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AAPM is deeply engaged in advocacy, continuously working to represent the interests of our profession with dedicated AAPM staff, expert consultants, and lobbyists actively monitoring, responding to, and leading initiatives that affect medical physicists.

(October 9, 2025)
AAPM's Government Affairs Team is tracking potential impacts of the current government shutdown and is actively working to inform, support, and advocate for members who may be affected. According to current guidance from federal agencies, medical physicists working with these agencies may experience the following:

  • NIH: Reviews of new grant applications could be paused, new awards may be delayed and enrollments for new clinical trials will be impacted. As of this writing, some staff are  furloughed, leading to interruptions in ongoing clinical trials and federally supported research in cancer and imaging.
  • CMS: Claim payments may be delayed for up to 10 days while Congress works toward a resolution and renewal of Medicare payment policies, helping to avoid claim reprocessing later.  We expect CMS will likely issue new guidance on how it will handle claims if the shutdown persists through the ten day claims hold.
  • FDA: Reviews of new drugs and medical devices may pause, with only essential safety functions continuing. Furloughs could delay certain approvals and research collaborations.
  • NRC: Core nuclear safety oversight will continue, though licensing, renewals, and routine inspections could experience short delays.
  • DOE: National laboratories may pause "non-essential" research, temporarily affecting collaborations in imaging, therapy technology development, and radiation science.
  • VA: Patient care will continue uninterrupted, but VA research programs and benefits processing could face short-term funding gaps or administrative delays.

AAPM remains committed to keeping members informed and to advocating for policies that minimize disruptions to research, clinical work, and innovation.

If you're experiencing shutdown-related challenges in your work or research, or would like to suggest an advocacy action, please contact Lauren DePutter, AAPM Director of Government Affairs and External Relations.

How you can help!

Your voice and participation strengthen our advocacy efforts. Numerous opportunities exist for AAPM members to advocate by lending their voices, experiences and collective expertise.

  • Write letters (templates and target contact offices are provided) and engage via our Take-Action webpage
  • Become a state champion through CHAMPS and CHAMPWG
  • Volunteer on key committees including GRAC, ECON or through subcommittees and working groups: WGPVAC, CRCPDS, JMPLSC, and GRPSC

How AAPM is Actively Advocating:

  • Monitoring and Engagement: Our staff and dedicated volunteers closely track news, policy actions, and communications from peer and partner organizations. This ensures we are informed and responsive, supporting relevant initiatives beneficial to our members.
  • Informing Membership: Stay updated through the AAPM Newsletter, e-News, association emails, committee updates, meeting sessions, social media, our Take-Action page above, and by direct contact with staff and volunteers.
  • Working Collaboratively: AAPM has worked to establish a close and cooperative working relationships with numerous government bodies, organizations and key federal agencies, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with a range of medical providers, corporation, suppliers and peer professional societies. AAPM recently spearheaded a joint response to the July 17, 2025 Federal Register notice regarding proposed changes to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, with 5 peer societies adding their support. Read the response HERE.

Together, we can ensure the voice of medical physicists remains strong, informed, and influential.

 

Activities

Highlights of Recent Activities (2025):

  • AAPM recently spearheaded a joint response to the July 17, 2025 Federal Register notice regarding proposed changes to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, with 5 peer societies adding their support. Read the response HERE.
  • Supported multiple coalition letters advocating for robust federal funding of NIH and NSF research programs.
  • Endorsed ASTRO’s ROCR bill aimed at enhancing radiation oncology reimbursement.
  • Initiated a "Take-Action" campaign opposing indirect funding caps at NIH, successfully mobilizing over 90 advocacy messages to Congressional offices.
  • AAPM leadership approved an official Advocacy Agenda, a strategic roadmap to guide our government relations efforts moving forward.
  • AAPM’s inaugural Advocacy Day (Hill Day) scheduled for Thursday, July 31, 2025 immediately following our Annual Meeting.
  • Launched CHAMPS, a state-level grassroots advocacy program:
    • The Steering Subcommittee is actively recruiting and training state volunteers.
    • This program sets targeted advocacy goals and provides training resources to enhance state-level advocacy.
  • Strengthened partnerships and provided training through CRCPDS, enhancing our relationships with federal and state radiation programs.
  • ECON Committee diligently monitors and prepares for annual CMS rule cycles, offering training to members and submitting formal comments on behalf of medical physicists.
  • Through WGPVAC, we proactively engaged for the Veterans Affairs Hospitals—the nation’s largest healthcare system—to safeguard medical physics contracts crucial for patient care. AAPM previously facilitated the introduction of HR6800 to address hiring and retention challenges for therapy physicists within the VA, and we're actively pursuing its reintroduction and expansion to diagnostic physicists.

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