members of congress requesting they sign on to the letter in support of funding for the critical trauma systems program.
Read the letter (Senate) (295K PDF)
Read the letter (House) (1395K PDF)
ACS Signs a Joint Letter to House and Senate Leadership to Request Trauma and Emergency Medical Services Funding in FY 2011
On March 19, the American College of Surgeons, along with 16 other organizations, wrote to House Chairman David Obey (D-WI), House Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Senate Chairman Inouye (D-HI) and Senate Ranking Member Cochran (R-MS) requesting that $224 million in funding be included in the FY 2011 Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Act for the trauma and emergency medical services programs in both the House- and Senate-passed versions of comprehensive health care reform legislation.
View the March 19 Letter to House Leadership (135K PDF)
View the March 19 Letter to Senate Leadership (135K PDF)
ACS and 22 Other Surgical Organizations Contact Speaker Pelosi with Concerns on Senate-Passed Health Legislation
On March 12, the American College of Surgeons along with 22 other organizations representing more than 240,000 surgeons and anesthesiologists wrote to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to reiterate their shared commitment to national health care reform and to improving Americans’ access to quality, affordable care. The letter highlights the groups’ opposition to Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) when it was considered by the Senate, and the letter stresses the need to address several shortcomings in H.R. 3590 in order protect and preserve the best interest of surgical patients.
View the March 12 Letter to Speaker Pelosi (30K PDF)
Third Annual Joint Surgical Advocacy Conference (JSAC)
July 25-27, 2010,
Washington, DC
This three-day conference offers attendees from the surgical community the opportunity to join their peers in a collaborative advocacy effort.
More Information
In a September 11, 2009 letter to House and Senate Leaders, the American College of Surgeons, along with 20 other surgical specialties, urge Congress to include Medical Liability Reform in any final health care reform legislation.
View the House Letter (30K PDF)
View the Senate Letter (30K PDF)
Statement from House of Surgery regarding recent comments from President Obama
In a August 20 statement issued to the media, the American College of Surgeons and 18 other surgical specialties comment on the uninformed remarks recently made by President Obama regarding the surgical profession.
View the Letter (15K PDF)
Statement from the American College of Surgeons Regarding Recent Comments from President Obama
Bipartisan Coalition Expresses Strong Opposition to Proposals for an Unelected, Unaccountable Medicare Payment Council
On July 31, Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) led a coalition of 75 Representatives comprised of 45 Democrats and 30 Republicans in sending a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressing strong opposition to the “Independent Medicare Advisory Council (IMAC) Act of 2009”, which has been proposed by the Obama Administration, and the “Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Reform Act of 2009” (H.R. 2718, S. 1110, S. 1380).
View the Letter (1200K PDF)
ACS FAQ Regarding Health Care Reform Legislation HR 3200
The American College of Surgeons releases a series of Frequently Asked Questions regarding health care reform and the ACS’ initial support for H.R. 3200, the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009”.
View the FAQ online (25K PDF)
ACS Statement to Speaker Pelosi on H.R. 2718, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Reform Act of 2009
In a July 21, 2009 statement to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the ACS and 15 other surgical specialties voice their strong opposition to the proposed changes to the MedPAC structure and creation of the Independent Medicare Advisory Council.
View the statement online (15K PDF)
ACS Statements on H.R 3200, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
In a July 16, 2009 statement to Chairman Rangel, Waxman, and Miller, the American College of Surgeons express support for H.R. 3200. While the legislation includes a wide range of provisions, it does embody many of the top legislative priorities of the College including addressing the underlying problems of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) used to calculate Medicare physician payments, resetting the budget baseline for the Medicare physician payment system, and ensuring that increased payments to primary care are not financed through reductions in payments for surgical care.
View the statement online (155K PDF)
Comments on the House Tri-Committee Draft Health Care Reform
In a June 30, 2009 statement, the American College of Surgeons, along with 20 other surgical specialties, responds to draft legislation on health care reformrecently introduced by the House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor Committees.
View the Statement online (135K PDF)
Surgical groups form “Operation Patient Access: Quality Surgical Care for all” to call attention to escalating workforce shortage
Surgical groups, led by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), along with other key health care stakeholders, today announced the formation of Operation Patient Access: Quality Surgical Care for All, an effort to bring into focus the urgent issues facing access to quality surgical care in the United States.
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United Surgery Agenda
The surgical community stands united in the effort to bring fundamental and long-term change to the Medicare physician payment system. The House of Surgery has three top priorities for this effort: Repealing the current sustainable growth rate (SGR) and establishing a new baseline for the physician payment system; Replacing the current SGR with a system of multiple conversion factors; and Ensuring that any additional payments that are made to primary care physicians are not budget neutral within the physician payment pool.
View the full Statement online (30K PDF)
Bipartisan Coalition Calls for Action to Stop Medicare Payment Cuts and to Enact Medicare Payment Reform This Year
Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) led a coalition of 90 Representatives in sending an April 30 letter that urges House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to take action to increase Medicare payments to physicians in 2010 and to initiate much-needed reform of Medicare’s payment system this year. The letter also expresses strong opposition to any proposal that would finance increased payments for some physicians and physician services through decreased payments to other physicians. At present, Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut 21.5 percent in 2010 and by more than 40 percent over the next decade. These scheduled cuts are a result of Medicare’s flawed methodology for calculating physician reimbursement, known as the sustainable growth rate (SGR). Unfortunately some have proposed financing Medicare payments for some physicians and services by cutting payments for the care provided by other physician specialties, including surgeons. With Medicare payments already not keeping pace with the rising practice costs, such proposals could potentially threaten patient access to the life-saving care provided by surgeons and other physician specialties. The College appreciates the efforts of the many Fellows who reached out to their representatives and asked them to sign onto this important letter that would support increased Medicare payments for all physicians.
View the Dear Colleague Letter online (1000K PDF)
American College of Surgeons’ Letter to Congress regarding H.R. 1678, the "Mitigating the Impact of Uncompensated Service and Time Act of 2009"
Introduced by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), H.R. 1678 provides physicians a tax deduction equal to the amount of the Medicare fee schedule payment, seeks to alleviate the burden of providing uncompensated care in our nation's EDs and to encourage critical surgical specialists to return to the EDs. The College will continue to work with members of Congress on this and other legislation to address the workforce challenges facing surgery.
View the letter online (150K PDF)
American College of Surgeons Statement on Health Care Reform
In its newly issued Statement on Health Care Reform, the American College of Surgeons urges Congress and the Administration to take action concerning three critically important and interrelated goals for health care: Quality and Safety, Access/Workforce, and Reduction of Health Care Costs. This document sets forth for each of these priorities specific actions that Congress and the incoming President and Administration should support, as well as related activities the ACS is committed to undertaking.
View the Statement online (100K PDF)
Restrictions on Resident Work Hours
American College of Surgeons (ACS) position statement presented to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Consensus Committee
Developed by the ACS Task Force on the Resident 80-Hour Work Week, this statement explores key issues on the topic, including a decisive discussion on the fact that there has been no evidence-based study yet published that links surgery resident duty hours with improved patient safety outcomes.
Read the full ACS statement to the IOM online
“Physician Workforce and Graduate Medical Education Enhancement Act” (H.R. 914) Approved by House Energy and Commerce Committee
The number of surgeons trained through the nation’s graduate medical education system has not expanded for more than two decades. A growing patient population and a static supply of practicing surgeons are combining with other forces to produce surgical workforce shortages. On Wednesday, March 4, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved the Physician Workforce and Graduate Medical Education Enhancement Act (H.R. 914), legislation that would direct the Secretary to establish an interest-free loan program whereby hospitals committed to starting new residency training programs in one or a combination of seven medical specialties, including general surgery, could secure start-up funding to offset the initial costs of starting such programs. Providing a greater number of residency training programs in previously underserved areas will help reduce surgical workforce shortages in many states. This legislation is considered an appropriate first step. The College will continue to support H.R. 914 and other legislation that helps ensure patient access to surgical care.
View the College’s letter to Reps. Burgess and Green in support of H.R. 914 (185K PDF)
Advocacy and Health Policy News Archive by Topic
ACS comments on the proposed regulations for Inpatient Prospective Payment in FY 2009 (CMS-1390-P) (430K PDF)
ACS Supports Stabenow Medicare Physician Payment Bill (495K PDF)
American College of Surgeons and AMA Conducting Physician Practice Information Survey
Surgical Quality Alliance
