Following strong Academy messaging to regulators and collaboration with lawmakers, CMS recently issued a final rule that includes language benefitting primary care physicians and their patients in underserved areas. Medical residents training at critical access hospitals can now be reimbursed by Medicare – a win for the Academy's new Rural Health Matters initiative.

The Academy is voicing its support for the recently introduced Primary Care Enhancement Act of 2019 (H.R. 3708(www.congress.gov)), which would revise federal tax code to allow patients with health savings accounts to apply that resource toward direct primary care payments. The bill is a significant step forward for the growing DPC model, the AAFP said in a letter praising the legislation.  

The AAFP and its fellow frontline physicians(www.groupof6.org) are calling on the Trump Administration to rescind a new public-charge regulation(www.federalregister.gov) that upends decades of settled policy and creates an unacceptable barrier between health care providers and patients. The rule would potentially deter patients from seeking care to which they are lawfully entitled, adding significant new burdens to the U.S. health system while limiting individual access to it.

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 Advocacy Toolkit >>
Unite with your fellow family physicians in the Family Medicine Action Network >>
Reach out to Congress using our Speak Out tool >>

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.