Capitol Hill Visit May 6, 2025

On World Asthma Day (May 6, 2025) we celebrated by taking action. AAAAI members met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill along with The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to call on Congress to restore and protect critical programs.

Specifically, we’re advocating for:
•    Congress to enact policies to provide long-term stability to the Medicare physician payment system, and to support and advance the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879).
•    Congress to reject any cuts that would impact Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations, and for Congress to prioritize Medicaid policy changes that target fraud and abuse in the program that diverts critical funding from those most in need.
•    Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for fiscal year 2026, and asking Congress to oppose proposals, like the NIH Reform Act (H.R. 1497/S. 664), to split the NIAID into multiple institutions.   
•    Support for the Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation (PAVE) Act, which would require that penicillin allergy verification and evaluation be included in the “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit and annual Medicare wellness visits.  
•    That Congress provides funding to restore the National Asthma Control Program (NACP), and requests they cosponsor the Children’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 2339).  

Below are the materials prepared for lawmakers.
•    Reject Medicaid Cuts
•    National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Funding and Structure
•    Stabilize Medicare Physician Payment
•    World Asthma Day: Restore & Codify Programs to Protect Patients Living with Asthma
•    Antibiotic Stewardship: Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act (House)
•    Antibiotic Stewardship: Penicillin Allergy Verification and Evaluation Act (Senate)    


Thomas A. Fleisher, MD, FAAAAI; Allison L. Freeman, MD, FAAAAI; Shahab Virani, MD, FAAAAI, and Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI, present Rep. Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA) with the AAAAI Advocacy Award to thank her for being a champion for positive change in healthcare. Afterwards, members sat down with Rep. Schrier to discuss fixing Medicare physician reimbursement, NIH funding and other AAAAI legislative priorities.

AAAAI Advocacy

Allison L. Freeman, MD, FAAAAI; Shahab Virani, MD, FAAAAI; and Paul V. Williams, MD, FAAAAI, discuss AAAAI legislative priorities in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2025.




5/6/2025