Advocacy
The SVS utilizes a multi-faceted approach for advocacy with an overarching goal of protecting and advancing the interests of vascular surgeons, and the patients you serve.
Latest News on Medicare Payment Cuts:
House Leaders Agree to Resolve Doc Pay
On Friday, March 14, Congress passed a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown and fund the federal government through the end of the fiscal year (9/30). Unfortunately, after aggressive lobbying from the physician community, this bill did not include language to reverse the Medicare payment cut that went into effect on Jan 1. Leadership had previously been receptive to including the provisions in a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded after last week, but the pay fix was ultimately not included amid broader concerns that adding more than standard program extensions would open the door to demands for other policies to be attached.
Supporters of this issue warn that the stakes are simply too high for not addressing this issue quickly. Decades of payment reductions in Medicare have put medical practices in difficult financial straits, potentially forcing them to close practices and reduce access to care. However, the cost of a long-term fix has historically been a barrier for Congressional action.
Moving forward, House leadership has signaled their intent to address pay cuts for doctors treating Medicare patients in the forthcoming reconciliation package, as indicated by Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC), co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus.
The SVS continues to have in-depth conversations with Congressional leaders regarding Medicare payment reform and will hold them to their commitment of tackling this in reconciliation.
If you have personal anecdotes about how these perineal cuts have affected your practices and your patients’ access to care, please take a moment to forward those to svsadvocacy@vascularsociety.org and we will use them to supplement our advocacy efforts and show how inaction has harmed care delivery across the nation.
To achieve this goal, the SVS engages in traditional legislative advocacy and lobbying with federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill, encourages SVS members to engage in grassroots campaigns via our “Voter Voice” system, and supports the campaigns of candidate and incumbent lawmakers through the society’s political action committee, SVS PAC. By simultaneously engaging in these core tenets of effective advocacy, the SVS has achieved several successes over the last several years, including (but not limited to):
- Mitigating scheduled Medicare physician payment reductions,
- Securing passage of legislation to address physician wellness, and
- Garnering significant bipartisan and bicameral support for legislation designed to ease the burdens of prior authorizations.
SVS members are encouraged to learn more about the Society’s various advocacy-related programs and take steps to become more involved today. Together, we can make a difference!
DC Update
Read the March 2025 DC Update for the latest news and SVS PAC activities.
Coding and Reimbursement
Learn more about Coding and Reimbursement resources to help your practice.
SVS On-demand Coding Course
See the details of our first on-demand course, titled “Surgical Modifiers in Vascular Surgery.”
Donate to SVS PAC
U.S. health laws and payment models are undergoing a seismic shift. The SVS Political Action Committee (PAC) works for vascular surgeons, and only vascular surgeons, to ensure that SVS members get access to U.S. Representatives and Senators in order to discuss issues that have a major impact on members and their practices.
Federal Legislative Advocacy
SVS has an active voice on Capitol Hill and within the House of Medicine and engages lawmakers independently and via a variety of coalitions.
Regulatory Advocacy
SVS engages in regulatory efforts relating to physician and facility payment, quality, value-based care, coding, billing, and practice management topics.
Grassroots Advocacy
There are few advocacy tools more powerful than direct engagement between a constituent and a Member of Congress.
Political Advocacy
The political action committee (PAC) of the Society for Vascular Surgery advocates for legislation that supports best practices for patients and medical professionals.
DC Update
The SVS DC Update is a monthly newsletter that is sent to SVS Members residing in the United States. This newsletter contains updates from Capitol Hill as they pertain to the vascular surgery specialty.