Published: January 16, 2025

Top Academy Advocacy Resolutions for 2025

Resolve to get involved and raise your voice with the Academy.


2025 Advocacy Resolutions 1500x845

As we look forward to the year ahead, the Academy’s Advocacy team invites AAO-HNS members to share in our New Year’s resolutions by getting involved and raising your voice with the Academy. Below, we highlight the key deadlines, opportunities for involvement, and advocacy initiatives expected in 2025. We encourage you to take action that unites physician voices and ensures otolaryngology patient care remains at the forefront of healthcare discussions.

Have questions? Contact healthpolicy@entnet.org.

Support the Future of Otolaryngology: Invest in ENT PAC

11 Entpac Logo 1500x845ENT PAC is a non-partisan, issue-driven federal political action committee (PAC) dedicated to advancing the interests of the otolaryngology community. Funded entirely by voluntary contributions from the Academy’s U.S.-based members, ENT PAC plays a crucial role in advocacy efforts by engaging with Congress, educating policymakers on healthcare issues, and combating cuts to Medicare physician fee payments. In 2024, ENT PAC recorded its best year since 2018—thanks to hundreds of individual contributions from generous donors!

ENT PAC is already off to a great start in 2025. Thanks to the generosity of our “First 50” donors, we raised over $100,000 in January! This support gives us a seat at the table for healthcare policy conversations that are taking place right now. Help us maintain this critical momentum. Invest in ENT PAC today!* 

Connect with Federal Lawmakers: Join Project 535

Successful legislative advocacy starts with a solid grassroots foundation. To ensure the Academy's advocacy priorities are heard broadly on Capitol Hill, the AAO-HNS launched Project 535 in 2015. The goal of this program is to recruit a “key contact” for all 535 United States congressional seats, strengthening our ability to connect with federal legislators during critical healthcare debates in Congress. The commitment is minimal, but the impact is immense. Together, we can make a difference for our specialty and the patients we serve. Sign up today to join this exciting program for the 119th Congress.

Learn About Coding Changes and Additions for 2025 

11 Coding ImageOn November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year 2025 (CY2025) Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), introducing several key coding updates impacting the otolaryngology specialty. These changes took effect on January 1, 2025. For more information regarding the MPFS Final Rule, view the CMS fact sheet

Add-On Code G2211
CMS finalized payment for the G2211 add-on code when reported by the same practitioner on the same day as an annual wellness visit, vaccine visit, or any Medicare Part B preventative service.

Add-On Code G0559
CMS finalized payment for the G0559 add-on code, which is intended for use when postoperative care is provided by a practitioner other than the one who performed the initial procedure (or another practitioner in their practice).

HCPCS Code G0561
CMS finalized payment for the G0561 HCPCS code to accurately reimburse for the resources involved in placing tympanostomy tubes. This code can be billed in conjunction with CPT code 69433 to account for the additional resources required for innovative delivery devices or systems using emerging technology.

CPT Codes 60660/60661
CMS accepted two new codes for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules: 60660 for the primary ablation procedure and 60661 as an add-on code for additional nodule(s). 

Save the Dates: Important Quality Reporting Dates and Deadlines

January 1 marked the start of the 2025 performance year and the beginning of the reporting window for the 2024 performance year. There are several key dates that you should pay attention to during the year to ensure you are accessing all available information and meeting your reporting requirements promptly.

  • January 2, 2025: Submission window opened for performance year 2024
  • March 31, 2025: Submission window closes for performance year 2025
  • April 1, 2025: Registration opens for those planning to report an MVP in 2025
  • Late Spring/Early Summer 2025: Quality Payment Program Exception applications open. (This includes both the “Hardship” and the “Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances” exceptions.)
  • Early Summer 2025: Final MIPS Scores are available for performance year 2024
  • July 5, 2025: Last day to start a 180-day performance period for promoting interoperability
  • July 2025: Qualifying participant determinations and MIPS APM participation information will be available via the QPP Participation Status Tool (March 31 snapshot).
  • Summer 2025: Payment adjustment information available from performance year 2024 submission
  • Late Summer 2025: Targeted review closes 30 days after the release of your payment adjustment information for performance year 2024
  • October 3, 2025: Last day to start a 90-day performance period for improvement activities.
  • October 2025: Qualifying participant determinations and MIPS APM participation information will be available via the QPP Participation Status Tool (June 31 snapshot).
  • December 1, 2025: PY2025 MVP registration ends
  • December 2025: PY2025 MIPS eligibility finalized
  • January 2, 2026: Submission window opens for plan year 2025

Advocate at the State Level: Join the AAO-HNS State Tracker Program

The State Tracker program empowers AAO-HNS members to actively monitor, analyze, and engage in state legislation affecting the medical profession and the practice of otolaryngology. As a State Tracker, we ask that you be familiar with AAO-HNS state legislative priority issues and AAO-HNS Position Statements. You will receive timely updates and access to legislation introduced in your state. In addition, the Academy hosts monthly virtual meetings for State Trackers, offering a platform to identify national legislative trends, discuss potential solutions, and exchange ideas with peers. This collaborative forum ensures your practice and patients have a voice in state advocacy. State Tracker calls are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 8:00 pm (ET). Take the opportunity to make a difference—sign up today to volunteer for the AAO-HNS State Tracker Program!

Join the ENT Advocacy Network 

11 Advocacy In DcElected officials rely on the expertise of healthcare stakeholders, like the Academy, when shaping federal health policy. The ENT Advocacy Network empowers AAO-HNS members to collaborate on advocacy efforts that directly impact the practice of otolaryngology. Join the ENT Advocacy Network today to play an active role in educating members of Congress and state legislators about how proposed bills and regulations affect otolaryngology specialists and the patients you serve. As a member, you’ll develop and foster meaningful relationships with your elected officials by:

  • Writing letters on key otolaryngology issues
  • Calling congressional or legislative staff to advocate for or against specific legislation
  • Responding to AAO-HNS legislative alerts
  • Hosting members of Congress or state legislators at your facility or practice
  • Participating in one-on-one meetings with members of Congress in Washington, DC, or within your congressional district
  • Engaging in one-on-one meetings with your state legislators

Explore the Private Payer Letters Library

The Academy’s Health Policy Advocacy team actively engages with private insurers to advance the interests of the specialty and protect access to care. These efforts include advocating for policy changes, requesting updates to coverage criteria, and urging revisions to reimbursement policies. To keep members informed, the AAO-HNS maintains a comprehensive list of these letters, which is regularly updated to reflect new payer outreach. Members can now access the Private Payer Letters Library by logging in with their AAO-HNS username and password.

Learn More About the Academy’s 2024 Engagement with CMS

 The AAO-HNS actively engages with federal agencies like CMS to advocate for the interests of otolaryngologists and their patients. Each year, the Academy’s Advocacy and Research & Quality teams carefully analyze proposed CMS rules, including those related to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the Quality Payment Program. During the designated “comment period,” the AAO-HNS submits official feedback on the provisions with a direct impact on the specialty. These comments often play a pivotal role in influencing CMS's final policy. For more insights, visit the AAO-HNS website to review the Calendar Year 2025 MPFS/QPP Final Rule Report.


*Contributions to ENT PAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are voluntary, and all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery have the right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Federal law prohibits ENT PAC from accepting contributions from foreign nationals. By law, if your contributions are made using a personal check or credit card, ENT PAC may use your contribution only to support candidates in federal elections. All corporate contributions to ENT PAC will be used for educational and administrative fees of ENT PAC, and other activities permissible under federal law. Federal law requires ENT PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. ENT PAC is a program of the AAO-HNS which is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code.


More from February 2025 – Vol. 44, No. 2