Welcome to the ACP Advocate,

Today's first article reviews this summer's developments affecting the ACA's prospects in 2018.  Physicians and patients have come to expect the unexpected in this era of attacks on the Affordable Care Act from congressional Republicans and the White House. Even so, few would have anticipated what happened.  As you'll see in the article, ACP was on top of all developments.  

Our second article recounts that as violence erupted in Charlottesville, Va., in mid-August, propelling hate crimes back into the national conversation, ACP did not take a seat on the sidelines.  Rather, ACP stepped forward to help call attention to the public health effects of hate crimes.  ACP adopted a position statement recognizing hate crimes as a public health issue at a meeting of the Board of Regents earlier in the summer.  

Our last article today notes that as the federal government figures out how the MACRA Quality Payment Program will work in its second and third years, ACP recently offered numerous recommendations to improve the QPP. Though ACP's guidance is extensive, its message is simple: The system needs to be less complex, more flexible and less burdensome.  I hope you'll find that ACP's newly redesigned MACRA resource pages do just that. You'll find a link to them just to the right of this Welcome.

Look for the next issue of the Advocate to be distributed on September 22.

While "Charlottesville" reflected divisiveness, our next issue will feature an article about ACP's involvement with a unity effort, Hurricane Harvey. We'll also cover ACP's Regulatory Relief presentation to the House Committee on Ways and Means.  And we'll consider the huge implications of this week's DACA decision.

For more coverage of what's happening in Washington, take a look at my award-winning blog, The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty.  My post earlier this week explains why doctors (including ACP) are defending "Dreamers" and opposing the President's decision to rescind DACA. You can also follow me on Twitter @BobDohertyACP.  

As always, please send your feedback and suggestions on this newsletter to: TheACPAdvocate@acponline.org.

Yours truly,

Bob Doherty
Senior Vice President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
American College of Physicians

• MIPS and APM payment tracks;
• the 'pick your pace' program;
• and links to helpful resources, including ACP's Quality Payment Advisor.