Dear ACMG Board of Directors,

The field of medical genetics is at the epicenter of innovation in today’s health care environment, with ten new genetic tests coming to market every day.  The fast pace of advances in complex genetic testing is transforming health care, enabling physicians to pinpoint treatments and evaluate disease risks for individual patients in unprecedented ways.  Physicians practicing in medical genetics face an almost dizzying, ever-changing landscape of genetic tests across a wide range of conditions, including oncology, neurology, cardiology and rare diseases.  Harnessing the power of genetic testing to benefit patients requires a multi-disciplinary approach to health care delivery. 

As geneticists, we support the critical role of genetic counselors in keeping up with the innovations in genetic testing that are improving patient care and outcomes. Genetic counselors have the specialized training and knowledge necessary to evaluate and distinguish among the dramatically increasing number of genetic tests.  Genetic counselors synthesize medical information, in conjunction with the physician’s evaluation and diagnosis, to ensure that the most appropriate genetic test is provided, based on each patient’s unique medical characteristics.  Genetic counselors offer time-intensive services to patients, explaining genetic disease risks and options for genetic testing, as well as interpreting genetic test results.
 
We strongly support the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act, as this legislation would recognize genetic counselors as clinical providers, and allow direct Medicare reimbursement of their genetic counseling services.  We urge the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) to reconsider its position and endorse the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act.

Our country is facing a critical shortage of medical providers, particularly as the nation’s population ages.  These shortages are occurring in the field of medical genetics, as demonstrated by a 2019 study in which ACMG researchers identified a shortage of genetic providers and barriers in patient access to care, particularly for vulnerable, rural and underserved populations.  The Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act responds to this need, updating Medicare law to enhance beneficiary access to the services of genetic counselors.

Genetic counselors are embedded in clinics throughout the health care system, not just in genetics clinics.  In these other care sites, genetic counselors provide important services to physicians from a wide range of disciplines other than medical genetics, helping to enhance patient care.  Improving Medicare reimbursement would help spread the benefits of genetic counseling to patients served in a wide range of settings across the U.S.
 
We urge the College to reconsider its position, and support adoption of the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act to enhance patient access to essential genetic counseling services.

Sincerely,

Aya Abu El Haija, MD
Noura Abul-Husn, MD, PhD, FACMG
Margaret Pearson Adam, MD 
Darius Adams, MD
Walla Al-Hertani, MD, MS
Adnan Alsadah, MD, FACMG, FAAP
Brad Angle, MD
Swaroop Afadhya, PhD, FACMG
Holly H. Ardinger, MD, FACMG
Matthew Avenarius, PhD, FACMG
Steven Bailey, MD
Joshua Baker, DO, FAAP, FACMG
Peter R. Baker II, MD, FAAP, FACMG
Sherri Bale, PhD, FACMG
Manisha Balwani, MD, MS
Jaime Barea, MD, FACMG
Harold N. Bass, MD, FACMG
Murat Bastepe, MD, PhD, FACMG
Daniel Beltran, PhD
Lynne M. Bird, MD 
Maria Blazo, MD, FACMG
Steven B. Bleyl, MD, PhD
Michael Bober, MD, PhD
Maureen Bocian, MD, FAAP, FACMG 
Steven Braddock, MD, FAAP, FACMG
Amanda Brodeur, MD, PhD, FACMG
Chester Brown, MD, PhD, FACMG
Bethany Buckley, PhD, FACMG
Tom Callis, PhD
Steven Cederbaum, MD
Joel Charrow, MD
Sangita Choudhury, PhD
Shimul Chowdhury, PhD, FACMG
William Craigen, MD, PhD
Cynthia Jane Curry, MD 
Gary R. Cutting, MD
Robert J. Desnick, MD, PhD
George A. Diaz, MD, PhD
Willian Dobyns, MD
Dan Dougherty, MD, PhD
Leah Dowsett, MD
Stephanie Dukhovny, MD
Juvianee I. Estrada-Veras, MD
Morry Fiddler, PhD, ASACMG
Joyce Fox, MD
Luis Franco, MD
Aileen Frayna, MD
Birgit Funke, PhD, FACMG
Jaya Genesh, MD, FACMG
Bert Gold, PhD, FACMG
Paula Goldenberg, MD, MSW, MSCE
John Graham, MD
Robert C. Green, MD, MPH
Emanuela Gussoni, PhD
Chad Haldeman-Englert, MD, FACMG
Rizwan Hamid, MD, PhD
Ada Hamosh, MD
Cary Harding, MD, FACMG
David Harris, MD, FACMG
Steven Harrison PhD, FACMG
Susan Hayflick, MD, FACMG
Yuan-Yuan Ho, PhD
Jacob Hogue, MD
Ingrid Holm, MD, MPH, FACMG, FAAP
H. Eugene Hoyme, MD
Peter Hulik, MD, MMSc, FACMG
Ramaswamy Iyer, PhD
Kerry B. Jedele, MD, FAAP, FACMG
Anthony Johnson, DO
Britt Johnson, PhD, FACMG
Emil Kakkis, MD, PhD
Peter Kang, MD, MS
Julie Kaplan, MD
Sadia Khan, MD
Divya Khattar, MD
Sattar Khoshkhoo, MD
Brian Kirmse, MD
Joel Krier, MD, MMSc
Roger L. Ladda, MD, FACMG, FAAP
Angela Lager, PhD, FACMG
Seema Lalani, MD
Christina Lam, MD, FACMG
Andreas Lauer, MD
Christina M. Laukaitis, MD, PhD
David Ledbetter, PhD, FACMG
Magalie Leduc, PhD, FACMG
Brendan Lee, MD, PhD
Howard Levy, MD, PhD, FACMG
Angela Lin, MD
Richard Lutz, MD, FACMG
Denise M. Main, MD
Melanie Manning, MD
Robert Marion, MD
Pamela McGrann, MD
Judith Miles, MD, PhD
Annette Leon, PhD, FACMG
Paul Mark, MD
Christa Lese Martin, PhD, FACMG
Julian Martinez, MD
Pamela McGrann, MD
Heather McLaughlin, PhD, FACMG
Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD, FAHA
Mathew Meredith, PhD, FACMG
Billur Moghaddam, MD
Chaya Murali, MD, FACMG
Erica Fernandes, DO, FACMG
Yuan Ji, PhD, MBA, FACMG
Martha Neuringer, PhD
Kim Nichols, MD
Robert L. Nussbaum, MD
Vicki Park, PhD, FACMG
Roy Peake, PhD, FACMG
Loren Pena, MD, PhD
Mark Pennesi, MD, PhD
Jason Picconi, MD, PhD
Jonathan Picker, MGChB, PhD
Daniel Pineda-Alvarez, MD, FACMG
Eniko Pivnick, MD
Kathleen Pope, MD, FAAP, FACMG
Lorraine Potocki, MD, FACMG
Rybert Pyatt, PhD, DABMGG
Fabiola Quintero-Rivera, MD, FACMG
Jeanette Ramer, MD
Omar Rahman, MD
Farrah Rajabi, MD
Huma Rana, MD, FACMG
Greysha Rivera, MD
William J. Rhead, MD, PhD
Mersedeh Rohanizadegan, MD, MPH, FACMG
Alan Rope, MD
Wendy Rubenstein, MD, PhD, FACP, FACMG
Eric T. Rush, MD, FAAP, FACMG
Bianca Russell, MD
Renee Ryals, PhD
Sulgana Saitta, MD, PhD
Joy Samanich, MD
Jone Sampson, MD, FACMG
Pedro Sanchez, MD
Lisa Schimmenti, MD, FACMG
Elizabeth Schorry, MD
Daniela Schweitzer, MD
Laurie Seaver, MD
Sherin Shaaban, MD, PhD, FACMG
Brian Shaffer, MD, FACMG, FACOG
Lee Shulman, MD
Brittany Simpson, MD
Alison Skalet, MD, PhD
Brian Skotko, MD, MPP, FACMG
Thomas Stavin, MD, FACMG
Steven Steinberg, PhD, FACMG
Jeremy Stone, MD
Angela Sun, MD, FACMG
Wen-Hann Tan, MD, FACMG
Marwan Tayeh, PhD, FACMG
David Tilstra, MD
Scott Topper, PhD, FACMG
Petros Tsipouras, MD
Clesson Turner, MD
Peter Van Eerden, MD, MS
Samantha Vergano, MD
Hilary Vernon, MD, PhD
Andrew Wagner MD, FACMG, FACOG
Michael Wangler, MD
David Wargowski, MD, FACMG
Lisa Wilsbacher, MD, PhD
Barry Wolf, MD, PhD
Derek Wong, MD
Karen Wou, MDCM, FRCSC, FACMG
Anthony Wynshaw-Boris, MD, PhD, FACMG
Amy Yang, MD, FACMG
Paul Yang, MD, PhD
Tim Yu, MD, PhD
Erik Zmuda, PhD, DABMGG
Jonathan Zonana, MD
Cary Harding, MD, FACMG
Wen-Hann Tan, BMBS, FACMG
Julie Jones, PhD, FACMG
Rakesh Patel, MD
Michael Friez, PhD, FACMG
Rachel Li, MD
Fatima Abidi, PhD, MS, FACMG
Steve Skinner, MD, FAAP, FACMG
Patricia Dickson, MD
Julie Neidich, MD, FACMG, FAAP
Laura Pisani, MD
Michael Lyons, MD
Jennifer Lee, PhD, FACMG
Christine Umandap, MD
Valentina Dalili Shoaie, MD, FACMG
Sourat Darabi, PhD
Marsha Wheeler, MD, FACMG
Shane Quinonez, MD
John Carey, MD, MPH, FACMGG, FAAP
James Bennett, MD, PhD, FACMG
Meena Sigireddi, MD, MPH
John Pappas, MD, MS
Bryan Krock, PhD, FACMG
Samuel Frank, MD
Dorothy K. Grange, MD
Michael Demeure MD, MBA, FACS, FACE
Nina Gold, MD
Laura Pisani, MD
Moris Angulo, MD
Kilannin Krysiak, PhD
Hind Al Saif, MD
Samantha Vergano, FAAP, FACMG
Dmitriy Niyazov, MD, FACMG
Luis Rohena, MD, MS, FAAP, FACMG
Tara Wenger, MD PhD
Linda Hasadsri, MS, MD, PhD
Raymond Louie, PhD, FACMG
Laurie Robak, MD, PhD
Jennifer Oliveira, MD
Linda Baughn, PhD, FACMG
Katherine Geiersbach, MD
April Lehman, MD
Brendan Lanpher, MD
Fumihiko Urano, MD, PhD
DanDan Xu, PhD
Danny Miller, MD, PhD
Hans Andersson, MD FACMG
Kim  Keppler-Noreuil, MD
Daniel Bellissimo, PhD
Xinjie Xu, PhD, FACMG
Jianli Dong, MD, PhD
Rossana Sanchez, MD
Michael Gambello, MD, PhD, FACMG
Bimal P. Chaudhari, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACMG
Jeffrey Kuller, MD, ABOG, ABMGG
April Lehman, MD

Question Title

* 1. Add my signature:

This letter was written by NSGC leadership in collaboration with medical geneticists who reached out in support of  H.R. 2144/S. 1450, formerly named H.R. 3235.  This letter may be shared with ACMG, NSGC, Members of Congress and the general public.  These are the opinions of  the individuals listed above, and not their institution. 

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