ACOI, with the guidance of its Government Affairs Committee, endeavors to promote and protect the interests of its members and the practice of osteopathic medicine. ACOI interacts with Congress and regulatory agencies, and also participates in coalitions with like-minded organizations to advance its advocacy agenda which was developed with the input of ACOI members. ACOI’s current priorities include working to ensure Medicare physician payment adequacy, strengthening the osteopathic physician workforce, and improving patient access to recommend medical care. Take Action.
ACOI Advocacy Agenda
TOP PRIORITIES
ACOI Advocacy Leadership
| Ensuring Medicare Physician Payment Adequacy | ACOI will advocate for policies that support value based, high-quality care and promote Medicare physician payment adequacy, fairness, stability and predictability, including through annual inflationary updates that reflect practice costs. |
| Strengthening the Osteopathic Physician Workforce | ACOI will advance policies to support and strengthen the osteopathic medicine workforce, including: reduction of administrative burden that contributes to physician burnout and early retirement; and student loan repayment, with an emphasis on strengthening pipeline programs for students and medical trainees who are underrepresented in medicine. ACOI will advocate for the recognition and acceptance of the osteopathic degree and promote recognition and acceptance of the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) for application to ACGME programs. |
| Improving Patient Access to Recommended Medical Care | ACOI will support policies that reduce barriers to treatment and timely access to care through reform of utilization management tools that interfere with physician medical decision making, such as step-therapy, non-medical switching and prior authorization, including prior authorization with inability for peer-reviewed appeals. |
ACTIVE ADVOCACY ISSUE AREAS
ACOI Advocacy Engagement
| Health System Reform | Policies that promote patient access to affordable health care coverage, including CHIP and Medicaid expansion. Expansion of benefits and policies (for example, mental and maternal health resources and drug pricing reforms) that are critical to optimizing patient quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing racial and geographic health disparities. |
| Scope of Practice | Policies that recognize scopes of practice based on education and training. Promote quality patient-care through physician-led healthcare teams. Support the role of advance practice professionals (APPs) in effective patient co-management and clinical alignment without diminishing the comparative differences in the education, training, and expertise of physicians and APPs. |
| Telemedicine | Expand the appropriate use of telemedicine, as well as audio-only services, including through interstate licensing flexibilities and payment adequacy for telemedicine and audio services. |
| Medical Research & Clinical Trials | Federal funding for advancement and dissemination of medical research and innovation, including through the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. Support the pipeline of medical researchers through federal funding for early-career scientists. Support gender, ethnic and racial diversity in clinical trials. |
| Population Health & Prevention | Public health and prevention policies, including funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a particular focus on addressing underlying factors and social determinants of health that contribute to health care inequities. Continuation of “Affordable Care Act” coverage of preventive services without patient cost-sharing. Pandemic preparedness and combating antimicrobial resistance. |