2025 End of Year Report

In 2025, ASH strengthened its advocacy to support hematology research, practice, and access to care. The Society expanded its advocacy efforts through the Fight4Hematology campaign, which focused on protecting National Institutes of Health funding and the Medicaid program; simultaneously, ASH remained committed to the Society’s strategic priorities to sustain and advance biomedical and public health research, to advance care for sickle cell disease, and improve various practice issues including coverage, payment, and access. The following is an overview of ASH’s advocacy effort and impact in 2025.

2025 Highlights of Advocacy to Address Research and Regulatory Challenges

To address concerns about the future of hematology amid policy changes and proposed cuts to federal research grants, training, and federal health programs, ASH launched the #Fight4Hematology campaign to protect biomedical research, access to care, and the federal health workforce and infrastructure. This comprehensive campaign aims to mitigate some of the most immediate threats to hematology research and the pipeline of future hematologists and includes four ways for people to support ASH’s fight by advocating, sharing their story, amplifying ASH’s messaging about the campaign, and donating to the ASH Foundation.

As part of this comprehensive effort, ASH took significant steps to expand its advocacy in response to proposed federal funding cuts, rapid changes in federal Agency infrastructure under the new Administration, and broader shifts in national research priorities. Recognizing the scale of these challenges and the anticipated impact on hematology research and care, the Society made a deliberate effort to look at the full picture by surveying members to understand real-time needs and anticipated impact, using that feedback to shape a strategic and focused advocacy agenda, and identifying where the Society’s advocacy would be most effective. This informed an expansion of advocacy to protect federal support for biomedical research and access to hematologic care. Congressional outreach, including district visits, strengthened efforts to amplify the voices of members and their patients. The late spring/early summer of 2025 began with an emphasis on expanded advocacy with Congress to highlight the vital role Medicaid plays in hematology patients’ lives and then shifted in early July 2025 toward protecting hematology  research funding, all while continuing to advance ASH’s other policy priorities. 

The following overview outlines ASH’s expanded advocacy efforts through the #Fight4Hematology campaign in 2025.

2025 ASH Research and Public Health Funding Advocacy Highlights

During 2025, ASH executed a comprehensive advocacy strategy to protect federal support of biomedical research and public health funding in response to significant restructuring, changing policies, and funding cuts across federal health agencies. The 2025 Highlights of Advocacy to Address Research and Regulatory Challenges summary highlights ASH’s expanded advocacy to protect critical investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). ASH also continued to encourage federal support for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), which is allocated through the annual Defense Appropriations bill, as well as research conducted through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). ASH, along with other members of the biomedical research and public health community, strongly urged Congress to provide sustained and increased funding for these agencies. The following overview provides information on ASH’s 2025 advocacy in support of research and public health funding.

2025 Year-End Physician Practice Advocacy

In 2025, ASH commented on legislation and federal rules impacting Medicare physician payment and related issues to ensure that hematologists are appropriately reimbursed for the care they provide to patients with hematologic diseases and disorders. Throughout the year, ASH also met with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to elevate hematology related coverage and payment issues, such as coding for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy and expanding coverage for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) testing.

2025 ASH Advocacy Efforts Related to Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Trait

Since 2015, ASH has been committed to improving the outcomes for individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD). In September 2025, the Society published the 10 Years of Sickle Cell Disease Progress Impact Report to commemorate a decade of ASH’s dedicated effort and investment to strengthen the global response to SCD – convening partners, supporting progress, and helping to advance care, research, and better health outcomes for individuals living with SCD through many efforts including advocacy.

In 2025, ASH continued its commitment and actively advocated for issues impacting hematology research and practice, including research and public health funding, access to quality care for patients, physician payment and coverage for hematologists, and policy issues to sickle cell disease (SCD) and sickle cell trait. ASH continues to guide and lead sickle cell advocacy before the US Congress and federal agencies with a focus on urging access to high-quality, comprehensive care for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). The following overview highlights ASH’s sickle cell-focused advocacy in 2025.

2025 ASH Advocacy Efforts to Ensure Patient Access to Care

During 2025, ASH continued to be highly visible in advocacy issues that safeguard patient access to affordable health care, including maternal health and hematology, drug shortage issues, and access to safe and effective hematologic therapies. The following is a summary of advocacy efforts that ASH pursued with the Federal Administration and the U.S. Congress throughout 2025.