Every meeting with a member of Congress or a Congressional staffer is a critically crucial step in building a relationship with the policymakers who decide the future of health care. Relationships, whether in our personal lives or on Capitol Hill, are the currency of trust. Once that relationship is built and trust is established, you can create an opportunity to be an invaluable source of information for policymakers. By the very nature of the work we do and the care we provide, we can share stories of how federal policy affects real patients. Only 21 members of Congress are physicians, and yet all of them will vote on laws that dictate how we practice and the resources we will or will not have to provide that care. Given this reality, it is critically important to become the go-to person policymakers trust and rely on to guide their positions on health care issues.

This year’s conference had a positive vibe, and the LAC Planning Workgroup crafted a great Day 1 lineup of educational presentations, focusing on a back-to-basics theme. The educational program began with a primer on how Congress and executive agencies are structured and the jurisdictions of each in shaping health care. Following that were presentations titled “Bad Behavior of Insurers under the No Surprises Act,” “What’s the Scoop on Scope,” “Strategies on Effective Advocacy,” “The Basics of Medicaid,” and “Growing Threats to Clinical Autonomy” (which focused on increasing threats to care protected by EMTALA). Last, the “Board Out of Our Minds” presentation discussed federal efforts to address the crowding crisis, including highlights of the crowding summit held by the Health Resources and Services Administration in October 2024 due to ACEP’s persistent advocacy with Congress and the White House.

Day 2 started off with great conversations with key members of Congress, including Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-PA) who serves as co-chair of the GOP Doc Caucus, and Rep. Kim Shrier, MD (D-WA) who has been a staunch supporter of physician issues. Next up was a tandem conversation with Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who are both members of the solution-oriented Problem Solvers Caucus in the U.S. House.

And last, before heading to Capitol Hill attendees were briefed on the recently released RAND Report titled “Strategies for Sustaining Emergency Care in the United States,” which describes the incredible value emergency physicians provide to society, including services beyond care of the individual patient. The report highlighted that emergency physicians serve a strategic role in providing public health, behavioral health, disaster care, and other services for which they are not currently compensated. This report will serve as the basis for new advocacy strategies on behalf of emergency physicians and our specialty for years to come.