Nearly 400 pediatricians representing 44 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico gathered for the 2025 AAP Advocacy Conference, where they urged lawmakers to reject any funding cuts to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
This year’s conference, held March 2-4 in Arlington, Va., was co-chaired by Geoffrey L. Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP, chair of the AAP Committee on Federal Government Affairs, and Lisa M. Costello, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, chair of the AAP Committee on State Government Affairs.
Over the first two days of the conference, attendees honed their advocacy skills, learned about key issues impacting child health and heard from several inspiring plenary speakers, including Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-Wash.), the first pediatrician in Congress.
The conference culminated in meetings on Capitol Hill, where attendees urged legislators to keep Medicaid and CHIP strong. The attendees’ message came on the heels of a key vote in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Congress negotiates the federal budget.
Learning skills, hearing from experts
The first conference day presented attendees with opportunities to learn new advocacy skills and hone their knowledge on key issues impacting child health.
AAP President Susan J. Kressly, M.D., FAAP, shared her own advocacy story and reflected on the first few months of her presidency, sharing that she has drawn inspiration from the many pediatricians with whom she has spoken. She told attendees that sharing data alone is not enough; pediatricians must share their stories with policymakers to influence needed change.
AAP CEO/Executive Vice President Mark Del Monte, J.D., also addressed attendees and shared why pediatricians are well-positioned to advocate on behalf of all children.
Attendees then joined workshops on effective child health communication, mental health, gun violence prevention and immunizations.
Between workshops, a panel of pediatricians with experience working at all levels of government provided perspective on public service. The panel shared their personal stories on transitioning into public service and provided advice for other pediatricians considering entering the public sector.
On day two, attendees heard from Paul H. Wise, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, who works with vulnerable children at the U.S.-Mexico border and in conflict zones.
In a plenary session, attendees learned best practices for effective advocacy storytelling. The session emphasized pediatricians’ unique ability to share impactful stories that can humanize policies and persuade policymakers.
The afternoon was focused on preparing attendees for their Capitol Hill meetings on Medicaid and CHIP.
Joan Alker, M.Phil., executive director of the Center for Children and Families at the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, gave a policy landscape overview, including polling data showing that Medicaid is popular program that covers nearly half of all children in the U.S.
Dr. Costello provided a pediatrician perspective on Medicaid advocacy, calling on attendees to think about ways to advocate for the child health program even beyond the conference.
After more preparation for visits to Capitol Hill and state delegation breakouts, Rep. Schrier addressed the group with motivating remarks.
She shared insights into how her passion for advocacy drove her to pursue elected office and ended with a call for more pediatricians to run for elected office to ensure children have a voice in government.
Following Rep. Schrier’s remarks, Dr. Kressly presented her with the AAP Excellence in Public Service Award to recognize her work on behalf of children in Washington state and across the country.
Visiting Capitol Hill
This year’s conference and visits to Capitol Hill to advocate for Medicaid funding came at a pivotal moment.
The week before the conference, the U.S. House of Representatives took the first step in the budget reconciliation process by narrowly adopting a budget resolution that would effectively require sweeping funding cuts to Medicaid and CHIP. Prior to the vote, the Academy issued a press statement, opposing any cuts to these vital programs.
Because the House and Senate passed different budget resolutions, they will need to agree on and pass identical budgets before the relevant congressional committees begin working to determine how to meet the proposed funding levels.
Given the state of play in Congress, it was a critical time for lawmakers to hear from pediatricians about why funding cuts to Medicaid and CHIP would harm child health.
Before heading to their Capitol Hill meetings on the final conference day, attendees heard from several congressional speakers, who each highlighted the impact of pediatrician advocacy and the importance of preserving Medicaid funding.
Attendees participated in 267 total meetings with their congressional offices throughout the day, including 49 meetings with lawmakers themselves.
“Attending the AAP Advocacy Conference was a transformative experience that deepened my understanding of health care policy and its impact on pediatric care,” said Nikita Kohli, a fourth-year medical student from St Louis, Mo. “I felt empowered to use my voice as a future pediatrician to advocate for patients and their families and help make direct changes to health care policy. It was inspiring to hear the stories of hundreds of pediatricians across the country and unite to speak directly to Congress about the issues facing America’s children.”
Beyond the advocacy taking place in Washington, pediatricians across the country sent more than 1,100 emails to legislators in the days following the conference urging them to reject funding cuts to Medicaid and CHIP.
