Summary of 2024 Advocacy
The Endocrine Society represents the interests of its members to policymakers in the US and around the world. Most of our interactions with policymakers are educational in nature – informing them about what kinds of research our members work on, how research dollars are used, how to increase access to care, how our physician members are reimbursed, etc. so that when they need to vote on legislation, they are better informed. Occasionally, the Society urges policymakers to support or oppose specific legislation. 2024 was a busy year. Below is a recap of some of our policy wins during 2024:
- The $35 insulin co-pay cap in Medicare went into effect on January 1, 2024. Because of our leadership advocating for the cap, the Endocrine Society was the only diabetes organization invited to participate at a White House event commemorating the two-year anniversary of the passage of the legislation.
- The Endocrine Society successfully advocated to extend the Special Diabetes Program (SDP), a program that provides funding for type 1 diabetes research at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and funding for prevention and type 2 diabetes treatment for Alaska Natives/American Indians through the Indian Health Service until December 31, 2024 with the first funding increase for SDP in 20 years. Earlier this year the Society conducted a Hill Day to advocate for a multi-year extension of SDP and met with dozens of congressional offices. We also conducted an online advocacy campaign that resulted in approximately two thousand messages to Capitol Hill. Congress is currently debating extension of SDP in 2025, and we will keep our members informed of developments.
- The Endocrine Society continued its efforts to educate members of Congress about obesity. We released an updated version of our “Obesity Playbook,” an educational resource for policymakers and their staff. We also continued to advocate for coverage of anti-obesity medications because Medicare law prohibits coverage of drugs for weight loss. As a result, the Biden Administration issued a proposed rule to reinterpret the statute to allow cover for the treatment of obesity as a chronic disease.
- The Endocrine Society advocated for the extension of telehealth flexibilities started during the COVID pandemic that increased access to telehealth services and provided reimbursement to physicians. It appears because of our advocacy that the US Congress will extend telehealth flexibilities for potentially two more years while we continue to advocate to make these provisions permanent. We will keep members informed.
- The Endocrine Society continued to advocate for increased Medicare physician payment. Last January, a new complex add-on code (G2211) went into effect, which increased payments to endocrinologists. The Society advocated for this and following its implementation, conducted an educational webinar for our members so they would know how to use the code properly. Also, in January we succeeded in urging Congress to pass legislation to mitigate a scheduled 3.37% cut to Medicare physician payment in 2024. The Endocrine Society is urging Congress to avert the planned physician payment cut for 2025.
- The Endocrine Society successfully advocated for the Federal Trade Commission to ban non-compete clauses for physicians at for-profit institutions.
- The Endocrine Society continued to participate in the AMA House of Delegates, which sets policy for the AMA and its member organizations. In 2024 we co-authored two resolutions that passed: one opposes legislation, ballot measures, and court rulings that would restrict access to invitro fertilization treatment; the second urges AMA to advocate for education regarding the health and hazards of PFAS chemicals. The AMA invited the Endocrine Society to participate in a special task force looking at ways to protect the physician-patient relationship.
- The Endocrine Society worked on the White House Women’s Health Initiative to advance women’s health research. We contributed recommendations to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. We also contributed recommendations included in the strategic plan for the Office of Women’s Health Research at the National Institutes of Health concerning the role of the environment in women’s health and the importance of considering women’s health across the life course.
- The Endocrine Society engaged in several global activities to influence regulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). We influenced the inclusion of language in a draft United Nations global treaty on plastics pollution to include impacts on health. We also, in partnership with the Women’s Major Group, influenced the United Nations Environment Assembly to emphasize how EDCs impact women’s health. The Society successfully advocated for the European Commission to ban BPA and PFAS in food contact materials and in toys. We also helped influence the US Environmental Protection Agency to limit the amount of several PFAS in drinking water and to provide financial support to test and treat PFAS contamination.
- The Endocrine Society recommended ninety-five of our members to the NIH Center for Scientific Review for consideration as reviewers for endocrine-related study sections.
