Opportunity to Fill Out Pledge Form at Upcoming Annual Meeting   

Dear LUGPA Members,

As we prepare for the 2025 LUGPA Annual Meeting in Chicago, I would like to emphasize the pivotal role your support plays in advancing our 2026 advocacy efforts. Your contributions are the backbone of our mission to protect and strengthen independent urology practices across the nation, ensuring sustainable care delivery for our patients.

Make Your Pledge at the Annual Meeting

At this year’s meeting, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to our advocacy initiatives through our fly-in fundraiser donation card. We encourage you to discuss this opportunity with your colleagues in advance and come prepared with your approved donation. For your convenience, pledges can also be made online following the meeting.

Your generous support is critical to driving LUGPA’s advocacy mission forward and amplifying our voice in Washington, DC.

Why Your Support Matters

LUGPA’s advocacy efforts directly shape legislation and policies that impact independent urology practices and our patients. Your contributions enable us to support Members of Congress from both Republican and Democratic parties who serve on key committees and caucuses, including:

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

These lawmakers play a critical role in shaping healthcare policies that affect our practices. Your group’s contribution, consisting of personal checks ranging from $500 to $3,500 per physician, will be directed to the campaign of a key legislator aligned with our goals. This targeted giving strategy maximizes our influence and ensures our advocacy remains impactful.

Legal Compliance and Contribution Guidelines

LUGPA cannot accept contributions directly, as we are not permitted to contribute to political campaigns, nor can we accept general contributions to a Political Action Committee (PAC), as LUGPA does not operate a PAC.

Why LUGPA Doesn’t Have a PAC

• Focused Giving Approach: Unlike PACs, which distribute small contributions across many candidates, LUGPA’s targeted giving supports lawmakers closely aligned with our legislative priorities, ensuring greater impact.
• Contribution Limits: PAC contributions are capped at $5,000, which limits the ability to host meaningful events that advance our advocacy goals.
• Strength of Individual Contributions: The collective impact of individual physician contributions creates a robust and influential support base for key Members of Congress.

Political Contributions & Compliance
Please keep in mind the following Federal Election Commission (FEC) requirements:

• Contribution Limits: Individuals may give up to $3,500 per election (2025–26 cycle).
• Entity Rules: LLCs taxed as partnerships may contribute if properly attributed to members; corporations may not contribute.
• Direct Giving: Contributions must go directly to candidates—LUGPA cannot forward checks.
• Source of Funds: Only U.S.-generated funds may be used.
• Tax Status: Contributions are not tax-deductible.

2026 Legislative Agenda

LUGPA’s 2026 legislative priorities are designed to strengthen independent urology practices and enhance patient care. Key focus areas include:

• Sustainable Physician Reimbursement: Advocating for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) reforms tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), modernizing MACRA/MIPS to reduce administrative burdens, and ensuring patient access to high-cost cancer therapies amidst drug pricing reforms.
• Site-Neutral Payment Reform: Promoting equitable reimbursement for identical services across hospital and independent practice settings to enhance affordability and competition.
• Patient Access and Care Delivery: Protecting access to advanced cancer therapies, reinstating in-office dispensing of Part D medications, and promoting transparent pricing to address financial toxicity.
• Flexible Reimbursement Models: Expanding value-based care and Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) procedures to improve access and reduce costs.
• Telehealth Permanency: Ensuring sustained telehealth access with fair reimbursement to support equitable care delivery.
• Workforce and Wellness: Addressing urology workforce shortages, supporting provider wellness, and improving access in rural and underserved communities.
• Precision Medicine: Advocating for reimbursement for molecular and genetic testing to advance personalized urologic care.
• PBM and 340B Reform: Promoting transparency in Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) practices and ensuring the 340B program prioritizes underserved patients.
• Medicare Advantage Reform: Streamlining prior authorization processes to reduce delays and administrative burdens.
• Cybersecurity and AI: Supporting secure AI integration and robust cybersecurity measures to protect patient data and foster innovation.

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 the Why it Matters Slides here.

Get Involved

We invite you to send a representative from your practice to our Washington, DC fly-ins, where you can meet directly with lawmakers and advocate for our shared priorities. These events offer a powerful platform to influence healthcare policy and strengthen our collective voice.

For questions or to coordinate participation, please contact me at [email protected] or 773-502-0849.

Thank You

Your continued support fuels our advocacy efforts and drives meaningful change for independent urology practices. Together, we can advance our 2026 legislative agenda, protect the future of our profession, and ensure high-quality care for our patients.

Warm regards,
Matthew Glans
LUGPA Advocacy Team