I have been honored to serve as your ACAAI President this year. It’s been a very busy but exciting time with the launching of new, valuable programs – and the continuation of many others – that benefit College members, the allergy/immunology specialty and of course the patients we serve. All of this is due to the hard work and commitment of our members, committees and staff. Here are some highlights of projects and programs.
Pathways to Practice (P2P)
There is a growing shortage of practicing allergists in the United States. To address this shortage, P2P was developed with the goal to expand access to allergy and immunology care across the country by supporting fellows who are committed to entering community-based practice within the U.S. The program, funded by the College, will support the training of 16 allergy/immunology fellows through four competitive $250,000 (two-year) grants awarded annually. We have awarded the first round of P2P grants to the following training programs to support Fellows who will begin their training in 2026: Medical College of Georgia; University of California – San Diego; University of Iowa; and University of Puerto Rico.
Advocacy: Going on offense for allergy/immunology
We have an amazing advocacy team that has worked tirelessly for the good of our members and our patients. This year, ACAAI and our Advocacy Council have addressed critical issues at every level – federal, state, and payer- to strengthen allergy care and sustain our practices in an increasingly complex health care environment.
One highlight was our Advocacy Strike Force’s trip to Washington, DC, where we met with more than 25 congressional offices and key committees overseeing our priority issues. Discussions focused on Medicare physician payment reform, reducing administrative burdens from commercial payers, PBM reform, and preserving NIH research funding.
At the same time, we launched the Payer Education Campaign (PEC) to educate Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and commercial payers on appropriate billing and documentation for allergy immunotherapy. Our message was clear: physicians should spend their time caring for patients, not navigating excessive documentation requests.
This year, we’ve shifted from defense to offense. We’re not only responding to payer denials and regulatory constraints – we’re proactively shaping policy, legislation, and guidance that protect our specialty and sustain community practices.
Key advocacy achievements in 2025
- Convinced Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to pay for build-up phase extracts
- Secured incorporation of ACAAI guidance into MAC Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) for CPT codes 95165, 95115, and 95117
- Advocated for and obtained a 25% increase in Medicare payment for allergy extracts in the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule
- Advocated for Medicare to adopt the CPT definition of a “dose” of allergenic extract, now supported by more than two dozen congressional offices
- Sponsored and supported multiple pieces of legislation to make asthma and allergy medications more accessible to patients
Beyond national advocacy, we’ve also expanded grassroots efforts through the ACAAI House of Delegates. We now have active delegates in 38 states and six regional Super Delegates who monitor state-based policies, coordinate with local societies, and mobilize rapid response on issues affecting practice operations and patient access.
Other initiatives included:
- Opposing proposed NIH budget cuts and the defunding of the National Asthma Control Program
- Providing feedback on MVP/MIPS performance programs to reduce unnecessary burdens
- Supporting federal acts that protect access and workforce growth – including the EPIPEN Act, PAVE Act, and Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
Education
The College provides outstanding educational opportunities for members through the College Learning Connection (CLC), and many of them are at no charge to members. New CLC offerings include 27 new MicroCME modules, our Food Allergy eYardstick and our first ever Patient Guide to the Food Allergy eYardstick. We launched an online Patch Testing Toolkit and the comprehensive online Drug Protocol Library. Subscribers to the CLC have reached almost 14,000, and last year the College provided CME credit to 3,000+ participants of the ABAI’s MOC CAP program.
Practice management
We have expanded our practice management resources and tailored our offerings to distinct member groups with their unique needs in mind. Just launched is the Employed Allergist Toolkit, which includes resources and information to make practicing as an employed allergist easier.
We added four new prior authorization appeal letters (AYVAKIT/Mast Cell Disease, Neffy/Anaphylaxis, SMART/MART/Asthma and Xolair/Food Allergy) to our Prior Authorization Toolkit. Our Perfecting Practice webinars have covered important topics related to billing and coding, augmented intelligence, and physician payment/reimbursement.
In addition, our Practice Management and FIT Committees collaborated on a two-part episode of the AllergyTalk podcast to help graduating FITs navigate their job search process, including important considerations for contract negotiation and choosing the right practice and career path. More FIT resources are in the FIT and New Allergist Toolkit.
Several Allergy Office Educational Modules have been updated: Billing Biologics, Staffing for Efficiency, and Optimizing Schedules.
Community and Academic Partnership in Education and Research
The first recipients of The Community and Academic Partnership in Education and Research (CA²PER), were selected – Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS, FACAAI and Jordan E. Scott, MD. Their project is “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Predict Side Effects and Treatment Outcomes in Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for Patients With Food Allergies.” Apply for 2026 CA2PER funding by Jan. 15, 2026.
Public resources
To keep the public armed with factual information about allergic conditions, we have created or updated our online patient brochures, the ACAAI.org public website, and videos on the College’s You Tube channel. In addition, the College contributes information to media stories and members are often interviewed for media articles. We push out information to patients where they are and encourage you to include our content in your communications with patients.
The Allergists’ Foundation
The Allergists’ Foundation Community Grant Program inspires practicing allergists to develop creative solutions for challenges related to allergy care within their communities. In 2025, six outstanding projects were selected for funding.
As we enter the last year of the College’s three-year Vision Forward strategic plan in 2026, I am pleased to report that we are on track to meet all our goals. This year’s Annual Meeting theme “Inspiring Vision” applies not only to the meeting, but also to our future strategic planning as we address short- and long-term needs and challenges.
This past year has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. To lead this organization – and to share in the fellowship of so many exceptional members – has been both humbling and deeply fulfilling. I look forward to continuing to serve, to listen, and to work with all of you as we build upon the incredible foundation we’ve created together. With gratitude, pride, and optimism for the future, thank you.
James M. Tracy, DO, FACAAI
ACAAI President
