Action Center

Welcome to the Advocacy Action Center

The Advocacy Action Center is a great member benefit and convenient lobbying tool that will:

• Assist you in grassroots political advocacy by facilitating your messages to members of Congress, legislative chambers, and congressional committees through letters and e-mails on important policies.

• Help mobilize Academy members to participate in legislative action alerts and contact senators and representatives on important health policy issues at the national or state level.

Current Campaigns:

• Stop the Medicare Physician Payment Cut!
• Contact Your Representatives to Support New Long COVID Legislation!
• Oppose Scope of Practice Expansion for NPs and PAs
• Urge Legislators to Report Increased Access to Long COVID Resources and Education
• Support Prior Authorization Reform!

November 23 Deadline – Submit Comments to Preserve Botulinum Toxin Coverage

Medicare Administrative Contractors First Coast and Novitas are accepting comments on draft Botulinum Toxin policies which would limit the list of diagnoses covered for toxin injection.  If you practice in these jurisdictions, submit comments to First Coast or Novitas here:

First Coast

Novitas

To learn more about the proposed policy and other spasticity coverage issues, visit our Spasticity Reimbursement Website or contact Academy staff at healthpolicy@aapmr.org.  

No Current Campaigns?

There are many ways you can advocate for the specialty throughout the year:

• View State Legislative Reports pertinent to physiatrists. 
• Schedule meetings with your state legislators and your members of Congress.
  • Stress function and quality of life as critical components of a national health care reform proposal. It is also important to emphasize that physiatrists specialize in helping people regain maximum function.
  • Prioritize patient safety in your messages and correspondence to members of the legislature and third-party payers.
  • Inspire your patients to get involved. This is especially important with current federal legislative action on health care reform.
• Join your state PM&R society to create an infrastructure for state and federal grassroots efforts. If your state does not have a state PM&R society, view the resources here to help you get started
• Serve as a state contact if your state does not have a formal PM&R Society. Serving as a state contact will allow you to connect with state advocacy leaders in other states. Let us know if you are interested!
• Collaborate with your state medical societies and other specialty societies on a range of health policy issues and legislation.
• Schedule a meeting with patient groups in tandem with your elected officials and explain how their decisions impact patient care.
• Organize a “Doctor for a Day” program at your state capitol to help legislators become more familiar with the conditions physiatrists treat, rather than just physicians’ legislative requests.
• Contact the AAPM&R health policy staff for assistance, and learn more about Federal Legislation.