Advocacy in Action

Endocrine Society Advocates to Protect NIH Funding 

As activity on Capitol Hill winds down towards the month-long August recess, Members of Congress will leave town without finalizing annual appropriations bills to keep the government funded past September 30. Before it recessed, the House of Representatives passed a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) that would fund the government at current levels through December 4, through the mid-term elections and the Senate is expected to consider its own version the first week of August, but the two bills will need to reconcile before final passage. Further complicating the funding picture are the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) proposed changes to the government-wide Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, which would fundamentally alter how all federal grants, including research grants from the NIH, are awarded and managed. The Endocrine Society is deeply worried about the impact of the proposed rule and is advocating that Congress intervenes to block implementation. 

As proposed, the rule would inject political considerations into grantmaking, create uncertainty for ongoing research projects, increase administrative burdens on researchers and institutions, and expand the government's authority to terminate grants. This proposal would completely overhaul how agencies distribute money appropriated by Congress. Since OMB published the proposal on May 29, the Endocrine Society has worked aggressively to oppose the rule and encourage policymakers to intervene and prevent the rule from taking effect. We submitted detailed public comments objecting to the proposal and highlighting the risks it poses to medical research, patient care, scientific training, and innovation. We also launched a grassroots campaign to enable members of the Society to voice their opposition to the rule via direct comments to regulations.gov and by sharing our messages with their elected representatives. While some lawmakers are now taking action and calling on OMB to withdraw the proposed rule, the Endocrine Society is continuing to ramp up its advocacy efforts. We are calling on Congress to block the rule from taking effect, ideally through legislation that would also keep the government open after September 30.

To help make this argument, the Endocrine Society has scheduled Zoom meetings for member volunteers from across the country to meet virtually with their Senators and Representatives throughout August to explain how the proposal will affect medical research, scientific training, clinical trials, and the development of future treatments for diseases such as diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and reproductive disorders. These conversations will help ensure that policymakers hear directly from practicing clinicians and researchers about what is at stake.

But we need every member's voice. Every Member of Congress must hear from constituents that this proposal would undermine decades of bipartisan support for a merit-based research enterprise that has made the United States the global leader in biomedical innovation. Please take a moment today to send a message to your Senators and Representative. Take action now to join our online campaign and urge Congress to oppose the proposed OMB rule and protect endocrine research. 

Available Now: Full Endocrine Society Analysis of Medicare Physician Payment Proposed Rule; New Rule Expected to Provide 2% Increase for Endocrinology  

On July 14, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule. This rule updates payment policies and payment rates for Part B services furnished under the MPFS. The Endocrine Society has developed a thorough analysis of the rule. You can find our summary of the rule here on our website. We have also put together a payment chart for codes of interest to the endocrinology specialty. While the proposal is expected to result in a 2.5% decrease in reimbursement for all physicians, CMS estimates that policies in the rule would result in a 2% increase for the endocrinology specialty. Positive changes in overall Medicare payment for endocrinology services are due to changes in the use of G2211, and other proposals that favor non-procedural practitioners over procedural practitioners. Every year, CMS requests our feedback on their proposed changes, and we respond by submitting a comment letter to the agency. The Endocrine Society is working with the Clinical Affairs Core Committee (CACC) to develop comments on this proposal. Comments are due on September 14th, and the final rule will be implemented January 1, 2027.