By Beth Bales
The SVS Political Action Steering Committee (PAC) looks to protect your future and hopes. This year the PAC hopes to have at least 10% of SVS members contributing. The committee has had an unprecedented year, co-chairs Peter H. Connolly, MD, and Mark A. Mattos, MD, point out. Despite the ongoing ravages of COVID on our patients and practices and the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement cuts that began Jan. 1, only 7% of the SVS membership participated in donations to the PAC.
By doing the simple math, the co-chairs say, that means only 383 individuals out of 5,471 SVS members felt the necessity to donate time and money to push through SVS legislative priorities. “It would seem that our message has fallen on deaf ears. Membership’s inaction to understand and recognize the role of the PAC as our voice in Congress will have devastating consequences on the way we practice medicine,” Connolly and Mattos continue.
“At the beginning of 2021, we need an all-hands-on-deck mentality from SVS members. We all need to take responsibility and take a stand in protecting our specialty by supporting the SVS PAC and its mission. Supporting the PAC is supporting your patients, your practice, your future and our specialty! It is clear CMS is not interested in helping us.”
Connolly and Mattos are optimistic: “The SVS PAC Steering Committee would like to encourage all SVS members to make 2021 a year to remember,” they say, “a year in which we overcome COVID, overturn the CMS Medicare cuts and protect the viability and growth of our specialty. So please join the SVS PAC and donate to help save our future.”