Public Policy & Advocacy

MISSION:

Our mission is to advocate for policy that improves the quality and effectiveness of health care in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that promotes the practice of medicine.

The committee has 25-30 members that meet at least quarterly to discuss policy issues and advocate for them through various efforts including speaking with legislators and providing education to Chapter members, policy makers, and the general public.

We currently have three subcommittees: Advocacy Day at the State House, Opioid Use Disorder, and Prescription Drug Costs.

2018-2019 Legislative Agenda – coming soon!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR:

• Annual Advocacy Day at the State House: The 3^rd annual Advocacy Day took place on March 2^nd, 2018. Thirty-seven ACP members participated in advocating for legislation around addressing healthcare disparities, Medication Assisted Therapy for opioid use disorder, and streamlining medical decision making in the hospital. Twenty-eight legislative meetings took place, and resulted in several ongoing partnerships with state legislators to move these bills forward.
• The Prescription Drug Pricing subcommittee has been working closely with Senator Montigny to advocate for prescription drug price transparency legislation at the State House. They provided testimony at the State House in July 2017 on the impact of rising prescription drug costs on patients and published an op-ed on KevinMD.com in November 2018 advocating for the State Senate to support stronger provisions in legislation on prescription drug costs.
• The opioid use disorder committee organized a CME program on May 8, “You Can Do It: Buprenorphine Prescribing in Primary Care,” which presented multiple viewpoints on prescribing buprenorphine in primary care and different models of care that can make it successful and rewarding.

Past Events and Updates

Advocacy Resources

Learn more about ACP’s advocacy work including stances on key health policy issues. 

Get involved! Join the Advocates for Internal Medicine Network (AIMn) or attend the annual Leadership Day in Washington, D.C.

Stay informed:

• The ACP Advocate - bi-weekly, e-newsletter created to provide ACP members with news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care.
• The ACP Advocacy Blog by Bob Doherty
• Public Policy Virtual Library (PPVL) - a repository of ACP's current and past policies and recommendations.

Hear Dr. Dan Levy's interview with his local NPR station and read our chapter's Ten Priorities for Payment and Practice Reform with a Focus on Primary Care: A Policy Statement.

Massachusetts Contacts

• Find Your Massachusetts State Legislator
• Find Your US Senator
• Find Your US Congressperson