You are here
Access to Care
Background
In order to benefit from health care services, people need to be able to access them. Affordability and lack of insurance can be major barriers to accessing needed care in the United States. The Affordable Care Act has made major progress in reducing the number of people who are uninsured, but major challenges remain to providing access to care.
Where We Stand
The American College of Physicians has a long-standing goal of increasing access to care in the United States. We support the goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and advocated for its passage. We continue to advocate for improvements to the law and against attempts to weaken the coverage and protections that the ACA provides.
ADVOCACY WIN
Requiring Transparency in Drug Pricing in Television Ads Can Improve Access to Care
A final rule announced by the Trump Administration to require pharmaceutical manufacturers to disclose the cost of drugs in television advertisements is a promising step in improving transparency in prescription drug pricing.
- PolicyPolicy Recommendations to Promote Prescription Drug Competition 2020
- PolicyPolicy Recommendations for Pharmacy Benefit Managers to Stem the Escalating Costs of Prescription Drugs 2019
- PolicyPolicy Recommendations for Public Health Plans to Stem the Escalating Costs of Prescription Drugs 2019
- PolicyImproving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Insurance Coverage Provisions 2019
- PolicyPrescription for a Forward-Looking Agenda to Improve American Health Care 2017
- PolicyAddressing the Increasing Burden of Health Insurance Cost Sharing 2016
ACP Offers Recommendations to Improve the Affordable Care Act
ACP offers recommendations to improve the Affordable Care Act to lay the foundation for health care reforms that will lead to universal coverage for all Americans in a new policy paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Watch Video
Latest Advocacy Efforts
- StatementInternists Say Upholding the ACA is Critical to the U.S. Health Care 11/10/2020
- LetterJoint Letter to Congressional Leadership and Secretary Mnuchin Supporting Comprehensive Coverage Provisions in the COVID-19 Relief Legislation 10/1/2020
- StatementInternists Say Delivery of Mail-order Prescriptions is Critical 8/17/2020
- LetterJoint Letter to Congress Supporting Comprehensive Health Coverage in COVID-19 Legislative Package 8/11/2020
- LetterACP Comments to the Department of Treasury on Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code 8/10/2020
- StatementACP Objects to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Employers to Decline to Cover Contraceptive Methods 7/8/2020
Search the ACP Policy Library
Access everything ACP has said related to access to care issues by searching all policy statements, copies of testimony, and letters to government and non-government officials.
Access to Care
Additional Advocacy Efforts
- Joint Statement from Women's Health Groups, Medical Groups on June Medical Services v. Russo 7/2/2020
- ACP Letter to House Sponsors of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 1425) 6/29/2020
- ACP Supports U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services 6/29/2020
- ACP Written Testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, Supporting Adequate Veterans Healthcare Funding for Fiscal Year 2021 3/18/2020
- Joint Letter of Support for the Kids’ Access to Primary Care Act of 2020, H.R. 6159 3/9/2020
- ACP Comments on FDA Drug Importation Proposed Rule 3/3/2020
- ACP Comment Letter on Benefit and Payment Parameters Proposed Rule for 2021 3/2/2020
- Internists Say Court Decision to Uphold Title X Changes Will Harm Patient-Physician Relationship 2/26/2020
- ACP Letter To Ways And Means Committee On Surprise Billing Act of 2020 2/14/2020
- Joint Letter Supporting Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act 1/21/2020
- ACP Letter to House and Senate Leaders regarding ACP’s New Vision for US Health Care 1/21/2020
- Internists Say Court’s Decision on ACA Potentially Could Put Health Care for Millions at Risk 12/19/2019
- Internists Pleased that Federal Spending Bills Fund Key Health Priorities, Call on Congress to Act on Other Critically Important Issues 12/17/2019
- Internists Commend Policies in Lower Health Care Costs Act to Improve Health, Increase Transparency 12/11/2019
- Internists Concerned Proposed Ohio Legislation Would Harm Patients, Infringe on Patient-Physician Relationship 12/04/2019
- Tramadol Rescheduling Letter to Barr and DEA 11/21/2019
- ACP Letter to Senate Committees on HELP and Aging Urging Reauthorization of Older Americans Act 11/19/2019
- ACP Letter to Ways and Means Committee on Surprise Billing 10/23/2019
- Joint Letter from Physician Community to the U.S. House of Representatives on Surprise Billing 10/16/2019
- Joint Letter from Physician Community to the U.S. Senate on Surprise Billing 10/16/2019
- ACP Letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committee Opposing Cuts to Military Health Service Positions 9/26/2019
- ACP Comment Letter to Speaker Pelosi regarding the Release of H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act 9/26/2019
- ACP Letter to House and Senate Leaders on FY 2020 Legislative Priorities 9/20/2019
- Internists Encouraged by House Plan to Require Negotiation and Transparency in Prescription Drug Pricing 9/20/2019
- Joint Support Letter: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2019 9/9/2019
- Administration’s Denial of Funding for Women’s Health Care Clinics Puts Access to Care for Millions at Risk 8/20/2019
- ACP Comments regarding the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA) of 2019 7/24/2019
- ACP Letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in Support of Preventing the Administration’s Title X Rule 7/23/2019
- Joint Letter to Senate on FY 2020 Title X Appropriations 7/3/2019
- ACP Letter to Key Committees on Surprise Billing Principles 7/2/2019
- Joint Letter Endorsing Legislation to Remove Cost Sharing Obligations from Chronic Care Management Code 6/25/2019
- ACP Supportive of Executive Order Requiring Transparency of Health Care Costs 6/25/19
- ACP Comment Letter to the Senate HELP Committee Regarding the Revised Surprise Medical Billing Provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act, S. 1895 6/21/2019
- ACP is “Greatly Concerned” About Court Decision to Allow Implementation of Physician Gag Rule 6/21/19
- ACP Comment Letter to the Senate HELP Committee Regarding the Bipartisan Discussion Draft of the Lower Health Care Costs Act 6/5/2019
- ACP Letter of Support for S. 898 the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act 6/4/19
- ACP Letter to Reps. Pallone and Walden on “Surprise Billing” Discussion Draft, the No Surprises Act 5/28/19
- Group of Six Statement on Protecting Transgender Patients and Women's Reproductive Health 5/28/19