Posted on Friday, May 9, 2025
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by AMAC Action
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Legislation and Policy Support
S. 1629 – Same Care, Lower Cost Act
This legislation takes long-overdue steps to address one of the most persistent inefficiencies in Medicare – payment disparities for identical services based solely on the site of care. Medicare reimburses hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) at significantly higher rates than physician offices or ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), even when the same services can be delivered safely and effectively in those less costly settings. This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify at least 66 ambulatory payment classifications (APCs) that can be safely and appropriately reimbursed at the same rate regardless of site of service, using MedPAC’s own recommendations. Importantly, emergency and trauma-related services would remain exempt from these provisions, ensuring that urgent care needs continue to receive full support. Until the text of the bill is uploaded to Congress.gov, you can read it here. Click here to read AMAC Action’s letter of support.
AMAC Supports Bill to Protect Victims of Cybercrime and Fraud
Across the country, retirees and families are suffering profound financial losses due to cybercrime, fraudulent schemes, structural home failures, and natural disasters. Under current law, victims are often forced to pay taxes on income or assets they no longer possess, compounding their trauma and undermining their ability to recover. By restoring the Casualty and Theft Loss Deduction for the years 2018 through 2025, this legislation ensures that the tax code does not punish those who have already suffered significant, often devastating, losses through no fault of their own. Click here to read AMAC Action’s letter of support.
Action ☆ Academy
Why Did America Fight the Korean War?
Just a few short years following World War 2, America became embroiled in the Korean War. In the 5-minute video Why Did America Fight the Korean War?, learn from historian Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, how it was a transformative moment for America and why he believes the sacrifices were worth it. PragerU is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes American values in short educational videos for people of all ages.
Term of the Week: Stamp Act
“A law passed by the British government in 1765 that required the payment of a tax to Britain on a great variety of papers and documents, including newspapers, that were produced in the American colonies. Special stamps were to be attached to the papers and documents as proof that the tax had been paid. The stamp tax was the first direct tax ever levied by Britain on the Americans, who rioted in opposition. The American colonists petitioned King George III to repeal the act, which he did in 1766.”
(Hirsch, E. D., et al. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin, 1993, p. 264.)
Class for May and June
Introduction to Aristotle’s Ethics: How to Lead a Good Life
How do you live well? In his book Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle contends that happiness is the result of a person’s character, which in turn is shaped by choices made in day-to-day living. Sign up for Hillsdale College’s free 10-lecture course Introduction to Aristotle’s Ethics: How to Lead a Good Life and discover Aristotle’s vision of a happy life and how it can be achieved.
Quote of the Week
“In what sane world can a federal judge tell the executive and the Treasury secretary which employees can have access to a computer system?”
— Margot Cleveland
Fight to save the America we love! If you’d like to become a volunteer AMAC Action Delegate, please contact us at (855) 809-6976 or [email protected].
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