SHM's Letters to Policymakers

SHM, along with numerous specialty and state medical societies, calls on Congress to pass H.R. 10073 before the end of the year to stop the impending Medicare pay cuts and provide a payment update.

On behalf of the undersigned medical organizations, the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) is writing to you to express our deep concern about the significant supply chain disruptions resulting from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene on Baxter’s North Cove manufacturing site in North Carolina. The undersigned organizations represent hundreds of thousands of clinicians who care for patients in hospital and out-of-hospital settings, emergency medical services (EMS) systems, and other healthcare facilities.

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), representing the nation’s more than 50,000 hospitalists, is pleased to offer our comments on the proposed rule entitled Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2025 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program; and Medicare Overpayments (CMS-1807-P).

SHM joins the GME Advocacy Coalition response to the Senate Finance Committee's draft proposal to expand GME.

SHM supports the reintroduction of the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act. This legislation will help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care by streamlining and standardizing prior authorization under the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.

SHM has submitted comments to the Senate Finance Committee's White Paper addressing efforts to improve the care of chronic conditions.

SHM submitted comments on the 2025 IPPS Proposed Rule. SHM commented on proposed changes to the HCAHPS survey, proposed measures in the Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, and more.

SHM joins 434 medical, public health, and research organizations in a letter urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to provide funding for firearm mortality and morbidity research.

SHM supports the Senate reintroduction of the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. This legislation will count all time spent under observation towards Medicare's three-day stay inpatient requirement for SNF coverage qualification.

The waiver allowing for the expansion of the Hospital at Home program is set to expire at the end of 2024. SHM joined a multi-stakeholder letter urging Congress to extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program for at least five years.

SHM joins 170 other signatories urging the appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related agencies to allocate $500 million in funding for the Agency for Healthcare and Research and Quality (AHQR)

SHM joined other members of the Observation Coalition in commenting on the proposed appeals process for patients who were admitted as an inpatient and retroactively designated under outpatient.

CMS has submitted comments regarding the proposed appeals process in which patients, under limited circumstances, can appeal a retroactive classification as an outpatient.

SHM supports the reauthorization of this important legislation, which establishes grants that support training in strategies to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, behavioral health conditions, and substance use disorders among healthcare professionals.

SHM supports the passage of the Directing Our Country's Transfer of Residency Slots (DOCTORS) Act. This legislation will help address nationwide physician shortages by reallocating unused waivers from the Conrad 30 waiver program to states that use their full allotment.

SHM supports the Reintroduction of the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act. This legislation will help address healthcare worker shortages by recapturing 40,000 unused employment-based visas and utilizing them to expedite processing for immigrant doctors and nurses.

SHM joined dozens of other medical societies urging Congress to take immediate action to stop the impending 3.7 percent payment reduction, slated to go into effect January 1, 2024.

SHM supports the reintroduction of the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Relief Act, which will remove the requirement that physicians in CAHs certify, with reasonable certainty, that an individual patients anticipated length of stay (LOS) will be 96 hours of less.

SHM supports the introduction of the SAVE Act, which will create legal penalties for individuals who intentionally assault or intimidate any hospital workers on-site, regardless of how they are employed.

SHM, alongside dozens of medical and specialty societies, support the GOP Doctor's Caucus budget neutrality reform proposal.

SHM and thirty three other organizations joined a multi-stakeholder effort in support of legislation that will count time spent in observation towards Medicare's three day inpatient stay requirement for SNF coverage.

SHM Submits Comments on 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule.

SHM Supports the Conrad State 30 Physician Access Reauthorization Act.

SHM Joins Multi-Stakeholder Letter Supporting the Conrad State 30 Physician Access Reauthorization Act.

SHM submitted feedback on the Addressing Social Needs eQCM.

CMS submitted comments on the IPPS Proposed Rule. Our comments oppose the adoption of duplicative measures across in Medicare quality reporting programs.

SHM joined 408 national, state, and local medical, public health, and research organizations urging the House and Senate appropriations committees to provide funding for public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality.

SHM submitted comments on requiring Medicare Advantage plans to follow the two-midnight rule and other original Medicare coverage rules.