Category: Advocacy
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Nearly All ALAPAC-Supported Candidates Won Their Elections
Tuesday’s election nationally saw the U.S. House flip from Republican to Democrat-controlled, but U.S. Senate Republicans actually increased their majority. In Alabama, Republicans remain in control of both house of the legislature and all statewide elected offices. From an election results standpoint within Alabama, the Alabama Medical PAC (ALAPAC) participated in 111 out of 140…
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Association Secures Significant Changes to Midwife Board Rule
The Medical Association and a coalition of health organizations this week convinced a legislative committee with oversight of state board regulations to make changes to a dangerous proposed regulation by the newly-formed Alabama State Board of Midwifery. The Midwifery Board was established by law in 2017 to license non-nurse midwives. The proposed regulation – if…
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President Signs Bills Lifting Pharmacist ‘Gag Clauses’ on Drug Prices
Earlier this week, President Trump signed two bipartisan bills into law that will allow pharmacists to tell patients they can save money on drugs by paying cash or trying a lower-cost alternative. At issue was the “broken” drug pricing system in the U.S. that was forcing patients to make decisions, which could have negatively impacted…
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Congress Passes New Opioid Package; Awaiting Presidential Signature
Earlier this week Congress reached agreement on legislation to address the opioid epidemic with the passage of the “SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act,” which President Donald Trump is expected to sign. The legislation touches on almost every aspect of the epidemic and includes numerous provisions to expand access to substance-use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment…
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After EMR Implementation, Surgeons Spend Less Time Interacting with Patients
Implementing an electronic medical records (EMR) system at an orthopaedic clinic may have unanticipated effects on clinic efficiency and productivity – including a temporary increase in labor costs and a lasting reduction in time spent interacting with patients, reports a study in September 19, 2018, issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is…
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Medical Association, AMA, Others Take a Stand on New CMS Rule
The Medical Association joined with the American Medical Association and more than 170 other organizations to support some components of CMS’ “Patients Over Paperwork” initiative, and say three of its components need to be enacted immediately to reduce “note bloat” redundancy, yet also to oppose a proposal to collapse payment rates for physician office visit services…
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U.S. House Passes SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act
In a 396-14 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, or H.R. 6 —bipartisan opioid legislation that aims to curb drug abuse. Sponsored by Greg Walden, R-Oregon, the package of legislation contains more than 50 individually approved bills to…
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Association’s New Task Force to Address Health Care Manpower Shortage
In response to a resolution passed by the House of Delegates during the 2018 Annual Meeting in Montgomery in April, the Board of Censors formed a new task force to develop and restore adequate health care manpower in all geographic areas in order to provide quality local health care for all Alabama citizens. The resolution, submitted…
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Association’s Board to Evaluate Prior Authorization Process
The Medical Association recently received information from a consortium of health care providers, which included the American Hospital Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and the Medical Group Management Association, who have partnered to identify opportunities to improve the prior authorization process.…
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With Net Neutrality Gone, What’s in the Future for Physicians?
Net neutrality changed the digital landscape for millions of Americans, specifically physicians and health care professionals, but these changes may diminish due to the repeal of net neutrality. In December, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal the net neutrality rules set in place by the Obama Administration in 2015, and on June 11, 2018,…