Pushing for PPE: ACEP is pursuing solutions to the PPE shortage through every channel. View ACEP’s Policy Statements on PPE, including your right to wear self-purchased and donated PPE, at www.acep.org/covid19-physician-protections. We are utilizing social media and grassroots actions to put pressure on legislators to take action. Nearly 35,000 ACEP members have sent more than 100,000 emails to Congress asking for more PPE.

ACEP is partnering with EM physician-led GetUsPPE.org to ensure that PPE needs are met nationwide. Many corporations are reaching out to us to help with the PPE shortage, and we are coordinating those companies with GetUsPPE.org to make sure the corporate donations go to those with the most urgent needs.

ACEP President Bill Jaquis, MD, FACEP, wrote to the President of AAMC asking that medical students be released from participating in patient contact, preserving the scarce PPE you need now. They agreed.

Policy Priorities: We have taken our fight to federal agencies, Capitol Hill, and the White House. We pushed for coverage of evaluation and testing for COVID-19 with no cost-sharing, expanded syndromic surveillance, and temporary increases in states’ federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for the duration of the emergency.

ACEP worked tirelessly to remove surprise medical billing from COVID legislation—facing down the insurance industry on your behalf. Dr. Jaquis was the only person representing EM in a high-level medical briefing at the White House, and he lobbied for PPE, expanded access to testing, and liability protections.

ACEP wrote to Congressional leadership urging that emergency physicians be included in the COVID-19 stimulus package. We convened a virtual briefing with ACEP emergency physicians from Washington State to educate Congressional staff on the COVID-19 fight from the ground and help them prepare for outbreaks in their own districts.

We persisted until CMS made sweeping changes to the benefit of emergency medicine, including new guidance on EMTALA that allows medical screening exams to be delivered via telehealth and the addition of ED E/M codes to the list of approved medicare telehealth services. We hosted a webinar with CMS so you could ask questions about their changes to EMTALA and telehealth. Read more.

ACEP sent a letter to the HHS secretary securing relief in your Merit-based Incentive Payment system reporting and requesting liability protections during this crisis.

Stay updated on all federal and regulatory announcements here.