The Endocrine Society continues to champion increases in funding for biomedical research. Last week, the Society submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Committee urging Congress to fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Title X at robust levels in Fiscal Year 2025.
Now is the time to reach out to your Members of Congress about the value of your research and research funding. We encourage you to take action in our online campaign tool to send messages to your Senators and Representatives today.
On May 8, the National Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Advisory Council had a meeting where members heard about institute priorities, research advances, and new opportunities. Throughout the meeting, participants discussed the powerful intersection of data science and the value it brings to healthcare, including health equity. Participants also heard ideas from program staff that could inform future research directions at the Institute. These concepts included ideas around recruiting and supporting the next generation of researchers, advancing basic science research opportunities for early career scientists, managing the treatment of diabetes, and improving health equity. Finally, the Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism subcouncil discussed potential research opportunities around shared decision making in diabetes care. The Endocrine Society’s position statement on prioritizing patient experiences in the management of diabetes and its complications was cited as a background resource supporting this discussion. We will continue to monitor and report on NIDDK strategic plans and research opportunities that may be of interest to our research communities.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) plans to release a draft research plan on anti-obesity medications (AOMs), which could include recommendations on whether these medications should be covered by insurance. The USPSTF is an independent panel of experts in primary care funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services tasked with reviewing and providing recommendations for preventive services. Though the USPSTF has not indicated when the draft plan will be released, if the taskforce were to recommend coverage of AOMs with an A or B grade, most private insurers would be required to cover the medications without cost-sharing.
The Endocrine Society has engaged with USPSTF on this topic: last year we encouraged the Task Force to look at the benefits of covering AOMs and shared research with the taskforce showing the need to cover these medications. The Society also continues to advocate for Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), which would allow Medicare to cover AOMs. If the taskforce recommended coverage of AOMs, this could help advance TROA in Congress.
The Endocrine Society will host the second annual Endocrinology Mentor Day (eMD) at ENDO 2024 in Boston. The event will take place on Sunday, June 2. During the event, medical students and residents will be paired with an Endocrine Society member as their “mentor” for the day. Mentors will guide attendees around ENDO and introduce them to ENDO’s signature programs, including poster presentations, interesting case studies, and a plenary session. The event at ENDO 2023 in Chicago last year was a big success, due in large part to our terrific mentors. If you are interested in joining us for this program as a mentor, or would like to learn more about the event, please email Ellie Cliff at [email protected].
We rely on your voice to advocate for our policy priorities. Join us to show our strength as a community that cares about endocrinology. Contact your U.S representatives or European Members of Parliament through our online platform. Take action and make a difference today.