News from ACOI

Welcome Letter from the SOIMA President

Welcome everyone! It is hard to believe how quickly this academic year has gone by!

Medicare GLP-1 Program Begins July 1

Beginning July 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2027, Medicare beneficiaries with Part D coverage may be eligible to access certain GLP-1 medications for $50 per month.

CMS Encourages Providers to Prepare for e-Prior Authorization

Starting January 1, 2027, certain health plans regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must implement and maintain Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to support electronic prior authorization.

Are You Required to Participate in Medicare’s New Payment Model? Check the CMS List to Find Out

As previously reported by ACOI, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch two new payment models for heart failure and lower back pain on January 1, 2027.

New Bill Replaces Merit-Based Incentive Payment System

Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-IA) and Herb Conaway, MD (D-NJ) have introduced the Medicare Physician Data-driven Performance Payment System Act of 2026.

USCIS Lifts Processing Holds for Physicians

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has lifted processing holds on immigration benefit applications filed by or on behalf of medical physicians.

Insurers Make Prior Authorization Data Available to Public

A new federal transparency requirement is making health plan prior authorization data publicly available for the first time—including for many Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicaid managed care, CHIP, and Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans.

Challenging the "Other" Narrative: Building Equity and Representation through the ACOI Committee on Ethnically and Racially Underrepresented Populations in Medicine

Medicine is built on a foundation of compassion, service, and human connection. Yet for those of us navigating the path as first-generation students and students from underrepresented backgrounds, that journey often involves traversing spaces where we feel unseen or unsupported.

Spring Meetings Reflection

The Student Session at the 2026 Spring Meetings, "How to Present, Publish, and Communicate Your Research," featured a moderated panel with three physician experts, all of whom provided practical, experience-driven guidance on medical research.

COMLEX1/STEP1 Study Tips

Maya Berger, OMS-III, shares a helpful guide for medical students focused on studying for their board exams.

Congratulations to the 2026-2027 SOIMA Officers!

ACOI announces the results of the national election of officers for its Student Osteopathic Internal Medicine Association (SOIMA), held in April and May 2026.

May Student of the Month: Kaitlynn McClellan, MS, OMS-II

Please join us in congratulating May 2026 Student of the Month Kaitlynn McClellan, MS, OMS-II, University of the Incarnate Word College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Stay True to Why You Pursued Medicine.

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