Two internal medicine residents from the IU School of Medicine Department of Medicine recently journeyed to Washington DC with the American College of Physicians as part of the organization’s annual Leadership Day on Capitol Hill.
Residents Erica Swanson, MD, and Tanner Corse, MD, said they enjoyed speaking with lawmakers about various pieces of legislation they believe would notably improve the nation’s healthcare system. They hope to inspire more early-career physicians to take on this kind of advocacy work.
Swanson and Corse visited the nation’s capital along with a handful of other Hoosier physicians, including Senior Associate Dean for Medical Student Education Bradley Allen, MD, PhD.
With guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP), they advocated for the passage of the Safe Step Act, the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, and the Physician Fee Schedule Update and Improvements Act during meetings with Indiana’s senators and representatives.
This was the second ACP advocacy day that Swanson has participated in. The organization puts on a two-day program, she said: On the first day, ACP leaders educate participating physicians on the bills they’ll be discussing with lawmakers; the second day is spent on Capitol Hill in meetings.
Corse, who participated in the ACP program for the first time this year, said he left DC with a feeling of accomplishment. He felt he had helped influence many of the lawmakers, using real stories of patient experiences along with objective data to explain why the legislation would amount to meaningful change.
Both residents said they returned to Indianapolis feeling motivated. They now hope to inspire their fellow learners to also participate in this work.
Advocating for patients within the walls of a hospital comes naturally to many physicians, but doctors have an essential role to play in advocating to improve the nation’s healthcare system, they said. Speaking directly with lawmakers helps them understand the challenges patients and physicians face and can make a meaningful difference as lawmakers weigh which pieces of legislation should become law.
Swanson said she was inspired to start advocating to lawmakers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She realized in those trying times that doctors must share their first-hand experiences to ensure the public understands what is really happening in hospitals and clinical spaces.
Corse said he’s certain he’ll take on a bigger role in advocacy going forward. His conversations with senators and representatives were very motivating, and he felt the stories he shared made an immediate impact on their perspectives. He hopes to see more residents participating in ACP trips in the future.
Learn more about the Legislation:
(Information provided by Congress.gov)
HR 2630/S 652: Safe Step Act
This bill requires a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer.
A request for such an exception to the protocol must be granted if (1) an otherwise required treatment has been ineffective, (2) such treatment is expected to be ineffective and delaying effective treatment would lead to irreversible consequences, (3) such treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) such treatment is expected to prevent the individual from performing daily activities or occupational responsibilities, (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected, or (6) there are other circumstances as determined by the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
The bill requires a group health plan to implement and make readily available a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol, including required information and criteria for granting an exception. The bill further specifies timelines under which plans must respond to such requests.
HR2389/S 1302: Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act
This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas.
Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions.
The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.
HR 6545: Physician Fee Schedule Update and Improvements Act
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements to the physician fee schedule under the Medicare program.
