2026 Commitment to Policy Action

Drive Policies to Promote Equity in Health Care Access and Services and Improved Health Outcomes

• Enhance maternal health and accelerate efforts underway to address the nation’s maternal mortality and morbidity crisis, especially among rural and underserved communities
• Support, protect, and expand health care coverage and patient protections, including mental health, by defending against erosions to and strengthening the Medicaid safety net and protections guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act
• Promote and uplift policies that positively address factors that contribute to health inequities and poor health outcomes, including inadequate access to care, care deserts, discrimination, racism, environmental threats, medical misinformation, and legislative interference that limits access to evidence-based care
• Advocate for greater investment in health research at every level, including the inclusion of pregnant and lactating people in research and clinical trials, and for the preservation of the federal research infrastructure and investment.
• Support policies that ensure patients have access to the full scope of ob-gyn health care and are able to drive decisions about care that is private and free from criminalization based on their individual needs and lived experience
• Support, defend, and expand access, availability, and coverage of comprehensive evidence-based obstetric and gynecologic care, including preventive services, surgical services, abortion, contraception, IVF, and gender-affirming care
• Promote, defend, and enhance investment in public health programs and infrastructure and evidence-based public health education to improve health outcomes and prepare for future health crises

Support the Practice of Ob-Gyns and Ensure Fair and Equitable Payment

• Address barriers to the pursuit and practice of comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology, including burdensome practice and administrative requirements and professional liability issues
• Advocate for public and private payer policies that sustain obstetric and gynecologic practices, provide equitable coverage and payment for all services provided by ob-gyns, and reduce administrative burden and onerous prior authorization requirements
• Propose and advocate for long-term solutions to prevent the continued decline in physician payment
• Advocate for, and defend against efforts to undermine, a diverse and inclusive ob-gyn workforce that is culturally competent, effective, and well-prepared to serve their patients
• Advance policies that protect the physical and emotional health and well-being of physicians and promote measures to sustain physician practices
• Oppose civil, criminal, and other penalties on clinicians who have provided evidence-based, comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic care
• Support policies that promote a robust pathway of new ob-gyns and oppose policies that discourage trainees from pursuing the field of obstetrics and gynecology

Shape Public Discourse and Policies to Promote Science and Respectful, Inclusive Care

• Support and work to elect candidates who share ACOG’s commitment to evidence-based health care and the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology
• Counter inaccurate and politicized rhetoric that undermines science or seeks to erode the patient-physician relationship
• Equip ACOG members with tools and resources and lead medical coalitions to elevate fact-based policies related to obstetric and gynecologic care
• Maximize efforts and partnerships to counter medical misinformation and disinformation