February 2, 2016

Not even “Snowzilla” could stop ASBMR leaders from from advocating on Capitol Hill for sustained and predictable increases to NIH funding on January 27th.  ASBMR members held a total of 25 meetings with elected officials representing nine states and eight congressional districts. Their message was clear: Sustainable and predictable increases to NIH funding for FY2017 and beyond for it to remain our best hope for finding cures, improving treatments, and gaining a better understanding of the complex causes of diseases that affect millions of Americans.  Capitol Hill Day participants also asked their representatives to support H.R. 2461, a bill that would set a statutory floor on the minimum Medicare reimbursement rate of $98 for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans for bone density, similar to Pap smears and mammograms. ASBMR President Douglas P. Kiel, MD, MPH said of the experience, “Today was further evidence that a personal commitment to advocacy is crucial to attach a face to the important, life-saving research we do, so that our policy makers and the general public remember the significance of supporting scientists.” 

Above picture, left to right. Laura M. Calvi, M.D., Capitol Hill Staff, Patricia F. Ducy, Ph.D., Stavroula Kousteni, Ph.D. To view additional pictures from ASBMR Capitol Hill Day 2016, please visit our ASBMR Leadership Visits Capitol Hill Facebook Album.