Category: Advocacy
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AMA Adopts Policy Aimed to Bolster Transparency of Prescription Costs
CHICAGO – As prescription drug prices have spiked – often without reason – the American Medical Association has advocated for more transparency in pricing to protect patients. At its Annual Meeting, the AMA adopted several policies, including policies on direct-to-consumer ads and naloxone pricing that aim to give patients more information about drugs prescribed to…
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House of Delegates Pass Policy Opposing Further Imposition of MOC
During Annual Session, the Medical Association’s House of Delegates passed a resolution formally opposing additional Maintenance of Certification requirements as dictated by the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Osteopathic Association. While it was agreed that the need for continuing medical education to improve the quality of care, the expense and clinically irrelevant…
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What If No One Was on Call [at the Legislature]?
2017 Legislative Recap In times of illness, injury and emergency, patients depend on their physicians. But what if no one was on call? Public health would be in jeopardy. However, the same holds true during a legislative session. What would happen if the Medical Association was not on call, advocating for you and your patients…
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Medical Licensure Compact Goes Live
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, a pathway to expedite the licensing of physicians already licensed to practice in one state, who seek to practice medicine in multiple states, is officially live. Alabama became the seventh state to enact the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and the final state necessary in order for the expedited pathway to…
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Medical Association Urges CMS to Reduce EHR and MU Burden on Physicians
The Medical Association has joined forces with the American Medical Association, Medical Group Management Association and 85 other medical groups to urge Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reduce electronic health record and meaningful use requirements on physicians. In a letter to new CMS Administrator Seema Verma, the groups first welcomed the new administration’s…
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House Cancels ACA Repeal/Replace Vote Today
UPDATED Friday, March 24 at 3 p.m.: House Republicans have stopped the vote today on the legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act amid speculation the bill did not have the 215 votes needed to pass. The decision to pull the vote came after House Speaker Paul Ryan met with President Trump at the…
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New American Health Care Act Comes Under Fire
Earlier this week, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee released legislation as part of the House Republicans’ efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Although the legislation cleared its first hurdle with a lengthy, contentious markup session that began Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved the American Health Care Act. The House…
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Medical Association Joins Call to CMS to Delay EHR Certification Requirements
The Medical Association has joined with the American Medical Association and a large number of physician organizations and state medical societies to urge federal health officials to delay 2015 electronic health record certification requirements at least one year to avoid disrupting physician practices citing the limited number of vendors that have fully upgraded their EHR…
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U.S. House Leaders Outline Plan to Repeal/Replace Obamacare
Earlier this week, House Republican leaders presented outlines of a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, leaning heavily on tax credits to finance individual insurance purchases and sharply reducing federal payments to the 31 states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility. While GOP leaders opined that the plan would not “pull the rug out from…