Kidney Health Advocacy
A Message From ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN
Dear Colleague:
Dear Colleague,
Thank you for being a member of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).
This June, ASN continued to advance critical kidney health policy priorities that support people living with kidney diseases and their kidney care teams. I'd like to highlight several important ASN advocacy efforts and encourage your continued engagement in ASN's policy priorities as we move into the summer months.
1) Championing Kidney Research and Protecting the NIH Budget
ASN remains steadfast in its support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in particular the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), amid proposed cuts and reorganization. Alongside partners in the kidney community and other research advocacy champions, ASN has urged Congress to ensure that the legally appropriated FY 2025 NIH funds are released, and to block the proposed deep cuts and restructuring in FY 2026. ASN has also called for Congress to provide $51.303 billion for NIH in FY26, including a proportional robust funding increase of no less than $207 million for NIDDK. As the appropriations process unfolds, ASN will continue to advocate for Congress to maintain its steadfast commitment to funding research and reject calls to shortchange the nation's scientific and medical research ecosystem.
In response to growing concerns about political interference in scientific research, over 300 NIH scientists have signed the Bethesda Declaration. Individuals who are interested in supporting this declaration may join the grassroots campaign organized by Stand Up for Science and sign a public letter of support.
2) Addressing the J-1 Visa Pause Impacting International Medical Graduates
In early June, the Department of State announced a temporary pause in processing J-1 visas for international medical graduates (IMGs). This development was especially alarming for nephrology, where nearly two thirds of incoming fellows are IMGs. ASN took swift action by launching a public petition to raise awareness of this issue and was one of the first organizations to send a letter to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for the exemption of all J-1 IMG visa applicants from the pause, and to instead, expedite visa processing and related vetting for this critical group. Any potential disruption posed a direct threat to the thousands of incoming physicians scheduled to begin work at U.S. hospitals as residents and fellows in July.
Following ASN's advocacy efforts, the Department of State issued a diplomatic cable on June 18 that lifted the pause on new visa appointments, and prioritized J-1 physicians for visa interview scheduling. The cable instructed embassies to prioritize visa interviews for physicians applying for a J-1 visa for educational exchange and students looking to "study at a U.S. university where international students constitute 15 percent or less of the total student population".
3) Defending Against ACIP Reconstitution and Ensuring Vaccine Access
ASN joined the broader "House of Medicine" to express deep concern to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his decision to dismiss all 17 current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to reconstitute the committee. ASN was the only organization from the kidney community to join this effort to emphasize how ACIP's independent, expert-led review is essential for maintaining public trust, vaccine coverage, and disease protection.
This was followed up by an open letter to the American public in which ASN reaffirmed its support for influenza, RSV, and COVID‑19 vaccination to reduce preventable illness, hospitalization, and death, while urging insurers and public health partners to guarantee access without cost-sharing.
4) Representing the Kidney Community at the American Medical Association (AMA)
ASN is advancing its advocacy priorities through its participation in the AMA and at AMA's Annual Meeting this month in Chicago. ASN highlighted the challenges facing nephrology to guarantee access to innovative and essential kidney care for pediatric and adult patients, as well as the need for common sense relief for physicians from undue prior authorizations, and provided important context about our system of kidney transplantation, concerning cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, attacks on science and vaccines, and burgeoning workforce challenges. A full summary of the meeting is available in the latest ASN Podcast episode.
ASN is part of the Transplant Caucus within AMA along with several other organizations including, the Renal Physicians Association (RPA) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). More than one transplant-related issue was discussed within various AMA reference committees, and one came to a vote within the full House of Delegates. ASN was proud to collaborate with members of the Transplant Caucus to help shape a positive outcome for the proposed resolution, related to access to organ transplantation. By providing perspectives from the health professionals immersed in kidney and other organ transplantation on a day-to-day basis, ASN, ASTS, RPA, and other Transplant Caucus members ensured the final AMA policy aligned with expert opinion.
ASN is also a member of both the Office-Based Facility Association (OBFA) and the Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition (DVAC). ASN supported both groups' resolution related to decoupling disposable items over $500 from the physician fee schedule.
5) Shaping the Future of Kidney Care
ASN provided detailed feedback to a request for information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC Health IT). ASN's response urges CMS and ASTP/ONC to prioritize digital health tools tailored for kidney patients, ensure open, standards-based data sharing, improve access to claims, clinical, and transplant data, and align regulations to reduce patient burden and support value-based kidney care.
ASN also submitted comments to Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) as part of the Spring 2025 Measures Endorsement & Maintenance (E&M) cycle, which is the process by which quality measures are evaluated for endorsement and potential inclusion in Medicare's quality measurement programs. For this cycle, ASN submitted comments on measures related to the In-Center Hemodialysis Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (ICH-CAHPS) Survey. ASN highlighted concerns about low survey response rates and limited patient engagement and emphasized the growing need for a home dialysis counterpart to the ICH-CAHPS survey.
Most importantly, your voice is vital to these efforts with ASN being the conduit through which your voice can be heard. I therefore encourage you to visit the ASN Legislative Action Center to learn more about how you can help advance kidney health policy priorities.
Thank you again for your continued partnership and advocacy on behalf of those living with kidney diseases.
Sincerely,

Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN
President
Advocating for Transformative Change
ASN—both individually and as a member of healthcare, medical, and scientific coalitions—routinely engages Congress and the Trump Administration, advocating for policies to create transformative changes in kidney health. ASN relies on its Health Care Justice Committee, Policy and Advocacy Committee, Quality Committee, and Transplant Policy Committee when formulating, prioritizing, and accomplishing annual policy priorities. A summary of ASN's most recent advocacy efforts follows—including for fiscal year (FY) 2026 kidney health research—in reverse chronological order.
Kidney Health Advocacy Efforts
2025
June 25, 2025
ASN Reaffirms Support for Vaccination
ASN reaffirms its support for influenza, RSV, and COVID‑19 vaccination—especially in light of the severe 2024–25 respiratory virus season and an anticipated surge this fall—to reduce preventable illness, hospitalization, and death, while urging insurers and public health partners to guarantee access without cost-sharing.
Read more »
June 25, 2025
June 18, 2025
ASN Urges Secretary Kennedy to Reinstate ACIP Members
ASN urges Secretary Kennedy to reinstate members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), emphasizing that their independent, expert-led review is essential for maintaining public trust, vaccine coverage, and disease protection.
Read more »
June 16, 2025
ASN Comments on Improving Digital Health
ASN responds to RFI issued by CMS and ASTP/ONC Health IT on improving digital health products, data interoperability, and infrastructure for Medicare beneficiaries with kidney diseases.
Read more »
June 16, 2025
June 16, 2025
PQM Spring 2025 E&M cycle
ASN submits comments in response to Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Spring 2025 Measures Spring 2025 Endorsement and Maintenance (E&M) cycle.
Read more »
June 13, 2025
ASN Urges Reversal of Visa Interview Pause for IMGs
ASN urges Secretary Rubio to reverse the pause on visa interviews for international medical graduates, warning that this policy threatens patient care and the physician workforce.
Read more »
June 13, 2025
June 10, 2025
ASN Advocacy on FY25 and FY26 NIH Funding
ASN advocates that Congress ensure that the legally appropriated FY 2025 NIH funds are released, and to block proposed FY 2026 deep cuts and restructuring.
Read more »
June 5, 2025
ASN Opposes Proposed NIH Cuts
ASN urges Congress to reject the President's budget proposed 38% cut to NIH for FY 2026 and instead enact bold investment in NIH.
Read more »
June 5, 2025
May 31, 2025
Dear Colleague Letter from ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury
ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury issues monthly Dear Colleague letter to ASN membership outlining several key initiatives to support the kidney community.
Read more »
May 22, 2025
National Institutes of Health and NIDDK
ASN partners with ASPN and NKF to lead the kidney community in urging Congress to provide $51.3 billion for NIH and $2.5 billion for NIDDK in FY 2026.
Read more »
May 22, 2025
May 22, 2025
KidneyX
ASN partners with ASPN and NKF to lead the kidney community in advocating for Congress to provide $25 million for KidneyX in FY 2026.
Read more »
May 12, 2025
Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act
ASN urges Congress to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act to restore long-standing health insurance protections for individuals with kidney failure.
Read more »
May 12, 2025
May 8, 2025
Agency Reduction-in-Force and Reorganization Plans
ASN calls for increased Congressional oversight in Agency Reduction-in-Force and reorganization plans.
Read more »
April 30, 2025
Dear Colleague Letter from ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury
ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury issues monthly Dear Colleague letter to ASN membership outlining several key initiatives to support the kidney community.
Read more »
April 30, 2025
April 25, 2025
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
ASN advocates that Congress reject proposed budget cuts across HHS agencies and centers.
Read more »
April 10, 2025
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
ASN urges lawmakers to provide $1.2 billion for VA research reflecting the critical role VA research plays in advancing veterans' health.
Read more »
April 10, 2025
April 7, 2025
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
ASN advocates that NIH receive $51.3 billion in FY 2026, a 9% increase over FY 2025 funding levels.
Read more »
April 1, 2025
World Health Organization (WHO)
ASN urges UN Member States to vote in favor of a resolution to make kidney health a global priority.
Read more »
April 1, 2025
March 31, 2025
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
ASN emphasizes NIH role in kidney disease research to recently confirmed NIH Director Bhattacharya.
Read more »
March 31, 2025
Dear Colleague Letter from ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury
ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury issues monthly Dear Colleague letter to ASN membership outlining several key initiatives to support the kidney community.
Read more »
March 31, 2025
March 25, 2025
ASN Alert
Now and for the foreseeable future, ASN advises non-citizen medical professionals—including permanent residents—postpone any non-essential travel outside the United States.
Read more »
March 24, 2025
CMS Grants ASN's and AMA's Request to Reopen Applications for MIPS Extension of EUC Hardship Exception
Following a request from ASN and the American Medical Association, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) reopened applications for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable (EUC) hardship for performance year 2024 due to the intravenous (IV) fluid shortage caused by Hurricane Helene last fall.
Read more »
March 24, 2025
March 20, 2025
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Systems Organ Transplantation
ASN and more than 30 members of the kidney community urge Congress to include $67 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Systems Organ Transplantation program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill.
Read more »
March 7, 2025
Supporting Clinical Research
CMSS, the national organization of specialty societies of which ASN is a member, continues to denounce governmental interference into the practice of medicine that undermines the patient-physician relationship.
Read more »
March 7, 2025
March 3, 2025
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
ASN calls on Congress to fully fund AHRQ at $500 million for FY 2026.
Read more »
February 28, 2025
Dear Colleague Letter from ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury
ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury issues Dear Colleague letter to ASN membership outlining several key initiatives to support the kidney community.
Read more »
February 28, 2025
February 25, 2025
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
ASN urges Congress to provide at least $1.77 billion increase for NIH in the FY 2025 appropriations package and preserve existing protections against cuts to reimbursement for NIH grantee Facilities and Administrative costs.
Read more »
February 5, 2025
Expansion of Oral Health Coverage for DKD Patients
After CMS expanded oral health coverage for kidney failure patients in last year's ESRD Prospective Payment System (PPS) and Quality Incentive Program (QIP) final rule, ASN urges CMS extend this coverage to patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Read more »
February 5, 2025
February 4, 2025
CMS Medicare Advantage Policy and Technical Changes Proposed Rule
ASN submits comments in response to the public comment period for CMS-4208-P: Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
Read more »
February 3, 2025
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
ASN advocates Congress to increase federal investment in NIH supported research and provide at least $48 billion for NIH in FY 2025.
Read more »
February 3, 2025
January 28, 2025
ASN President Highlights Advocacy Commitment
ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN highlights ASN's commitment to advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney health.
Read more »
January 15, 2025
OSHA Heat Injury and Prevention Standard
ASN urges the Occupational Safety and Health Administration finalize and implement its new heat injury and prevention standard, due to the link between occupational heat exposure and the development of serious medical issues including to the kidney.
Read more »
January 15, 2025
January 14, 2025
Congressional Hill Day
ASN develops its annual policy priorities to advocate for during its March 2025 Congressional Hill Day.
Read more »
January 3, 2025
Improving HHS Pre-waitlisting Data Collection
ASN supports HHS's proposal to collect data on "black box" between referral for kidney transplant and waitlisting but urges crucial steps to minimize burden on transplant centers.
Read more »
January 3, 2025
2024
December 20, 2024
PQM Fall Measures Under Consideration
ASN submits comments in response to Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Fall 2024 Measures Under Consideration Cycle.
Read more »
December 2, 2024
NIH and NIDDK
ASN requests Congress complete the FY 2025 Labor-HHS funding bill and provide $48 billion in NIH funding and $2.31 billion for NIDDK funding.
Read more »
December 2, 2024
November 18, 2024
NIH and Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
ASN urges Congress to provide no less than $48 billion for base funding for the NIH, as well as funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, in the FY 2025 Labor-HHS spending bill by the end of the calendar year.
Read more »
September 6, 2024
NIH and NIDDK
ASN asks Congress to include at least $48 billion in funding to the NIH and a proportional increase to NIDDK in FY 2025.
Read more »
September 6, 2024
Additional Advocacy Resources
April 2025: On April 16, a 64-page copy of the Department of Health and Human Services' Fiscal Year (FY) 2026
Discretionary Budget "Passback" was leaked. A "passback" is an annual document that the White House
Office of Management and Budget sends to agency heads outlining funding priorities for that
agency in the upcoming president's budget. ASN, in collaboration with the broader scientific and medical community, is actively monitoring the FY 2026 budget and appropriations process. An in-depth analysis of the "passback" can be viewed here.
February 2025: How Trump's Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State (New York Times).
Council on Governmental Relations Facilities and Administrative Cost Reimbursement Advocacy Materials.
Association of American Medical Colleges Advocacy Resources on Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs:
- A fact sheet outlining key messages and a frequently asked questions overview.
- A comparison of foundations' support for F&A to government support.
- An infographic illustrating what types of expenses are and are not supported by F&A reimbursement.
January 2025: Research!America releases results of national survey showing Americans want President and Congress to assign higher priority to medical progress.