Policy Priorities
Read up on the issues affecting your practice and your patients.
Read Our 2024 Commitment to Policy Action
Protecting Your Practice
ACOG is working to advance the well being of obstetrics and gynecology practices by improving payment rates and minimizing burdensome administrative requirements. In order to continue serving patients, physicians must be appropriately compensated for their work and should not face barriers to providing timely, medically necessary care.
Equitable Payment Rates for Maternity and Surgical Care
ACOG strongly opposes unfair payment cuts and is taking decisive action to stop them from going into effect.
GoAdministrative Burden
The ACOG Health Economics and Practice Management team advocates on behalf of ACOG members with public and private payers to ensure their policies minimize administrative burden.
GoMedical Liability Reform
We advocate for medical liability reform to improve access to care and obstetrician-gynecologist career satisfaction.
GoPayment Parity for Obstetric Services
As our nation faces a persistent and unacceptable maternal mortality crisis, it is essential that federal and state health care policies be designed to improve access to maternity care and invest in maternal health.
GoImproving Maternal Health
Maternal health is an important indicator of the overall health of our nation, states, and local communities. Action to improve women’s health includes closing the outcomes disparities gap among black, Hispanic and white women; eliminating barriers to risk-appropriate care including depression and substance use disorder screening and treatment; ensuring safe obstetric access in rural areas; funding for research to inform evidence-based interventions and quality measures; and reducing maternal deaths and severe pregnancy complications.
Maternal Mortality Prevention
We prioritize efforts to reduce maternal mortality and severe morbidity.
GoSubstance Use Disorder in Pregnancy
Obtaining prenatal care, staying connected to the health care system, and being able to speak openly with a physician about drug problems helps improve birth outcomes.
GoPerinatal Depression
Pregnant and postpartum women are less likely to be appropriately screened and receive treatment for mental health concerns.
GoWomens Health Research
Inclusion of women, including pregnant women, in research studies is necessary for valid inferences about health and disease in women.
GoOpposing Political Interference
Sound health policy must always be science- and evidence-based, so that physicians can provide patients with factual, compassionate, and individualized care and counseling. Politicians must never interfere in the patient-physician relationship or impose unjustified restrictions on medical practices. ACOG advocates against legislation that undermines physicians’ ability to practice medicine according to their professional judgement and medical training.
Abortion Access
We oppose legislation that unduly regulates or criminalizes abortion care providers.
GoBreast Density and Notification Laws
We advocate against legislation that prescribes what must be communicated to patients about breast density and cancer risk.
GoGun Violence Prevention
Women disproportionately experience intimate partner violence, and the presence of firearms is a key risk factor for homicide.
GoPhysician Maintenance of Skills
We advocate against legislation to weaken physician Maintenance of Certification (MOC).
GoImproving Patient Coverage
ACOG has a long and strong history of supporting access to health care for all women. Ob-gyns see firsthand the devastating effect a lack of insurance or under-insurance can have on our patients, and understand how current laws affect our practices. It is ACOG’s priority to ensure women maintain the landmark patient coverage protections of the Affordable Care Act, have robust and meaningful family planning coverage and access, and that Medicaid and Medicare work for both women and their physicians.
Family Planning
We believe all women should have unhindered and affordable access to all FDA-approved contraceptives.
GoTitle X
Title X plays a vital role in ensuring that safe, timely, and evidence-based care is available to every woman regardless of her financial circumstances.
GoPatient Coverage Protections
We're a strong supporter of the landmark women’s health gains made in the Affordable Care Act.
GoMedicaid
We oppose state and federal reforms aimed at reducing participation in the Medicaid program and establishing barriers to care.
GoExtend Postpartum Medicaid Coverage
ACOG is the leading voice advocating to Congress and the Administration to extend Medicaid coverage to at least one year postpartum.
GoEnsuring Health Care Access
No woman should be denied or limited access to quality health care because of where she lives, what her background is, where she was born, or where she gets her health care. Yet, there are a number of populations who face unique and unjust barriers to care, who are systematically underserved, or who are marginalized by restrictive policies.
ACOG advocates for policies that reduce access disparities, expand available services and providers for underserved populations, and reduce discriminatory or medically unjustified barriers to access.
Adolescent Health
We advocate for comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate sexuality education.
GoHealth Care for Incarcerated Women
Incarcerated women face unique barriers to health care, and those who are pregnant and postpartum are at increased risk of negative health outcomes.
GoImmigrant Women
We support the health and well-being of all women and girls without regard to their immigration status.
GoLGBTQIA and Gender Diverse Individuals
ACOG is committed to ensuring all individuals can access high quality, respectful, equitable medical care, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
GoMilitary Servicewomen and Veterans
We advocate to expand availability and coverage of gender-specific care for those who serve our country.
GoStrengthening the Ob-Gyn Workforce
Ob-gyn shortages put women’s lives at risk. ACOG is taking a multipronged approach to ensure women have access to the essential care they need, and that our physician members are supported throughout their careers.
Graduate Medical Education
The number of obstetrician-gynecologists per 10,000 women of reproductive age is in decline; meanwhile the female population is expected to increase 36% by 2050.
GoMidwifery
ACOG respects a pregnant person’s right to make a medically informed decision about their birth attendant and place of delivery and believes hospitals and licensed, accredited birth centers are the safest setting for birth.
GoOther Women's Health Issues
ACOG’s legislative priorities are broad and cover a wide breadth of issues of importance to ob-gyns and our patients.
Environmental Health
Reducing exposure to toxic environmental agents is a critical area of intervention for obstetrician-gynecologists.
GoFemale Genital Mutilation FGM
We oppose all forms of medically unnecessary surgical modification of the female genitalia.
GoPregnant and Breastfeeding Womens Rights and Protections
Women who choose to have children must not face discrimination in the workplace.
GoCombating Racial Bias
ACOG is committed to eliminating disparities in women’s health and to confronting implicit and explicit bias and racism.
Go