It is essential that surgeons be politically active and serve as advocates for their patients and their profes- sion. This article provides an overview of the legislative
and political process and describes the role of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Division of Advocacy and
Health Policy (DAHP) and the actions it takes to represent surgeons and surgical patients in Washington, DC.
How a bill becomes a law
Any senator or representative may introduce a bill by filing
it with the Clerk of the Senate or the House of Representatives. Once a bill is submitted, the Clerk assigns it a bill
number and sends it to the committee(s) of jurisdiction.
Most health care authorization legislation falls within the
purview of four committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means; Senate Finance; and Senate
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). After a
bill is referred to a committee, it is subject to hearings and
Using advocacy to advance
ACS policy priorities
for surgeons and their patients
by Justin Rosen,
Katie Oehmen,
V102 No 9 BULLETIN American College of Surgeons
16 |
ACS ADVOCACY
HIGHLIGHTS
• Describes how a bill originates
and the four committees that
oversee health care legislation
• Outlines the branches of
government and their role
in health care policy
• Summarizes how the ACS
DAHP tracks relevant
legislation and builds
relationships with
congressional offices
