Member Call to Action

 

In follow up from our previous alert about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reorganization, announced in late March, we wanted to provide additional information. As a result of the reorganization:

At this critical time, it is important for AUGS to continue to emphasize the need for investment in research on women’s chronic conditions. As you are aware, women comprise 50% of the population, so it is essential to understand and develop new methods of preventing and treating conditions that affect women. Despite this, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that less than 9% of NIH grant funding goes towards women’s health research.

AUGS members – as providers and healthcare professionals who treat and interact with patients – are the best messengers to advocate for women’s health research and to share patient stories to improve care.

Calls to Action:

Volunteer to be a Reviewer: The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) reviews three quarters of all NIH applications and virtually all submitted R01s. Having an increased presence of Urogynecologists serving as reviewers will ensure the development of a more comprehensive knowledge base on Urogynecologic conditions.

Share Your Story: Has your research been impacted by recent legislative changes? The Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) is collecting information on research that has been terminated and its implications. Please submit your story via this google form. Please note that we are asking you to include your name and contact information in case we have any follow up questions. This information will be deidentified before we use it in any advocacy. 

 

Deregulation Request for Information

On April 9, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within the White House issued a Deregulation Request for Information (RFI) asking for ideas for rules and regulations that can be rescinded that are unnecessary, unlawful, or unduly burdensome, along with reasons to support their rescission. OMB particularly seeks information

This follows two previously-issued Executive Orders (EOs): “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” which states that the Trump Administration will repeal ten regulations for every new regulation issued, and “Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s Deregulatory Initiative” which directs agencies, by mid-April, to identify unlawful and potentially unlawful regulations and begin efforts to repeal them.

Comments are due on May 12, 2025.

Call to Action:

AUGS members should consider if there are rules or regulations you would support the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) repealing to decrease regulatory burdens and improve healthcare delivery. Examples could include repealing regulations in order to:

• Improve Medicare physician payment accuracy and reimbursement.
• Reform the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) to reduce the reporting requirements on physicians, particularly if there are specific components of MIPS that should be reformed.
• Reduce documentation requirements associated with E/M visits, routine post-op visits that are part of a 10- or 90-day global surgical package, repeat office-based procedures such as Botox injections and peripheral tibial nerve stimulation, and other services.
• Improve the prior authorization process.

Please reach out to Stacey Barnes (board@augs.org) if you have suggestions for an AUGS-wide comment letter or would like assistance in submitting individual comments. You may also submit as an individual via this link: https://www.regulations.gov/.