Opportunity to Fill Out Pledge Form at Upcoming Annual Meeting   

Dear LUGPA Members,

As we prepare for the 2026 LUGPA Annual Meeting in Chicago, I want to highlight the important role your support plays in advancing LUGPA’s 2027 advocacy efforts.

Your participation helps LUGPA maintain a strong presence in Washington and engage policymakers on the issues that directly affect independent urology practices, physicians, and patients.

Make Your 2027 Pledge at the Annual Meeting

At this year’s Annual Meeting, you will have an opportunity to support LUGPA’s advocacy efforts through our fly-in fundraiser donation card. We encourage you to discuss this opportunity with your colleagues in advance and come prepared with your group’s approved pledge.

For your convenience, pledges can also be made online following the meeting:

Submit Your 2027 Pledge Form HERE

Your support helps LUGPA continue engaging directly with Members of Congress and advocating for policies that recognize the value of independent, physician-led care.

Why Your Support Matters

LUGPA’s advocacy efforts focus on federal policies that affect how independent urology practices are reimbursed, how care is delivered, and the ability of physicians to remain independent.

LUGPA engages Members of Congress from both parties who serve in key positions, including:

• House and Senate Leadership
• Senate Finance Committee
• House Energy and Commerce Committee
• House Ways and Means Committee
• Doctors Caucus

Throughout the year, LUGPA participates in targeted fundraising events that provide opportunities for physician members to engage directly with lawmakers.

Your group’s participation helps support these efforts and gives LUGPA additional opportunities to bring the perspective of independent urology to Washington.

How Contributions Work

LUGPA does not operate a political action committee (PAC) and cannot accept contributions intended for federal candidates or forward contributions to candidates.

Instead, individual physicians may make contributions directly to federal candidates, subject to applicable Federal Election Commission requirements and contribution limits.

Key requirements include:

• Contributions must comply with applicable federal contribution limits.
• Contributions must come from permissible sources.
• Corporate funds may not be used for contributions to federal candidates.
• Certain LLCs may make contributions subject to applicable federal rules and attribution requirements.
• Contributions must be made directly to the candidate or candidate committee.
• LUGPA cannot receive and forward candidate contributions.
• Contributions to candidates are not tax-deductible.

Why LUGPA Does Not Have a PAC

LUGPA has chosen a different approach to political engagement.

Targeted Engagement: Rather than operating a traditional PAC, LUGPA facilitates opportunities for individual physicians to engage directly with Members of Congress through fundraising events and other advocacy activities.

Direct Physician Participation: Individual physician contributions allow members to participate directly in supporting candidates and building relationships with lawmakers.

Bipartisan Advocacy: LUGPA engages with Members of Congress from both parties based on their roles in healthcare policy and their representation of issues important to independent urology.

2027 Advocacy Priorities

LUGPA’s 2027 advocacy agenda will build on the issues we have been working on throughout 2026, including:

• Medicare Physician Payment: Pursuing sustainable Medicare payment updates, including reforms that better account for changes in practice costs and the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), while addressing structural problems with the physician fee schedule.
• Site-Neutral Payment: Promoting payment policies that reduce incentives to shift physician services from independent practices to higher-cost hospital settings when the same service is being provided.
• Prior Authorization Reform: Reducing unnecessary administrative requirements, improving transparency, and establishing more consistent standards for prior authorization.
• Medicare Advantage: Addressing payment and administrative policies that can create unnecessary barriers to timely patient care.
• Drug Access and Physician-Directed Dispensing: Supporting policies that preserve appropriate physician-directed dispensing and patient access to therapies while promoting affordability and transparency.
• 340B Reform: Supporting reforms that improve transparency and accountability while preserving access for patients who rely on safety-net providers.
• Telehealth: Supporting policies that maintain appropriate access to telehealth and provide sustainable reimbursement for virtual care.
• AI and Health Technology: Promoting responsible adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies while maintaining appropriate physician oversight and patient protections.
• Patient Access and Innovation: Supporting policies that improve access to advanced diagnostics, biomarker testing, precision medicine, and innovative treatments in urology.
• Independent Practice: Protecting the ability of physician-led practices to remain independent and compete in an increasingly consolidated healthcare system.

Advocacy Resources

To help you engage your colleagues, we’ve developed comprehensive advocacy materials: LUGPA Advocacy, Why It Matters. These include detailed talking points and visually engaging slides to effectively communicate our advocacy priorities.

• You can download the Why it Matters Outline here, and theWhy it Matters Slides here.

Get Involved

We encourage every practice to participate in LUGPA’s advocacy efforts.

One of the most effective ways to become involved is to send a representative from your practice to a LUGPA Washington, DC fly-in. These meetings provide an opportunity to meet directly with Members of Congress and their staff and discuss the issues affecting independent urology.

For questions about the pledge process, advocacy activities, or upcoming fly-ins, please contact me at [email protected] or 773-502-0849.

Thank You

Your continued support allows LUGPA to maintain a strong and consistent advocacy presence in Washington.

Together, we can continue making sure policymakers understand the important role independent urology plays in delivering high-quality care and maintaining access for patients across the country.

Warm regards,

Matthew Glans
LUGPA Advocacy Team