Advocacy


  • Fight CRC’s ‘Call-On Congress’

    March 5, 2026

    Two members of ASGE’s CRC Screening Project Advisory Council – Jennifer Christie, MD, MASGE, and Tonya Adams, MD – participated in Fight CRC’s ‘Call-On Congress’ events in Washington, DC on March 1-3.

  • ASGE CRC Screening Project for underserved entering final phases

    March 5, 2026

    An ASGE project that is designed to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and completion colonoscopy rates for underserved patients is entering its final phases.

  • CMS Announces Health Care Fraud Crackdown

    March 5, 2026

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on February 25 a crackdown on fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.

  • New UHC Medicare Advantage Referral Requirement

    March 5, 2026

    Effective January 1, 2026, United Healthcare (UHC) will require most members enrolled in UHC Medicare Advantage HMO and HMO-POS plans to obtain a referral from their primary care provider (PCP) before accessing certain specialist services.

  • CMS Proposes Changes to Health Insurance Marketplace

    March 5, 2026

    On February 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2027 proposed standards for the health insurance marketplaces, including the issuers and brokers who assist marketplace enrollees.

  • Surgeon General Nominee Testifies at Confirmation Hearing

    March 5, 2026

    Casey Means, MD, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Surgeon General testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on February 25.

  • House Committee Holds Hearing on Physician Workforce

    March 5, 2026

    The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing February 24 to examine innovative ways to train America's health care workforce, with a focus on serving rural and underserved communities.

  • Senator Cassidy Releases FDA Modernization Plan

    March 5, 2026

    Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has released a report detailing legislative and regulatory reforms to modernize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

  • ASGE Endorses Bill to Pause Medicare Efficiency Adjustment

    February 19, 2026

    Legislation has been  introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to stop the 2.5 percent Medicare cut to work Relative Value Units (RVUs) for all non-time-based physician fee schedule services.

  • ASC Covered Procedures List Expansion

    February 19, 2026

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the Ambulatory Surgery Center Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) for CY2026 to include GI motility and functional testing procedures.

  • New Analysis Shows Majority of Care Denials Overturned

    February 19, 2026

    A new  analysis by KFF found Medicare Advantage insurers processed 52.8 million prior authorization requests in 2024. Of those requests, 4.1 million requests were either fully or partially denied.

  • Groups Ask CMS to Change Self-Administered Drug Exclusion Policy

    February 19, 2026

    ASGE has signed a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting a change in policy to ensure Part B coverage of physician-administered drug formulations when self-administration is not clinically appropriate or feasible.

  • Senate Committee Examines Contributors to Physician Burnout

    February 19, 2026

    The Senate Aging Committee held a hearing on February 11 on the subject of how administrative and regulatory red tape fuels physician burnout and impacts patient access to care.

  • NIH Director Questioned at Senate Hearing

    February 19, 2026

    Senate lawmakers had an opportunity to question National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, during a  hearing convened by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on February 3.

  • Aetna Coverage - ESG

    February 6, 2026

    ASGE, ACG, and AGA jointly urged Aetna to update its coverage policy so that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG). Our goal is for Aetna to explicitly recognize ESG as a covered bariatric/endobariatric option.