Advocacy in Action

As Deadline for Completing Funding Draws Nearer, House Appropriations Committee Passes its Version of Bill that Funds NIH and Endocrine Society Ramps Up Advocacy

On September 9, following a 12-hour meeting involving substantial debate, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of a bill along party lines that funds the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 2026). The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version earlier this summer. While the House bill would cut funding for the Department of Health and Human Services by 6%, it would provide $46.9 billion for NIH, which is a 0.2% increase compared to FY 2025 funding levels. Several NIH-related amendments and language were included in this funding bill and the accompanying report. These include language that directs NIH to reestablish and expand programs that support opportunities for students with limited access to STEMM education and to provide Congress with an update on efforts to reduce and replace the use of dogs and cats in NIH-funded research. Importantly, the bill does not include language that would restructure NIH as initially proposed by the President and it rejects the administration’s proposed 40% cut to NIH.

While the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have advanced bills that protect NIH from drastic funding cuts, NIH funding remains under threat until a bill is passed by both chambers and is signed into law by the President. If Congress does not pass legislation to fund the federal government past September 30, it risks causing a government shutdown, which will prevent NIH and other federal agencies from operating. Many expect Congress could avert a shutdown by passing a short term continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating at current levels for a certain amount of time.

Consequently, this is a critical time to weigh in with Representatives and Senators to urge them to protect NIH. The Endocrine Society is ramping up its efforts to support NIH Funding. On September 18 Endocrine Society members will visit Capitol Hill to participate in the Rally for Medical Research to educate congressional offices about the value of medical research and to protect and advance NIH funding. If you will not be joining us in D.C., we encourage you to help amplify our message by joining our new online advocacy campaign to tell Congress to secure funding for NIH by October 1. Every Member of Congress needs to hear from constituents about the value of NIH. Please do not wait and take action today.

Endocrine Society Submits Comments on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

The Endocrine Society submitted comments this week to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule for Calendar Year 2026. This rule, which is published annually, updates the payment policies and payment rates for Part B services furnished under the MPFS. This year’s rule provides an increase of approximately 3% for endocrinology, but that increase is negated by other policies in the rule that put downward pressure on physician payment. Our letter encourages CMS to work with Congress to develop solutions to provide long-term sustainability to the MPFS. The Society has urged Congress to pass legislation providing an annual inflationary update to the MPFS tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).

The rule includes a proposal to change the methodology for the allocation of indirect Practice Expense (PE) within the physician payment formula, which would decrease the portion of the facility PE relative value units (RVU). The Society urged CMS not to finalize this proposal and expressed concerns about how this would impact our members in private practice and our members who practice in larger institutions but still incur indirect costs such as paying rent and other costs associated with billing and scheduling. The rule also proposes to reduce the work RVUs for non-time-based services provided by physicians. The agency argues that this proposal is necessary because the onset of medical technology has automatically improved efficiency. We also urged CMS to not finalize this proposed change noting that because of the onset of various diabetes technologies including Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) and Insulin Pumps, endocrinologists need more time to analyze and review diabetes-related data at each patient visit.

The rule also includes a Request for Information (RFI) on the prevention and management of chronic disease. We expressed our concerns about the ongoing obesity epidemic and urged the agency to find ways to remove barriers in accessing obesity treatment and care including Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT). We also commented on proposed changes to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) supporting the agency’s proposal to expand virtual care options for beneficiaries with prediabetes. The Endocrine Society staff worked closely with the Clinical Affairs Core Committee (CACC) to draft our comments. The letter we submitted is posted here on our website.

Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Releases Strategy Focused on Children

The Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA Commission) released the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy on September 9. The MAHA Commission is tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with a focus on childhood chronic diseases. The Strategy outlines 120 initiatives focused on factors like diet, environmental contaminants, lack of physical activity, and “overmedicalization: to align to Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F. Kennedy’s policy priorities and strengthen private-sector collaboration.

The strategy report has drawn mixed reactions from researchers and public health advocates who note that its goals stand at odds with other recent administration moves such as cuts to food assistance, Medicaid programs, scientific research, and Secretary Kennedy’s push for changes in vaccine policy. Many also noted that while they agree that the rise in chronic diseases must be addressed, the strategy report offered few details or specific legislative efforts.

Several topics and proposals in the MAHA strategy focus on policy issues of importance to the Endocrine Society. Some examples of where the report is consistent with Endocrine Society policies and areas where we disagree are below.

• Regarding chemicals, we were pleased to see that the strategy references the importance of cumulative/mixture exposures, which often are not accounted for in regulatory strategies. It also is consistent with our view that childhood is a uniquely sensitive life stage, including for endocrine disruption and it cites the Endocrine Society’s Scientific Statement on Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals (EDCs).  The strategy report also notes the health effects of phthalates and bisphenols. However, the strategy report argues against regulation of pesticides and fails to note that federal funding of science is the best way to gather unbiased results.
• In sections focused on childhood behavior and the “overmedicalization” of kids, the strategy report highlights the connection between nutrition/physical fitness and obesity and diabetes. It also proposes to increase oversight of  direct-to-consumer advertising violations related to prescription drug advertising laws and notes that this will include social media influencers and telehealth companies, an issue the Society has also raised concerns about.  However, the strategy report also repeats inaccurate information about vaccines, which the Society has joined with other medical professional societies to protect.