The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) will no longer accept federal funding, citing federal policy changes that don't align with the organization's work.
"After careful deliberation, ACOG has made an organization-wide decision to stop accepting federal funding for all ACOG programs and activities for current contracts," an ACOG spokesperson told MedPage Today in an email. "Recent changes in federal funding laws and regulations significantly impact ACOG's program goals, policy positions, and ability to provide timely and evidence-based guidance and recommendations for care."
ACOG said it will continue to work with the government "through member advocacy, by providing comments to rulemaking, and ensuring that the voice of ob/gyns is heard by decision-makers" and will "evaluate opportunities to partner with the government in the future where our program goals align."
ACOG appears to be the first medical organization to reject federal funds in this way. The ACOG Foundation, the organization's nonprofit arm, has received $950,000 from HHS this year and received more than a million dollars in 2024 and 2023.
"This is great news for the American taxpayer. ACOG taking itself off the federal payroll might be the most responsible budgeting decision they've made," HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told MedPage Today in an email, though he did not answer specific questions about how much funding was now freed up.
Several times throughout Trump's second term, ACOG has sparred with the federal government. Back in February, when the Trump administration first began removing information from federal health websites, ACOG decided to host contraceptive guidance at risk of being purged. Just last month, ACOG announced its plans to develop and release maternal immunization recommendations alongside the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy's Vaccine Integrity Project after the CDC went against evidence and ended its recommendation that pregnant women get COVID shots.
"I applaud ACOG for staying true to its values and moral compass," said Melissa Simon, MD, MPH, an ob/gyn at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and director of the university's Center for Health Equity Transformation, adding that "the current federal administration is demonstrating that they do not support the full breadth of women's healthcare nor does this administration support science to advance women's health."
Simon pointed out that the U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates, especially among high-income nations, "yet numerous grants, programs, and research that support efforts to improve the health of pregnant mothers have been drastically reduced or eliminated."
ACOG's statement also noted that it remains committed to reducing maternal mortality and improving other health outcomes.
"We remain fully committed to this critical work and will allocate our own resources to continue it in a way that is centered on patient needs and grounded in evidence," the organization said.
Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), told MedPage Today that while he's sure ACOG has reasons for the split, APHA has no plans to follow suit. He also noted that APHA has disagreed with every administration on certain issues and speaks out whenever needed.
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