The fight for healthcare reform continues. As the 112 th Congress and the Administration begin implementation of provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), UROPAC, the only political action committee dedicated to promoting and protecting the interests of urology and urologic patients, will need to ensure that the interests of the profession and its ability to provide high quality care to patients are protected.

We will advocate strongly for revisions to some of the more troubling provisions included in the ACA, such as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and address some of the significant issues which were missing from the bill, such as the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and medical liability reform.

UROPAC, composed of leaders from both the AUA and the AACU, has identified the top legislative concerns facing urology today and divided them into three categories:

• Priorities where urology is the lead
• Core priorities of organized medicine where urology works with coalition partners
• Areas which require monitoring

Urology as lead:

• Protection of the In‐Office Ancillary Exception to the Stark Physician Self-Referral Law (IOAE)
• Promotion of the PROSTATE Act
• Promotion of the bill to create a Commission on Urotrauma
• Regulatory Issues specific to Urology (e.g., practice expense, restrictions on ultrasound)

Urology working with coalition partners::

• Permanent fix to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR)
• Repeal/Modification of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)
• General Regulatory Issues, such as the elimination of consultation codes and the RUC
• Quality Measure Development and Implementation
• Medical Liability Reform

Urology will continue to monitor:

• Health Information Technology/Meaningful Use
• New Payment Systems, such as ACOs, Bundling, and Value-Based Purchasing

The UROPAC leadership is committed to advocate for our profession at both the federal and state level. We will work with all member of Congress to ensure that our interests and those of our patients are protected. Moving forward in this new Congressional cycle, UROPAC will pay close attention to these issues and support those Members of Congress that support them.