Category: Advocacy
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Legislation Introduced to Tackle Doctor Shortages
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and John Katko (R-NY) have introduced legislation that would take critical steps towards reducing nationwide physician shortages by boosting the number of Medicare-supported residency positions. The Resident Physician Shortage Act (H.R. 1763) would support an additional 3,000 positions each year for the next five years, for a…
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Medical Association Signs on to Letter Targeting PA Requirements
The Medical Association recently joined the American Medical Association and 85 other national medical groups and state medical associations in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to urge CMS to provide guidance to Medicare Advantage plans on prior authorization processes through its 2020 Call Letter. In the jointly signed letter,…
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Third Party Task Force Hosts UnitedHealthcare Execs
Feb. 19, 2019 MONTGOMERY ─ The Association’s Third Party Task Force hosted executives from UnitedHealthcare earlier this week as they made a presentation and answered questions from members of the Board of Censors and Association staff. Chief Executive Officer, Gulf States Region, Joe Ochipinti, and Vice President of Provider Relations Mike Apple discussed topics ranging from…
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STUDY: Prior Authorization Hurdles Have Led to Serious Adverse Events
FEB 5, 2019 CHICAGO — More than one-quarter of physicians surveyed, about 28 percent, report the prior authorization process required by health insurers for certain drugs, tests and treatments have led to serious or life-threatening events for their patients, according to new survey results released by the American Medical Association. The AMA survey of 1,000 practicing physicians…
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Medical Association Announces 2019 State and Federal Agendas
The Medical Association Board of Censors has met and approved the Association’s 2019 State and Federal Agendas. These agendas were developed with guidance from the House of Delegates and input from individual physicians. As the Alabama Legislature and U.S. Congress begin their work for 2019, additional items affecting physicians, medical practices and patients may be…
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MOC Study Committee’s Official Statement on “Vision Initiative” Draft Report
In response to the Medical Association and other state and national medical and physician specialty societies’ grievances with ABMS, its member Boards, and specifically the MOC program, ABMS sought input from a broad range of stakeholders in an effort to envision and craft a board certification system that is responsive and meaningful to physicians. This…
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Senior Physicians: We Need Your Voices!
Any physician that has reached the age of 65 is considered by the American Medical Association and the Medical Association to be a Senior Physician, even if you are not currently working in a medical practice. That does not mean your voice cannot still work for the House of Medicine. Did you know the Medical…
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Three Simple Steps for Increasing Medicine’s Influence
From the outside looking in, the political process likely seems as inviting as a shark tank, as navigable as a corn maze, as predictable as the Kentucky Derby. Intimidating, confusing and frustrating are often used by citizens to describe advocacy-related interactions with government and frankly, this isn’t surprising given most citizens’ level of understanding of the…
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Midwife Board Votes to Accept Recommended Changes to Rule
Last Friday, the Alabama State Board of Midwifery voted to accept recommended changes from a legislative oversight committee to its proposed regulation to, among other things, set the scope of practice for non-nurse midwives. By accepting the changes, the newly-formed Midwife Board will begin to license non-nurse midwives. Had the Midwife Board turned down the…