My DO Day 2025 experience: Advocating for Medicare physician payments, THCGME and Medicaid access

I recently got to experience health care advocacy on a national level for the fourth year in a row. At DO Day 2025, I advocated with osteopathic medical students, residents and physicians on important topics that will shape the profession for years to come. It was energizing to meet first-time DO Day attendees and see their passion for making a positive impact, and it was also refreshing to reengage with “Champion Advocates” who have taught me so much about advocacy already.

This DO Day was especially great, as we celebrated the 150^th anniversary of osteopathic medicine, a key discussion point during my congressional meetings. I would love to see even more advocates attend in 2026. Below, I’ll share more about my experiences and why attending DO Day is so beneficial.

Virtual DO Day

This year, my DO Day experience was a little different. DO Day 2025 consisted of two parts: in-person congressional meetings as well as a virtual conference. Not only was I an attendee for the in-person congressional meetings, but I was also honored with being a virtual DO Day presenter. I spoke on the prevalence of imposter syndrome in health care providers, how to recognize the signs and symptoms in ourselves and how to overcome it.

This was my first time participating in the virtual programming of DO Day, and I learned so much. There were several unique presentations this year covering topics such as artificial intelligence, transitioning to residency and evolving licensing models.

These presentations provided insight on how to be a better advocate and leader in the medical community. The keynote speaker on Saturday was Leana Wen, MD, who talked about navigating the health policy landscape. During this session, we learned about the current political landscape and how we can steer it in order to be effective advocates.

Virtual DO Day is an important part of the DO Day conference, as it provides a way for those who cannot attend in person to still be a part of the event. For students who cannot miss lectures or exams, physicians who cannot get away from busy clinic schedules or anyone in between, this virtual platform is a great and accessible way to get excited about advocacy, learn more about it and engage with your colleagues and government officials.

In-person sessions: The prep day

It is hard for me to determine which day of DO Day is my favorite: the preparation session on Wednesday or the legislative meetings on Thursday. I put a lot of emphasis on the preparation session and enjoyed it for several reasons—I enjoy conversing with osteopathic physicians, residents and students in my home state; I get to hear from the AOA’s top leaders about important advocacy issues; and I get to strengthen my understanding of the issues that we discuss with congressional staff that year.

During this time, we heard inspirational words from the AOA’s CEO Kathleen S. Creason, MBA, AOA president Teresa A. Hubka, DO, FACOOG (Dist.), FACOG, CS, and AOA President-Elect Robert Piccinini, DO, who all encouraged and reminded us why making our voices heard on Capitol Hill is both important and necessary for the future of health care.

We also got to hear from Soapbox consulting and were reminded how to approach our advocacy asks during the in-person meetings. The session closed with Sean Neal, the AOA’s vice president of advocacy and political affairs, and John-Michael Villarama, AOA vice president of public policy, who coached us through this year’s advocacy issues.

During this prep session, I got to converse with other Ohio-based advocates. It was very exciting to meet first- and second-year medical students who had never been exposed to this type of advocacy before. Their energy and passion were contagious, and they had amazing questions and insights on the issues we were speaking about. On the other end of the table was a seasoned advocate, Jason Jackson, DO, whom I have seen at every DO Day since my first one. The energy and passion in the room was contagious. Everyone, no matter their level of training, contributed insightful thoughts and questions regarding the issues we were highlighting.

In-person sessions: The meetings

During my first DO Day, I heard how actual members of Congress would meet with groups from the AOA, and I was eager to experience this for myself. This year, that wish came true, and I got to meet with one of my Ohio senators, Jon Husted, who shared the plan for his term and future goals for our state. After his talk at the beginning, our team of osteopathic advocates got to inform him of the important issues we are facing as DOs right now, from Medicare coverage and access to care to protecting physician practices.

For the rest of the meetings, I got to engage with House of Representatives staffers and educate them about what we do as osteopathic physicians. This is my favorite part of the discussion—I get to share my passion and career with people who have never seen health care the way that we do. I described the similarities and differences between allopathic and osteopathic medical training, including our specialized skillset in osteopathic manipulative techniques (OMT), where we can diagnose and treat patients right at our fingertips. The fact that in addition to learning everything MDs do, we get hundreds of hours of additional hands-on training in OMT during our first two years of medical school intrigues the congressional staff—especially those who are not as familiar with DOs.

After an introduction to who we are as physicians and constituents, we then dove into the specific advocacy asks.

2025 advocacy topics

Our main initiatives focused on advocating for our most vulnerable patient populations.

Issue 1: Protecting physician practices and Medicare physician payments

It should come as no surprise to health care providers that maintaining a thriving practice is not a miniscule cost. What not everyone may know is that physicians are grossly underpaid by Medicare, and the cuts to Medicare often lead to decreases in physician reimbursements. Not only are physician reimbursements from Medicare not keeping up with the inflation of the cost of keeping their practice open, but reimbursements themselves are actually decreasing.

With less reimbursement and rising costs, physicians are being forced to close their practices or sell them to for-profit organizations, which in turn drives costs up for our patients. This year, we advocated to House staff to support the Medicare Patient Stabilization Act (H.R. 879). Passage of this legislation would prevent further cuts to Medicare physician payments. If you feel passionate about these issues as well, you can join our mission through The Osteopathic Advocacy Network website.

Issue 2: Addressing barriers to care

As osteopathic physicians, we take pride in the fact that most of our medical schools are in rural or underserved areas, and that our graduates primarily serve in these areas. With many DOs practicing in rural areas, we have a lot of patients who are on Medicaid, and we have a lot of patients who rely on telehealth services as they cannot get transportation to appointments. This year, we asked Congress to support any legislation that is proposed that would protect access to Medicaid and telehealth services. This issue is especially important for graduate students, as we are a large group that all qualify for Medicaid. Protecting Medicaid access would ensure that medical students do not lose access to health care.

Issue 3: Investing in the future physician workforce

The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program is important for training primary care physicians in underserved areas. This program was reauthorized after my first DO Day in 2022 for three years, but now the program is set to expire in just a few months. Without a secure future for THCGME, students are less inclined to apply to the program. The end of the program would spell reduced access to primary care physicians in rural and underserved areas. Because of this, we urged Congress to reauthorize THCGME for several more years.

Main takeaways

Each DO Day is unique, and it is always exciting to see the theme of each year unfold. This year, we had incredibly successful meetings with House and Senate staff alike. Advocating for our vulnerable patients this year looked different in years past due to the fact that Congress has not introduced much health care legislation recently, but that did not make this year any less meaningful. If anything, my colleagues and I had more chances to share our personal experiences and relay why these issues are so important for our representatives’ constituents.

I would like to challenge everyone who attended DO Day 2025, either virtually or in-person, to bring someone with you next year. Advocating with friends who have similar mindsets amplifies the experience. Last year, I brought my significant other to DO Day 2024 and introduced him to the world of advocacy. Now, he plans to be a regular participant at DO Day and has gotten more involved with health care advocacy. One simple invitation had a major impact on his future. And if you haven’t attended DO Day before, know that going next year may change your life, too.

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