2026 and 2027 AUA Advocacy Priorities Survey - State Issues

Question Title

* 1. Please rank order of importance for selected issue categories that affect urologists (1 being most important and 4 being least important).

Healthcare Workforce & Licensing Pipeline – Adequate access to urologic care hinges on a robust, well-distributed clinical workforce and an efficient pathway for physicians and support staff to enter practice. Legislative action can expand training programs, streamline licensure across state lines, and create incentives that draw providers to underserved areas.
Examples include Interstate Medical Licensure Compact expansion, expedited credentialing, loan-repayment or debt-forgiveness programs, alternate pathways towards unrestricted licensure, and grants to train more allied health professionals.

Scope of Practice & Care-Team Authority – State laws define who may order or interpret specific tests, perform procedures, and manage treatment within the care team, directly affecting quality and safety.
Examples include proposals granting independent practice to APPs, pharmacists diagnosing and treating UTIs, and delegation of clinical tasks with physician oversight (e.g., foley catheter placement by Medical Assistants).

Patient Access to Care & Cost Protections – States wield significant power over whether patients can obtain timely, affordable urologic services. By shaping insurance mandates and investing in public health, legislatures can reduce financial toxicity and geographic barriers that delay diagnosis or treatment.
Examples include telehealth parity laws, Medicaid eligibility/coverage changes, copay-accumulator and surprise-billing bans, mandated coverage for prostate screening and biomarker testing, infertility benefit requirements, and rural broadband initiatives.

Regulatory & Practice Operations – State statutes and agency rules set the guardrails for how urology practices function, from operational workflows to financial sustainability. They dictate the paperwork burden, contractual freedom, and exposure to legal risk that ultimately influence physician bandwidth and patient throughput.
Examples include prior-authorization reforms, step-therapy limits, EHR interoperability mandates, non-compete restrictions, private equity oversight, CME/MOC requirements, and medical liability caps.

10% of survey complete.