|
A Letter to Our Membership:
Dear UROPAC Member,
On Tuesday, March 23rd, President Obama signed the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) into law. As the only political action committee for Urology, UROPAC has been dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of urology and urologic patients for years. UROPAC has never been more active than over the past eighteen months. We have worked with the House and the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans, to advocate for the interests of our members as this healthcare reform legislation was being formulated. We have sent dozens of letters, made countless personal visits to members of Congress, and participated in many grassroots campaigns to bring our message forward. While our voices were heard on some issues, we were not heard on others. While we applaud some of the provisions in PPACA and support the need for healthcare reform, we were forced to oppose this bill.
The fight for healthcare reform in Congress is not over; in fact, in many ways, it has just begun. Please Click Here to Read UROPAC’s Entire Statement on Health Reform
Click Here to Download UROPAC Talking Points
Click Here to Download UROPAC’s Legislative Priorities - We encourage UROPAC Members to print out this one pager and use it in meetings with your elected officials.
DONATE TO UROPAC TODAY!
As national healthcare reform moves forward at a frantic pace, it may be very detrimental to urology. There is no time to waste; UROPAC needs your financial support now more than ever.
A major battle in urology’s fight is Congress’ attempt to limit your access to in-office ultrasound. Ultrasound is a key diagnostic tool for specialists much like the stethoscope is for primary care physicians. Congress is attempting to expand the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) recommendation meant to apply only to advanced, expensive imaging such as CT, MRI and PET scans to more cost-effective imaging such as ultrasound. They are also seeking to expand the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) accreditation requirement to ultrasound…Read More
 UROPAC Honor Roll
UROPAC thanks its Capitol Club ($1000+), Congressional Benefactor ($535+), and UrologyOne ($250+) members for their generous contributions.
These contributions allow urology to speak with one voice to elected officials, and expands your influence beyond your individual legislative district. We will continue our fight in this critical year even more aggressively than ever.
Update on Supreme Court Campaign Finance Decision:
In January, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote to end a 20-year-old limit on corporate and union influence on Presidential and Congressional campaigns. Corporations and unions had been prohibited for decades from spending money from their general treasuries aimed at electing or defeating candidates. The ruling now allows corporations to spend general treasury funds freely to support or oppose campaigns and candidacies. The decision, however, left in place the prohibition on direct contributions from corporations and unions to candidates. Many are bracing for a dramatic increase in political spending.
The ruling does not impact UROPAC or other political action committees (PACs) that set limits on the amount individuals may contribute to a candidate. PAC funding is composed of voluntary donations from individuals and employees of a corporation or union, but not from a corporation or union’s treasuries. To be clear, urologists are encouraged to give their personal funds to UROPAC, rather than corporate/LLC funds, which cannot be distributed to regulated federal campaign finance entities.
|
