On Hill Day 2025, 34 ASTCT members met with 45 House and Senate offices from 21 different states to advocate for increased NIH funding and increased patient access to lifesaving transplantation and cellular therapies.
Hear from Dr. Richard Maziarz on the power of a unified community and from Stephanie Bardin, PharmD, MA, on why in-person advocacy feels truly meaningful.
ASTCT Comments on the CY 2026 OPPS & MPFS Proposed Rules
In September, ASTCT submitted the following comments regarding the CY 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rules. It is expected that CMS will announce final rules on the 2026 OPPS and MPFS this fall.
All ASTCT comment letters on proposed rules can be found on the ASTCT website. Please feel free to direct any questions to ASTCT’s Government and Payer Relations Director, Molly Ford.
Read ASTCT's OPPS Commnet Letter
Read ASTCT's MPFS Comment Letter
Call for Volunteers
ASTCT seeks members with a passion for policy, access and regulatory impact to serve on two key advocacy-focused committees:
Government Relations Committee: Help monitor and influence federal legislation and regulations, share expert insights with federal agencies, and keep ASTCT members informed of issues that affect ASTCT and the patients that they serve.
Payer Relations Committee: Help engage CMS and third-party payers on coverage and reimbursement issues, data standardization, and payer-related issues affecting ASTCT and its members.
Please note, this opportunity is only available to ASTCT members. We encourage you to renew your membership for 2026 before applying.
Submit Interest
Webinar: Understanding RFIs in the Payer-Provider Relationship
The recent ASTCT webinar, “The Role of RFIs in the Payer-Provider Relationship,” explored how Request for Information (RFI) documents affect Center of Excellence (COE) participation and the evolving payer landscape.
Presenters Claire White, MSN, RN, and Victoria Collier, RN, BSN provided an overview of key changes expected in 2026 and explored the purpose behind RFI standardization and how RFIs are increasingly integrated with CIBMTR data.
Watch the RFI Webinar Recording
In Case You Missed It: Additional Webinars
Catch up on key ASTCT webinars from this year covering government and payer relations and policy developments that affect transplant and cellular therapy.
Government Shutdown
On October 1, the federal government shut down due to Congress’ lack of consensus on a funding plan for fiscal year 2026. The federal government’s fiscal year runs between October 1-September 30 of each year and requires a budget in statute to operate. The main contention among members of Congress in advancing a 2026 federal budget is extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of 2025. At the time of this publication, the shutdown is approaching its fifth week. ASTCT Government Relations will continue to monitor for shutdown disruptions that affect the ASTCT community.