September 2025 Policy Update

The ACNS Advocacy Committee has published the September 2025 Policy Update. Covered in this month's update:

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Increase Enforcement of Information Blocking
Information blocking is back in the spotlight at HHS with the announcement that the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC) and Office of Inspector General (OIG) will begin increasing enforcement actions.

ACNS Submits Comments on CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed RuleIn response to the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, ACNS submitted comments addressing the provisions of importance to our members.  The comments focused on our concerns with the agency’s proposed efficiency adjustment and site of service payment differential, as well as continued support for telehealth policies.  

Update on Fiscal Year 2026 Federal Funding
On September 10, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Labor-HHS appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2026. Similar to the Senate bill that passed the committee in July, the bill did not mirror the Trump Administration’s planned reorganization of HHS. This means that the House bill does not establish the proposed Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). It provides mostly level funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), although it cuts $1.7 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

ACNS Signs onto AMA Letter Requesting Exemption for Healthcare Workers Applying for H-1B Visas
On Friday, September 19, the President issued a proclamation that would impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applicants.  The proclamation does not exempt cap-exempt organizations, so this will apply to new H-1B visa applications for academia and associated non-profits, and would apply to healthcare workers. 

These monthly updates are archived on the Policy Priorities page on the Advocacy tab at www.acns.org. Log in with your credentials to download this important resource, available to ACNS members only.