ACEP Responds to The New York Times: Congress Must Hold Insurers Accountable for Underpaying for Care
In a letter to the editor, ACEP President L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP, set the record straight on bad insurer payment policy and the flawed implementation of the No Surprises Act:
“Focusing on outliers dangerously misrepresents the real threat facing patients: A nationwide practice of insurer underpayment that is destabilizing our emergency medicine safety net.
Emergency medicine comprises over a third of all arbitration cases — more than any other specialty — because insurers consistently underpay for unplanned care. The No Surprises Act protects patients from surprise medical bills, but insurer practices threaten access to care.
Emergency physicians’ high win rate in arbitration isn’t evidence of gaming the system; it’s proof of systemic underpayment. Professional, neutral arbiters repeatedly determine that insurers’ payments are insufficient. Yet even after losing more than 85 percent of the time, insurers then fail to pay nearly 60 percent of arbitration awards within statutory time frames. These costly delays push our emergency medicine system to a breaking point, risking longer wait times and closures.
The real story is that an insurance industry is profiting by underpaying for care. Congress must pass the No Surprises Enforcement Act to impose meaningful penalties for nonpayment and protect the financial viability of emergency care for all Americans.
—L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP
PeaceHealth Agrees to Extend Services with Eugene Emergency Physicians
In Oregon, PeaceHealth announced it will revisit its agreement with Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP) to staff its emergency departments. ACEP said:
“We appreciate the engagement and leadership demonstrated by the Oregon ACEP (OR-ACEP) Chapter, as well as local and state leaders who have been willing to participate in thoughtful and productive discussions throughout this process.
ACEP has worked closely with these stakeholders to help ensure that physicians’ voices were heard, important questions were raised, and advocacy remained focused on supporting both the emergency physicians and patients of Eugene. ACEP remains committed to advocating for high-quality, physician-led emergency care and the stability of emergency medical services within the communities we serve.”
As part of a swift collaborative response, ACEP, OR-ACEP and the Oregon Medical Association met with Oregon House Majority Leader Rep. Ben Bowman in March to discuss stability in staffing, transparency, and the need for stronger workforce protections.
Prior to the staffing situation, OR-ACEP advocacy was vital to the passage of SB 951, state law consistent with ACEP policy on corporate practice of medicine that protects the relationship between physicians and patients.
Utah Law Mandates Hospital Violence Reporting
A new state law taking effect in November 2026 requires Utah hospitals to report incidents of workplace violence. Utah House Bill 350 aims to improve protections for health care teams by requiring hospitals to establish workplace violence reporting systems and policies that prohibit discrimination or retaliation against reporting employees. “Utah ACEP is proud of and grateful to the Utah legislature and the governor for taking a stand on this and being a national leader on reducing violence against health care workers. Our hope is that it will lead us toward a brighter and safer future for health care workers in our state so that we can focus on providing the best possible care for patients,” said Utah ACEP Chapter President Alison Smith, MD, MPH, FACEP ACEP is proud to lead the charge for workforce protections and other solutions for violence against emergency physicians.
Leading EM Organizations Issue Consensus Statement on Artificial Intelligence
In October 2025, ACEP convened the first All Emergency Medicine Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit hosted at its headquarters in Irving, Texas. Invited EM organizations included members of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Council of Residency Directors, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association, Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine, and the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine for a two-day discussion on the use of AI in emergency medical education, clinical settings, and practice administration. The organizations that participated in the inaugural All Emergency Medicine AI Summit approved a new consensus statement that outlines principles reflecting the promise and the risk of AI in emergency medicine. “The future is here—let’s build it responsibly together,” said ACEP President L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP The consensus statement asserts that emergency physicians retain authority for patient care decisions, that AI should enhance, not replace, clinical judgment, and that any AI approach must preserve the physician-patient relationship. The consensus statement also calls for physician-led governance and emphasizes patient safety, care quality, and data privacy, among other considerations. ACEP brings together experts across the specialty to shape the use of AI in emergency medicine in a way that prioritizes and supports physician expertise and decision making. The next meeting of these groups is planned for May 2026.
ACEP Joint Statement on Workplace Violence in Health Care
In April 2026, in recognition of Workplace Violence Prevention Month, several organizations joined together to affirm that workplace violence in health care is not inevitable — it is preventable. Health care workers are the foundation of a safe and effective health care system, but every day they face an unacceptable reality: the risk of violence on the job. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics have consistently shown that health care and social service workers experience workplace violence at higher rates than workers in any other sector; a troubling trend that only continues to persist and intensify. Workplace violence encompasses any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening or disruptive behavior occurring in the workplace. In health care settings, it affects nurses, physicians, technicians, pharmacists, support staff, patients, and families alike. These acts of aggression—whether verbal or physical—are entirely unacceptable.
As national organizations representing the full spectrum of health care delivery, including hospital systems, clinicians, patients, and advocates, we stand united in our belief that no one should be harmed while providing or receiving care. Workplace violence erodes the safety and dignity of health care environments, directly contributes to workforce burnout and turnover, and compromises the quality of care for patients. This violence undermines our health care system’s ability to provide safe, healing environments for all.
We are committed to raising awareness, driving meaningful action, and working collaboratively across our fields to build health care environments where every worker is protected and every patient is safe.
- American Nurses Association
- Children’s Hospital Association
- American Academy of Physician Associates
- American College of Emergency Physicians
- American Hospital Association
- American Psychiatric Association
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- National Association of Social Workers
- National Rural Health Association
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