Advocacy Successes
Physician Advocacy Successes
Good health policy is made with physicians in the discussion.
MSDC, working with its members, partners, and other organizations, has won major policy victories to help its members practice medicine. Below is a sampling of those victories. Do you want to be a vital part of the next policy victory helping improve the health of the District? Contact us today.
Prior authorization
- MSDC successfully advocated for the passage and funding of prior authorization legislation that makes DC one of the most patient-supported states in the nation when it comes to insurance reforms.
Scope of Practice
- MSDC led a coalition that defeated proposals to allow podiatrists to treat wrist injuries and classify athletic trainers and chiropractors as medical practitioners.
Public Health
- MSDC supported legislation to require coverage for prostate cancer screenings, schools and athletic facilities to create cardiac incident plans, and schools to create plans to help students who suffer from seizures.
Opioid Policy
- MSDC was added to the opioid fund oversight panel by the Council in its legislation authorizing the oversight body
Scope of Practice
- MSDC supported legislation to ban the sale of flavored electronic smoking devices and restrict the sale of electronic smoking devices.
- Working with a coalition, MSDC added funding to the DC budget to support the hiring of more license specialists to help with the delay in processing medical licenses.
Women's Health
- B24-143, to regulate certified midwives, passed the Council with MSDC's support
Health Equity
- Mayor Muriel Bowser signs into law the Electronic Medical Order for Scope of Treatment Registry Amendment Act of 2019. The eMOST Registry Amendment Act permits the creation of an electronic database of advanced directive wishes for District residents that can be tied into the health information exchange.
- Mayor Bowser signs into law the School Sunscreen Safety Temporary Amendment Act of 2019. The bill permits students to bring and apply sunscreen during the 2019-2020 school year.
- MSDC comments on the importance of funding United Medical Center (UMC) and health facilities in Wards 7 and 8 in the mayor's budget.
Scope of Practice
- DC Health publishes draft regulations removing the 3 mandatory CME hours for HIV/AIDS awareness and replaces them with a requirement to fulfill 10% of mandatory CME hours with a topic from a public health priority list. DC Health then waived the requirement for 2020.
- The Strengthening Reproductive Health Protections Act of 2020 is signed into law with MSDC support. The bill prohibits government interference in reproductive decisions between a patient and doctor, and prohibits employers from penalizing physicians for practicing reproductive medicine outside of their work hours.
- The Mayor's Commission on Healthcare Systems Transformation releases its final recommendations. One recommendation is for the District to explore options to make providing health care more affordable, including financial relief for higher malpractice insurance rates.
- The Council removes "telephone" from the list of prohibited types of telemedicine to allow physicians and other providers to be reimbursed for telephone telemedicine appointments after MSDC and health community advocacy.
- MSDC worked with the Council to modify onerous language in the Health Care Reporting Amendment Act that potentially would have penalized physicians from seeking help for substance abuse or addiction issues.
Opioid/Drug Policy
- The Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) waives prior authorization for key medication assisted treatments (MAT) treating substance use disorder patients in Medicaid.
- The Mayor signed into law The Access to Biosimilars Amendment Act of 2019, a top MSDC priority as it would help prescribers to prescribe more cost-effective drugs for patients.
Behavioral Health
- The Behavioral Health Parity Act of 2017, a major priority for MSDC and DCPA, officially becomes law. The legislation requires all health benefit plans offered by an insurance carrier to meet the federal requirements of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
Health Equity
- The District Council passes B22-1001, The Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Amendment Act of 2018. The bill prohibits the sale of Short Term, Limited Duration health plans and Association Health Plans (AHPs) in the DC Health Benefits Exchange.
Scope of Practice
- DC joins 28 other states in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact with B22-177 becoming law. The IMLC is designed to ease physician licensure in multiple states.
Women's Health
- The Maternal Mortality Review Committee is established by law. The Committee is responsible for finding solutions to maternal health crisis in the District. District physicians are an important part of this vital committee.
- B22-106, The Defending Access to Women's Health Care Services Amendment Act, becomes law. The act requires insurers to cover health care services like breast cancer screening and STI screenings without cost-sharing.
Opioid Policy
- Right before the Council adjourned for the session, it passed B21-32, the Specialty Drug Copayment Limitation Act. The bill limits cost shifting by payers for prescription drugs.
Behavioral Health
- B21-0007 passes the Council. The Behavioral Health Coordination of Care Amendment Act of 2016 permitted the disclosing of mental health information between a mental health facility and the health professional caring for the patient.
Women's Health
- MSDC was proud to have worked on B21-20. The law requires payers to cover up to 12 months of prescription contraception, advancing women's health and equality.
MSDC Partners with Callagy Recovery to Accelerate Fair Reimbursement and Set a New Standard for Physician Advocacy
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
WASHINGTON, DC [January 7, 2026] - The Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC) has entered into a strategic partnership with Callagy Recovery to support District physicians in enforcing their rights under the No Surprises Act and recovering underpaid and improperly denied reimbursements.
This partnership places MSDC at the forefront of a rapidly expanding national movement of state and specialty medical societies choosing decisive, results driven enforcement to protect physician sustainability and financial integrity.
Through this collaboration, MSDC joins a growing coalition of medical associations nationwide that are converting federal reimbursement protections into real dollars returned to physician practices.
A Leadership Move for Physicians in the Nation’s Capital
“This partnership reflects a clear decision to move beyond discussion and into action,” said Matthew Lecuyer, MD, President of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia. “What makes this collaboration particularly compelling is that it allows physicians to recover money from insurance carriers, not patients, with no financial risk to physicians. That combination of fairness, protection, and upside is why we view this as a true win win for our members.”
“Washington is where policy is written, but too often it is not where accountability is enforced,” said Sean Callagy, Founder of Callagy Recovery, Callagy Law, Unblinded, and ACTi, host of the number one business podcast on Apple. “Across the country, medical societies are reaching a moment of clarity. Education alone is no longer enough. Enforcement is the unlock.”
Sean Callagy’s podcast has recently featured guests including Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, and Tom Brady. Callagy also recently set a new Guinness World Record by donating 119,000 toys in a 24 hour period, underscoring his commitment to leadership, service, and impact beyond business.
Coalition Callout
Across the country, a growing number of state and specialty medical societies have already moved from discussion to enforcement. Organizations including the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Medical Society of the State of New York, the Alaska State Medical Association, the Louisiana State Medical Society, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Medical Society of New Jersey are now active partners, with additional societies having agreements in hand. The question many leaders are now asking is not whether this works, but whether their members can afford to be last.
Momentum That Is Becoming Impossible to Ignore
Callagy Recovery’s national expansion continues at an accelerating pace:
- More than $75.3 million recovered for healthcare providers last month
- On pace to recover more than $100 million in December
- Projected to exceed $1 billion in recovered reimbursements in 2026
- More than $1.1 billion recovered to date nationwide
“What we are witnessing is not incremental progress. It is compounding momentum,” said Fernando J. Valencia, Director of Actualizer Success at Callagy Recovery. “Each association that steps into enforcement strengthens the leverage of physicians nationwide and accelerates a shift that is already underway.”
A Turnkey Recovery Platform, Reinvestment, and a Look Ahead to 2026
As part of the partnership, MSDC members gain access to a comprehensive, low burden reimbursement recovery platform, including educational programming, co branded communications, full contingency recovery services, and transparent reporting.
Callagy Recovery also recently launched the Callagy Institute for Doctorpreneurs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reinvesting a portion of contingency fees back into physician education, advocacy, and long term systemic reform.
As healthcare organizations enter a new year, many are taking a closer look at where opportunities were lost in 2025 and where gains can be created in 2026. Callagy Recovery welcomes the opportunity to connect with MSDC member organizations for a discovery conversation to assess whether its enforcement and recovery services can support their 2026 strategic initiatives.
About the Medical Society of the District of Columbia
With more than 3,000 members, the Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC) is the largest medical organization representing physicians in the District of Columbia. The Medical Society was founded in 1817, and it is dedicated to ensuring the well-being of physicians and their patients in metropolitan Washington. MSDC is continually seeking to guarantee access to appropriate medical care for all District residents, regardless of location or income.
About Callagy Recovery
Callagy Recovery provides full contingency reimbursement enforcement services for healthcare providers nationwide and has returned more than $1.1 billion to medical professionals.
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