Advocacy

Leadership and Advocacy Summit 2025

Massachusetts ACS members attended the recent American College of Surgeons Leadership and Advocacy Summit: including a group that advocated for ACS priorities on Capital Hill on April 8, 2025 for Improving Patient Access to Cancer Care, Research, Trauma Programs, Reducing Administrative Burdens, Stabilizing Physician Workforce by Addressing Student Debt, and stabilizing Medicare and Medicaid.

Pictured are Boston Medical Center surgery resident Dr. Khu Aten Maneeb de Macedo with Representative Kelly Morrison, Kei Helm, legislative assistant to Senator Ed Markey, Dr. Peter Hopewood, Dr. Donald Hess, and Dr. Jennifer Tseng. Also pictured is the team after meeting with Senator Elizabeth Warren’s staff; and the group outside the Capitol Building. In the last meeting of the day, Dr Tseng and the ACS staffer were surprised by a 20-minute meeting with her Representative, Jake Auchincloss, who after growing up in Newton as the son of a surgeon and a physician-scientist and attending college, was in the Marine Corps before running for Newton City Council and then the House of Representatives.

Updated Bills - 2025

MASSACHUSETTS
  • HD 4542 – Criminalization
    Introduced by Representative John Gaskey (R), HD 4542 prohibits health care providers from administering medical procedures or medications for gender re-assignment for individuals under 19 who are still in secondary school; adults 18 and older, who have graduated from secondary school, must participate in 12 months of mental health therapy before any surgical procedure; violations may result in fines, license suspension, or permanent revocation, and potential imprisonment. The bill was filed in the House and is pending introduction.

  • S 706 – Prior Authorization
    Introduced by Senator John Cronin (D), S 706 requires the insurance commissioner to develop a list of services eligible for automated real-time prior authorization (PA) approvals when clinical information submitted electronically by a provider demonstrates the patient meets the medically necessary criteria; requires health insurers who require PA to implement an automated process for real-time approvals. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • SD 2808 – Criminalization
    Introduced by Senator Cindy Friedman (D), SD 2808 prohibits state or local agencies from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into legally protected health care services; ensures health care practitioners involvement in legally protected health care services cannot be used against them in legal proceedings. The bill was filed in the Senate and is pending introduction.

  • HD 3029 – Professional Liability
    Introduced by Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D), HD 3029 prohibits contracts with physicians from restricting their ability to testify in administrative or judicial hearings, including medical malpractice cases. The bill was filed in the House and is pending introduction.

  • HD 97 – Artificial Intelligence
    Introduced by Representative David Rogers (D), HD 97 requires artificial intelligence deployers to implement risk management policies, conduct impact assessments, and notify consumers when in use. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Advanced Information Technology, Internet, and Cybersecurity Committee.

  • HD 1140 – Scope of Practice
    Introduced by Representative Daniel Donahue (D), HD 1140 allows advanced practice registered nurses to conduct diagnostic evaluations, determine medical necessity, and issue certifications, written orders, prescriptions, or treatment recommendations; replaces terms like "treating physician" to "treating provider" to reflect inclusion. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • HD 1172 – Insurance
    Introduced by Representative John Gaskey (R), HD 1172 requires health insurers provide coverage for detransition-related treatments. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • HD 1210 – Artificial Intelligence
    Introduced by Representative Bradley Jones (R), HD 1210 requires patients to be informed when artificial intelligence is used in their health care communications; patients must be provided with how to contact a human health care provider. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • HD 1227 – Biomarker
    Introduced by Representative Meghan Kilcoyne (D), HD 1227 requires health insurers to provide coverage for biomarker testing; in cases where prior authorization is needed, decisions on standard cases must be made within 72 hours, and decisions on urgent cases must be made within 24 hours. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • HD 1255 – Prior Authorization
    Introduced by Representative Christopher Markey (D), HD 1255 requires health insurers to respond to prior authorization requests within 24 hours. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • HD 1286 – Cancer
    Introduced by Representative Edward Philips (D), HD 1286 requires health insurers to provide no cost-sharing colorectal and breast cancer screenings. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • HD 2393 – Licensure
    Introduced by Representative Marjorie Decker (D), HD 2393 enters the state into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • H 2442 – Surgical Smoke
    Introduced by Representative James Hawkins (D), HD 2442 requires hospitals and surgical facilities to use smoke evacuation systems. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Health Committee.

  • HD 2459 – Concurrent Surgery
    Introduced by Representative Hannah Kane (R), HD 2459 requires informed consent for concurrent surgical procedures; patients scheduled for elective concurrent surgical procedures must receive written notice and informed consent at least 14 days prior, those scheduled for secondary emergency concurrent procedures must receive notice at least 48 hours in advance. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • HD 2484 – Scope of Practice
    Introduced by Representative Jay Livingstone (D), HD 2484 requires anesthesiologist assistants to practice under the supervision of a licensed anesthesiologist. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • HD 2557 – STOP THE BLEEDฎ
    Introduced by Representative Marcus Vaughn (R), HD 2557 requires public buildings with a maximum occupancy of at least 300 people, to have bleeding control kits and trained personnel for bleeding emergencies; each building must have a trained bleeding control kit designee on staff; provides good Samaritan protections. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • H 5159 – Corporate Practice of Medicine ENACTED
    Introduced by Representative John Lawn (D), H 5159 provides oversight and regulation of the health care market to review private equity health care acquisitions to ensure transparency, accountability, and equitable access to health care services. Governor Maura Healey (D) signed the bill into law March 8.

  • S 46 – Artificial Intelligence
    Introduced by Senator Michael Moore (D), S 46 requires determinations of medical necessity to be made by a health care professional; artificial intelligence tools must be open to inspection for audits and base their determinations on an insured's medical history and individual clinical circumstances, rather than solely on group datasets. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Information Technology and Cyber Security Committee.

  • S 770 – Prior Authorization
    Introduced by Senator John Keenan (D), S 770 mandates health insurers must cover services ordered if the service is covered under the insured's plan and adheres to the carrier's clinical review criteria; prohibits health insurers from denying payment for medically necessary services due to administrative or technical defects. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • S 796 – Prior Authorization
    Introduced by Senator Mark Montigny (D), S 796 requires health insurers to respond to prior authorization requests within 24 hours. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • S 809 – Biomarker
    Introduced by Senator Jacob Oliveria (D), S 809 requires health insurers to provide coverage for biomarker testing; prior authorization for biomarker testing must be processed within 72 hours, or 24 hours if a delay poses a significant health risk. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Financial Services Committee.

  • S 1482 – Surgical Smoke
    Introduced by Senator Joanne Comerford (D), S 1482 requires hospitals and surgical facilities to use smoke evacuation systems. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • S 1534 – Corporate Practice of Medicine
    Introduced by Senator Paul Feeney (D), S 1534 mandates only clinicians with independent practice authority can own health care practices; restricts management service organizations from exerting control over clinical decisions, patient records, or employment based on clinical history. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • S 1619 – STOP THE BLEEDฎ
    Introduced by Senator Michael Rush (D), S 1619 requires public buildings with a maximum occupancy of at least 300 people, to have bleeding control kits and trained personnel on staff at all times; the number of kits per building will be determined by a formula informed by research from the American College of Surgeons; provides good Samaritan protections. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Public Health Committee.

  • S 1628 – Corporate Practice of Medicine
    Introduced by Senator Bruce Tarr (R), S 1628 mandates only clinicians with independent practice authority can own and control health care practices. The bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Public Health Committee.

The 2024 MCACS Advocacy Day: Breast Cancer and H4918
(supports no out-of-pocket costs for breast imaging)
Was successfully held on October 30, 2024 at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Massachusetts

Listen to an interview about the event by WBZ Boston with Dr. Peter Hopewood (Surgeon, MCACS Advocacy and ACS Governor)



  • Welcome statements: Dr. Jacqueline Wu (Surgeon and President MCACS)
  • Breast Cancer screening, Incidence, and Mortality in Massachusetts: Dr. Peter Hopewood (Surgeon, MCACS Advocacy and ACS Governor)
  • Evolution of Breast Imaging and Cost: Dr. Michael Fishbein (Radiologist, Falmouth Hospital Cape Cod Healthcare)
    and Christine Fitzgerald (Breast Nurse Navigator, Falmouth Hospital)
  • Breast Cancer, Survivor Testimonial and Its Financial Burden: Nekia Clark (Ellie Fund, and Boston Breast Cancer Equity Coalition)
  • Advancing Health Equity in Breast Cancer: Shioban Torres, MA DPH (Manager of Cancer Initiatives, Massachusetts Department of Public Health)
  • Supporting Breast Cancer Survivors in Massachusetts: Kerri Medeiros (Senior Director, Cancer Center Partnerships, American Cancer Society)
  • H4918 An Act relative to medically necessary breast screenings and exams for equity and early detection: Representative James M Murphy and Senator Michael Rush
  • What’s New with Breast Cancer Assessment and Management : Dr. Faina Nakhlis (Surgeon and President-Elect MCACS)
AmericanCancerSociety_Advocacy
Dr. Peter Hopewood
Bill Signing With Governor Healey and Dr. Jacqueline Wu
Group_Advocacy

Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Surgeons

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