The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Implications for Emergency Medicine

The latest installment of ACEP’s “Capitol Rounds” webinar series offers an overview of the recently-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and its significant implications for emergency physicians’ practice and patients.

ACEP is strongly opposed to these drastic changes to Medicaid, including stricter eligibility rules, work requirements, and a $1 trillion reduction in spending over the next decade. And we are making sure that policymakers hear deep concerns directly from the frontlines.

This webinar features Dr. Sar Medoff, an emergency physician in Georgia and a member of ACEP’s State Legislative and Regulatory Committee, presenting the Medicaid work requirement experience in Georgia and Arkansas as a preview of potential challenges that national implementation could bring. ACEP Advocacy staff also discussed OBBBA’s five-year, $50 billion rural health transformation program, impact on Medicare physician payment, and  ACEP-opposed changes to federal student loan programs.

New CMS Proposed Rules Include ACEP-Developed Updates

Beyond OBBBA, there are new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rules that include numerous updates that ACEP helped develop and strongly supports. If finalized as written, the proposed changes include notable wins for emergency physicians;

• The first Medicare payment increase for emergency physicians in 6 years,
• Permanent codes for EM & critical care telehealth services, and;
• A new, more sophisticated, quality measure to tackle the boarding crisis.

ACEP is proud to be the voice of emergency physicians amid sweeping federal policy changes. While the policy landscape remains fluid, it is increasingly clear that now is the time emergency physicians must stay educated, stay engaged, and stand together.

Take these steps to act on the issues that matter to you and your patients:

• Join the ACEP 911 Grassroots Network to receive our weekly 911 Grassroots Network newsletter with updates and alerts.
• Contact your lawmakers directly through the ACEP Advocacy Action Center.

Related:

• ACEP’s First Take: 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and MACRA Quality Payment Program (QPP) Proposed Rule
• ACEP’s First Take: 2026 OPPS Summary
• Previous ACEP Advocacy Webinars:
  • Shift Change: The First 100 Days of the New Congress and Presidential Administration (part 1 | part 2 )
  • Capitol Rounds: Charting What's Happening in DC and Statehouses