Homepage > Policy & Advocacy

SHM’s Letters to Policymakers

SHM Submits Comments on Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) FY27 Proposed Rule

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), representing the nation’s more than 50,000 hospitalists, appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed rule: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes (CMS-1849-P).

Letter Other Issues Regulatory

SHM Comments on the National Institutes of Health Strategic Plan 2027-2031

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) submitted the following comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Request for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments and Suggestions on a Framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031. The comments underscore funding challenges for multidisciplinary health services and implementation sciences research, hallmarks of research in hospital medicine, and the potential opportunities for improving the quality and efficiency of care for hospitalized patients.

Letter Other Issues Regulatory

SHM Joins Sign-On Letter of Support for the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) joined a sign-on letter to express our strong support for H.R. 8163, the “Provider Reimbursement Stability Act.” This legislation represents a necessary step toward building a more rational, predictable Medicare physician payment system that preserves patient access to care and reflects the true cost of delivering high-quality medical services.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins Letter of Support for FY27 Appropriations Funding for Gun Violence Prevention Research

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), representing the nation’s hospitalists, joins the undersigned national, state, and local medical, public health, and research organizations write to ask to provide $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Sends Letter of Support for the H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), representing the nation’s hospitalists, is pleased to support the H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act (H.R. 7961). This bipartisan legislation will exempt physicians and other health care workers from the $100,000 fee for H-1B petitions that was imposed by the administration last September. It also prohibits new H-1B fees from being imposed on health care workers that exceed the existing statutory fees.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Urges HHS to Address Administrative Backlog Affecting J-1 Exchange Visitor Waiver Program

On behalf of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and the nation’s more than 50,000 hospitalists, we write to urge immediate action to address the administrative backlog currently affecting the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) J-1 Exchange Visitor Waiver Program. This delay poses a direct and urgent threat to the care of hospitalized patients in rural and underserved communities across the United States.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins Sign-On Letter Endorsing H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are writing to strongly support the introduction of the “H-1Bs for the Physicians and Healthcare Workforce Act” (H.R. 7961). This bipartisan legislation would exempt physicians and other health professionals from the new $100,000 H-1B fee, thereby ensuring patients continue to have access to the physicians and health care workers that millions of Americans depend on.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Urges CMS to Reconsider Practice Expense (PE) Cuts Finalized in 2026 Physician Fee Schedule

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), representing the nation’s more than 50,000 hospitalists, is writing to urge you to reconsider the facility Practice Expense (PE) cuts finalized in the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule rule and reopen the policy in the FY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Statement for the Record on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Hearing, “Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape.”

On behalf of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and the 50,000 hospitalists practicing across the United States, SHM submits this statement for the record. We thank the Subcommittee on Health for the opportunity to submit a statement for the record on one of the most pressing challenges facing American patients and families: the affordability of hospital-based healthcare.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins Sign-On Letter Supporting Full FY27 Funding of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

To meet the needs of America’s patients, researchers, providers, and health systems, 259 leading organizations call for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to be fully funded at $500 million in FY27 and that the Agency have sufficient staff to manage its statutory obligations.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

Request for Information: HHS Health Sector AI RFI

On behalf of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the responsible development, regulation, and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical care.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins Joint Letter Urging DHS To Exempt Health Care Sector From New H-1B Visa Petitions

SHM signs on to joint letter urging DHS to create a health care sector exemption for new H-1B visa petitions to prevent additional strain on the health care workforce.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Replies to Request for Information on MACRA Reform

Hospitalists have a range of experience with participating in the two MACRA pathways (MIPS and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs)), including having been major participants in the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement models. It is from these perspectives that we offer our comments on your questions.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins Joint Letter Urging Congressional Oversight on New Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

The undersigned organizations, representing health care clinicians, public health professionals, scientists, patients, and family advocates, urge you to conduct swift and robust oversight regarding the abrupt changes to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule announced on Jan. 5, 2026. It is essential that action is promptly taken to protect vaccine availability and coverage for all previously recommended immunizations for all families, including through the Vaccines for Children program.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Reaffirms Support of Prior Authorization Reform

SHM signs multi-stakeholder letter in strong support of (H.R. 3514/S. 1816), the “Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025” which would streamline and standardize prior authorization requirements within the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, addressing one of the most persistent barriers to timely, medically necessary care for America’s seniors.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Leads Multispecialty Effort to Stop Facility Based Practice Expense Cuts

Hospitalists face an estimated 7% cut to their Medicare reimbursement due to the PE reduction. This will significantly decrease available resources for patient-focused quality improvement efforts, innovation, and clinician recruitment, which are all critical for purposes of delivering high quality care and maintaining patient access. Congress must act immediately to stop this arbitrary cut prior to its implementation on January 1, 2026.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM and ACPA Partner in Expressing Concern over Aetna Claims Process

Aetna's proposed inpatient claims process presents as reducing administrative burden, it effectively redefines inpatient and observation, undermining statutory protections and Medicare’s own coverage rules.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Supports Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R.4313/S.2237)

This legislation would provide much-needed stability and certainty to Hospital at Home Programs by extending waiver flexibilities through 2030 — thereby avoiding another cliff that Hospital at Home programs are currently experiencing after the current authorities expired on September 30, 2025.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM joins coalition opposing DHS proposed rule that replaces admission for duration of status with fixed periods of admission for J-1 physicians

This change would create unnecessary administrative burdens, disrupt physician training, and threaten patient care—especially in underserved communities that rely on international medical graduates.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM joins letter requesting physician exemption from new H-1B filing fees

SHM joins the AMA and 54 national medical groups requesting physicians be exempt from the new, higher H-1B filing fees per the National Interest Waiver language within the September 19th Presidential proclamation.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Comments on the CY2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule

SHM Comments to CMS on the proposed elimination of the Inpatient Only list.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Submits Comments on the CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

The Society of Hospital Medicine opposes CMS's proposed cuts to facility-based Practice Expense Relative Value Units (PE RVUs), fearing substantial impacts on hospital medicine groups and patient care. They advocate for collaborative discussions on PE concerns, support eliminating telehealth frequency limits, and caution against mandatory reporting changes in the Quality Payment Program.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins the AMA and Others Expressing Concern About MIPS Measures

Letter expresses concerns and continued frustration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) process for reviewing and selecting quality measures for its programs.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Supports Introduction of the Healthcare Workforce Reslilience Act

SHM supports this bipartisan legislation that will recapture unused employment-based visas and utilize them to help fill health care staffing shortages by expediting processing for immigrant physicians and nurses.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

SHM Joins Multistakeholder Letter on Extending Hospital at Home

SHM joins the Moving Health Home Alliance on a letter to Congressional leaders asking for a five year extension of the acute hospital care at home waiver program.

Legislative Letter Other Issues

The power of a letter.

Part of the Society of Hospital Medicine’s advocacy efforts is providing feedback and expertise on legislation and regulations that affect hospital medicine and the healthcare system. SHM regularly sends letters to Congressional leaders and regulatory agencies.