Advocacy
2026 Fall Meeting & Advocacy Lecture Photos
Fall Meeting Highlights Physician Advocacy and Leadership
MCMS held its Fall General Membership Meeting on October 21, featuring the second annual Stephen J. Rockower, M.D. Advocacy Leadership Lecture. MCMS President Dr. Alan Gonzalez Cota presided over the meeting, warmly welcoming former presidents, new members, and special guests. The cocktail hour offered physicians a welcome opportunity to catch up with colleagues, make new…
Read MoreMontgomery County Physicians at MedChi’s Fall House of Delegates
MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, held its Fall House of Delegates meeting on Saturday, October 10, bringing together physicians from across the state to debate and pass new policy. Two presentations framed the day’s discussion of where Maryland health care is headed: The Shift to Value-Based Care, Why EQIP Matters, and The Future of…
Read MoreWhy Dr. Rockower Believes Every Physician Is in Politics
Stephen J. Rockower, M.D., FAAOS 169th President of MedChi I have been involved with the medical society since the 1980s. As a young doc, newly in practice, our county medical society was looking for authors for their quarterly magazine. It didn’t have to be medical, so I wrote nerdy, computer related things and office management…
Read MoreWhat Medicaid Changes Mean for Your Patients
Home › Archive for Advocacy The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed on July 4, 2025, and its Medicaid provisions are now rolling out on a tight timeline. The first major cutoff takes effect October 1, three weeks away. A second wave follows January 1, 2027. Statewide, up to 175,000 Marylanders are projected to…
Read MoreNew Podcast Episode on Maryland’s Healthcare Model
This episode from the Maryland Now podcast explores the history of Maryland’s unique all-payer healthcare system. The episode features insights from healthcare leaders across the state, including Gene Ransom, CEO of MedChi. On this episode, host David Nitkin takes on healthcare — an industry so big and so personal that he almost didn’t tackle it,…
Read MoreWritten Comment Request- Dupixent and Skyrizi
Home › Archive for Advocacy In accordance with COMAR 14.01.01.05B(4), the Prescription Drug Affordability Board requests public written comment for the cost review study process on: Dupixent (dupilumab) Drug Brand Name: Dupixent Active Moiety or Active Ingredient: dupilumab Application Number: BLA761055 NDC 11s in the Cost Review Study Process AND Skyrizi (risankizumab) Drug Brand Name:…
Read MoreHouse of Delegates Orientation: Understanding the Process
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our House of Delegates Orientation: Understanding the Process. The session provided an overview of how the House of Delegates works, the role of delegates, how resolutions are developed and considered, and how physicians can get involved in shaping policy through organized medicine. We were pleased to hear…
Read MoreOne Physician Raised Their Hand. Now It’s the Law.
At an MCMS legislative breakfast, a physician described a patient who had survived a sexual assault and then had to wait 72 hours for prior authorization on PrEP. The medication has a narrow treatment window, and the insurance company’s bureaucratic process caused potential clinical harm. A legislator was in the room, listening to this story.…
Read MoreGuest Column: The View from Annapolis in 2026
Delegate Ryan Spiegel District 17 – Gaithersburg and Rockville The 2026 legislative session was defined by some difficult fiscal realities, but also by a clear commitment to protecting Maryland families and maintaining the essential services people rely on every day. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I had the opportunity to work closely…
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