Advocacy and RheumPAC staff from the ACR and other medical specialty organizations gathered in Nashville this month to discuss the importance of making sure your members know the details of the work advocacy and the PAC are doing.
Thus far, the ACR has had a very successful year in terms of its advocacy efforts. Following are just a few of the successes the ACR has helped achieve:
- The permanent repeal of the arbitrary caps on Medicare outpatient therapies;
- Preventing the formation of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). This board would have issued opinions carrying the weight of legislation with no congressional review;
- Keeping Part B drug costs out of the MIPS calculation under MACRA;
- Influencing the CMS to revisit pharmacy gag clauses;
- Furthering federal step therapy reform legislation; and
- Introducing a Senate companion bill that offers an electronic prior authorization option for Medicare Part D prescriptions.
We are proud of these accomplishments and will continue to fight for rheumatology by educating members of Congress and their staff on the issues affecting you, your practice, your research and your patients through RheumPAC, the only nonpartisan federal political action committee (PAC) dedicated solely to issues affecting rheumatology.
PAC Resources & a 3-Pronged System
Advocacy success is accomplished via a three-pronged system:
- Political contributions from RheumPAC;
- Grassroots contact from member voters, who report the impact of policies on rheumatology professionals and patients in their district through constituent communications and Hill visits; and
- Our professional staff lobbyists, who maintain communication with and educate elected officials and their staff on key rheumatology-related issues.
PACs allow for large groups of people with a singular shared interest to have a voice in politics. An organization like the ACR/ARHP represents a varied group of rheumatology professionals that shares one voice and lobbies for their collective professional policy interests. In this way, the College unifies member resources to support full-time lobbyists, and build and maintain relationships with the 500-plus members of Congress.
RheumPAC’s resources comprise generous contributions from ACR/ARHP members, who understand the importance of having a strong voice in the policy process. All disbursements from RheumPAC are considered and voted on by ACR/ARHP members representing various regions, areas of practice and political opinions.
Thank You to RheumPAC Investors
Our successes in 2018 are due to all of our RheumPAC investors, who have contributed more than $60,000 to our efforts this year; so far, 2018 is on track to be record setting in both participation and dollars. Every name and every dollar increase our influence in Washington, D.C., in this important election year.