The ACC submitted a letter this week to recently confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., emphasizing several of the College's key advocacy priorities. HHS and the agencies it oversees will play important roles in upcoming policy decisions surrounding payment reform, digital health and artificial intelligence (AI), use of real-world evidence, and more.

While efforts to reform the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule largely require action by Congress, HHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must engage in policy discussions on this topic and take steps to mitigate stagnant and declining payments. The ACC's letter highlights how potential reductions to Medicaid by Congress through appropriations could limit access to health care.

The College also warns of the challenges and risks associated with advances in AI, an emerging technology poised to transform the U.S. health care landscape. "It is imperative that HHS and key agencies it oversees…embrace solutions that ensure clinician autonomy, establish public trust in AI, and incorporate a consistent and unified approach to governance across agencies," writes ACC President Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC.

Additionally, the ACC discusses the implications of agency disruption through staff and funding reductions. As the new administration seeks cost savings and efficiency, these efforts may harm programs that are essential for the development of medical breakthroughs, such as abrupt changes in funding for facility and administrative costs for research projects backed by the National Institutes of Health.

Read the full letter here.

Keywords: Health Policy, ACC Advocacy, Fee Schedules, Medicaid, Medicare, National Institutes of Health (U.S.), Artificial Intelligence