Championing public health as the COVID-19 crisis continues, the AAFP in a statement called on Congress to reject the administration's withdrawal from the World Health Organization and, in a separate letter, asked HHS Secretary Alex Azar to "speak up and amplify the critical role" of the CDC while resisting "any efforts that would undermine its mission."

Telehealth flexibilities implemented in response to COVID-19 clearly work and should be made permanent, the Academy and more than 300 other health care organizations told congressional leaders in a June 29 letter(9 page PDF). In separate correspondence, the AAFP advised that any such policy update must support the medical home and discourage fragmentation of care.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 18 upholding(www.supremecourt.gov) of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program marks an important win for AAFP advocacy. Without DACA, the Academy warned lawmakers in 2017 and told the court last fall, some 200 future physicians would have been left out of a workforce facing serious shortages. In a statement, AAFP President Gary LeRoy, M.D., welcomed the decision, saying it averted a disruption in Americans' access to care.

Help Fight for Family Medicine

Family medicine is a worthy fight. Lend your voice to the issues most important to you as a family physician with the AAFP’s Speak Out tool, and access toolkits to help you affect change in your area.

Get involved at the grassroots level with the AAFP Grassroots Advocacy Resources >>
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Advocacy By Topic

Stay informed on both state and federal issues using our topic-focused repository. Learn how the AAFP is advancing family medicine via letters and statements on the issues facing family physicians.