On November 11-13, 2017, your Academy delegates participated in the Interim Meeting for the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD). The PM&R delegation is represented by Drs. Susan Hubbell (AMA Delegate and PM&R Section Council Chair), Stuart Glassman (AMA Delegate), Mohamad Agha (Young Physicians Section Representative, Alternate Delegate), and Brittany Bicklehaupt (Resident and Fellow Section Representative, Alternate Delegate).
AAPM&R delegates to the AMA HOD are strong advocates for policies that affect physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians and their patients. At this interim meeting, your delegation introduced and advocated for two resolutions that were successfully accepted as policy of the AMA.
Resolution 220: Preserving Protections of the American Disabilities Act of 1990
The original language of this resolution was accepted as AMA policy, with the addition of a third clause, introduced by the PM&R delegation. The final policy is as follows:
RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association support legislative changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to educate state and local government officials and property owners on strategies for promoting access to persons with a disability.
RESOLVED, That our AMA oppose legislation amending the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, that would increase barriers for disabled persons attempting to file suit to challenge a violation of their civil rights.
RESOLVED, That our AMA develop educational tools and strategies to help physicians make their offices more accessible to persons with disabilities, consistent with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as any applicable state laws.
Please click here to view the full original resolution.
Resolution 814: Appropriate Reimbursement for Evaluation and Management Services for Patients with Severe Mobility-Related Impairments
This original language of the resolution was accepted, with an addition of a fourth resolved clause, added by the HOD Reference Committee. The final policy is as follows:
RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association support additional reimbursement for evaluation and management services for patients who require additional time and specialized equipment during medical visits due to severe mobility-related impairments.
RESOLVED, That our AMA support that no additional cost-sharing for the additional reimbursement will be passed on to patients with mobility disabilities, consistent with Federal Law.
RESOLVED, That our AMA support that primary and specialty medical providers be educated regarding the care of patients with severely impaired mobility to improve access to care.
RESOLVED, That our AMA support additional funding for payment for services to patients with mobility related impairments that is not through a budget neutral adjustment to the physician fee schedule.
Please click here to view the full original resolution.
Many additional timely reports and resolutions were discussed by the HOD, with topics including Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), the APRN Compact, Physician Burnout, Prior Authorization, and Health Care Reform.
View a full report of the November 2017 meeting here