The Advocacy section of the STS website offers the latest and most important regulatory and legislative news and resources relevant to cardiothoracic surgery.
- Contribute to STS-PAC and see how your contributions are making a difference. A new donation platform is being developed and will be available shortly, but meanwhile contact Advocacy with questions.
- Get involved. Sign up to be an STS Key Contact and help build relationships while advocating for the specialty. There are many types of advocacy opportunities available.
- Check out On the Record to view the STS Advocacy Priorities, Endorsed Legislation, and public statements pertaining to the regulatory issues that affect cardiothoracic surgeons.
- Read Advocacy Monthly—a newsletter providing a summary of STS activities that support cardiothoracic surgery initiatives in Washington, DC.
Medicare Reimbursement Cuts
In December 2020 and 2021, Congress mitigated devastating cuts to Medicare reimbursement for cardiothoracic surgery and other health professionals. As a result, cardiothoracic surgeons still will see cuts, albeit reduced ones, during a global pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people, including more than 800,000 Americans. The current Medicare payment model is broken, and STS will pursue a long-term solution that will rectify the underlying policy issues that cause annual cuts to reimbursement.
The Society has been involved in continued comprehensive advocacy efforts to stop the reduction in Medicare reimbursement payments, including being an active member of the Surgical Care Coalition.
Advocacy Monthly
STS Advocacy Monthly is a monthly newsletter providing a summary of STS activities to support cardiothoracic surgery initiatives in Washington, DC.
MACRA Toolkit
The Society has compiled a MACRA Toolkit for cardiothoracic surgeons that includes detailed overviews of both MIPS and Advanced Alternative Payment Models, a checklist of steps to take, and additional CMS resources. Access the MACRA toolkit.
Physician Clinical Registry Coalition
STS is a member of the Physician Clinical Registry Coalition, which advocates for a legal and public policy environment that recognizes and supports the positive role that clinical data registries play in collecting, analyzing, and sharing clinical information, identifying trends and best practices, and improving clinical outcomes and quality patient care.
Contact
STS Government Relations
20 F Street NW, Suite 310 C
Washington, DC 20001-6702
Phone: 202-787-1230
Email: Advocacy