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Wins from the AAFP’s 2025 Family Medicine Advocacy Summit
July 16, 2025, News Staff — A record 322 Academy members attended the AAFP’s 2025 Family Medicine Advocacy Summit, June 22-24 in Washington, D.C.
Following a day of sessions in which a bipartisan array of guest panelists and speakers outlined key issues, the political climate in the nation’s capital and best practices for advocating in person, family physicians and residents took to Capitol Hill. Across some 250 meetings, they urged their lawmakers and congressional staff to
protect the integrity of the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices,
safeguard Medicaid, a lifeline for more than 72 million people,
reform Medicare physician payment and
- invest in the primary care workforce by preserving student loan repayment programs.
Pressure works
FMAS this year coincided with hectic U.S. House of Representatives activity centered on H.R. 1. The Academy strongly opposed elements of that legislation, including its projected $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.
Though H.R. 1 ultimately passed, the steady forceful advocacy from the AAFP and other medical societies—culminating in Academy members’ June 24 meetings in Congress—contributed to a win for the primary care workforce.
“Answering our advocacy, lawmakers stripped from the final version of the bill a provision that would have excluded medical and dental residents from participating in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program,” said David Tully, AAFP Vice President of Government Relations.
H.R. 1 also provides a temporary one-year increase of 2.5% to Medicare physician payment for 2026.
Tully added, “Several other H.R. 1 provisions to which the AAFP objected were ultimately removed from the final text, following pressure by the Academy and its members.”
The Academy will continue its student debt advocacy, Tully said. “Upcoming Department of Education rulemaking may alter PSLF, in which more than 40% of physicians are enrolled.” (Overall, about 80% of physicians carry student debt.)
Record highs ahead of August recess
Tully noted that, beyond this year’s overall attendance besting that of previous summits, this year’s FMAS included a record-high number of first-time advocates. Numerous attendees also took the opportunity to sign up for the Academy’s new-in-2025 Advocacy Ambassadors program. Following FMAS, it now boasts more than 600 AAFP members.
“That’s a big boost, and it really sets us up to make the most of Congress’ August recess,” Tully said. “Next month is when lawmakers return to their states to conduct in-district work periods, which is an ideal time for any family physician to set up a meeting and conduct some advocacy where it’s easiest.”
Tully added that the AAFP plans to target three policy areas in August recess meetings: extending telehealth flexibilities, ensuring secure funding for the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program and centering primary care policy and payment in the next appropriations legislation.