The following are talking points to use in conversations, interviews and social media about ACEP’s federal advocacy around COVID-19.
• As emergency physicians remain on the frontlines of caring for those affected, there is a continued need for policymakers to implement changes to effectively combat COVID-19
- At a federal level, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is focused on protecting patients’ access to care, securing the health care workforce, and ensuring adequate resource allocation during this growing public health emergency.
- We urge the federal government to exhaust every option available to rapidly increase PPE production and prioritize distribution to emergency physicians and other frontline health care providers.
Securing the Health Care Workforce
- ACEP is working to ensure health workers have prompt access to treatment and testing and is calling for other on-the-job protections. These include:
- Removing barriers that impede physicians from working across state lines
- Clarifying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on the quarantining of health care professionals exposed to COVID-19.
- Extending all Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other regulatory deadlines by at least 30 days so that emergency physicians and other health care professionals can keep their focus on patients instead of paperwork.
