Last week, CMS released the Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule. The proposal includes updates to Medicare payment policies, quality reporting programs, and other policies affecting hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers.
On August 25, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting on nonhealing chronic wounds. The purpose of the meeting is to help FDA and other stakeholders better understand the patient experience, including how chronic wounds affect daily life, challenges with current treatments, and factors that influence participation in clinical trials.
APMA joined over 150 physician, research, and healthcare-related organizations in support of a letter, led by the International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers, urging congressional leaders on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to reject proposed regulations in the FY 2027 Presidential Budget Request that would restrict federal grant funding to scientific publications.
APMA recently met with Aetna leadership as part of APMA’s ongoing quarterly discussions with the insurer. Topics included prior authorization modernization, provider experience issues, modifier 25 concerns, and the use of AI and digital tools to streamline administrative processes.
To help strengthen local advocacy and build relationships between Congress and our profession, APMA is encouraging members to “Walk the District” and meet with federal lawmakers in their states during this year’s Congressional Recess, from August 10–28.
APMA recently received a positive update regarding implementation of the CMS Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model. Cohere Health, the model participant administering WISeR in Texas, has begun notifying providers who qualify for its new "gold carding" program.
One of APMA’s key legislative priorities, the Seniors’ Act, has reached 290 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. The bicameral, bipartisan bill, led by Represenatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA), would establish an electronic prior authorization (PA) process in Medicare Advantage (MA) to streamline coverage decisions for medically necessary care.
APMA responded to the CMS proposed rule on interoperability standards and prior authorization for prescription drugs, which also included two requests for information related to health-care cybersecurity and durable medical equipment prosthetics and supplies (DMEPOS) prior authorization. APMA’s recommendations reflect APMA's ongoing commitment to reducing administrative burdens on physicians while ensuring timely patient access to medically necessary care.
APMA congratulates the Florida Podiatric Medical Association (FPMA) on the enactment of legislation, SB 1092, that preserves podiatric physicians’ ability to utilize certain cellular or tissue-based products (including skin substitutes) not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within their scope of practice.
APMA sent a letter of support to congressional champions for key legislation that would strengthen transparency, stakeholder engagement, and consistency within the Medicare local coverage determination (LCD) process.
APMA recently submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the FY 2027 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule regarding the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) and related Requests for Information on potential expansion into ambulatory surgical center (ASC) settings.
APMA President Patrick DeHeer, DPM, recently participated in the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, where APMA is an official observer. The meeting brings together physician leaders from specialty societies, state medical associations, and national medical organizations to discuss and shape policy on issues affecting patients and the medical profession.
APMA submitted a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in response to a hearing examining the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) reauthorization, and opportunities for payment reforms. APMA highlighted the importance of advancing federal reforms that tie yearly Medicare physician payment fluctuations to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) and establish a more physician-centered Merit-Based Incentives Payment System (MIPS) framework.
The House Appropriations Committee unanimously supported an amendment in the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill that would block funding for the WISeR Model. The bill also included important report language on PAD education, screening, and amputation prevention.
Following a thorough review of the submitted comments, the council adopted revised college documents at its April 25, 2026, meeting. These documents will take effect July 1, 2026. The revised documents and a summary of changes are available for review on the CPME webpage at https://www.cpme.org/podiatric-medical-colleges/cpme-120-and-130-revisions/.
APMA congratulates the Iowa Podiatric Medical Society (IPMS) on the enactment of HF 2498, legislation adopting the Interstate Podiatric Medical Licensure Compact (IPMLC) in the state. Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed the bill into law, making Iowa the second state to join the compact.
APMA congratulates the Colorado Foot & Ankle Society (CFAS) on the successful enaction of HB 26-1344, which preserves the independent Colorado Podiatry Board following the state’s sunset review process. APMA supported these efforts by submitting a formal letter to lawmakers outlining concerns related to workforce impacts, patient safety, and the importance of specialty-specific oversight for podiatric physicians.
CMS is now accepting exception applications for the 2026 Merit-based Incentive Payment System performance year. Clinicians affected by circumstances beyond their control, such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, or cyberattacks, may be eligible for a MIPS exception and reweighting of performance categories.
APMA recently urged the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security to explicitly include Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs) and podiatric residents in physician-focused immigration prioritization and expedited processing policies.
APMA has officially launched its new eAdvocacy Action Center for members, patients and students to engage in grassroots advocacy. The platform empowers APMA members to quickly engage their members of Congress and influence federal health policy. It also provides tools to take action on critical state legislation.