AMA Federal Transition Priorities November 21, 2016 AMA, Health Care Reform, MACRA, Politics and Medicine MACRA, AMA, Health Reform, Regulatory Relief 0 The AMA is seeking input on several issues relating to its advocacy agenda as they engage the Trump Transition Team and prepare for the new Congress. Constructive Engagement in the Post-Election Environment As outlined at the Interim Meeting, the AMA currently anticipates three issue areas will dominate our advocacy efforts in the early days of the new Administration and Congress. The priority issues are health reform, regulatory relief, and the continued implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). After the House of Delegates concluded on November 15, the AMA issued a press release and two-page statement that outlines and reaffirms the AMA’s existing policies on health reform. These materials were shared with the Trump Transition Team, the Obama Administration, and Congressional leaders. The initial response from Republicans and Democrats to the AMA’s vision for health reform has been positive. Development of Regulatory Relief Agenda We see new opportunities to secure significant reductions in regulatory burdens that take time from patient care and increase costs. To be assured we begin our efforts with the most pressing concerns in mind, we are interested in hearing from the Federation on suggestions for a regulatory relief agenda. Please submit your top three recommendations for regulatory relief by COB November 30. Our plan is to provide the Trump Transition Team and key Congressional offices with an initial set of regulatory relief recommendations before January 1, while continuing to augment this work over the next several months. Shared Strategy on Future of Health Reform The AMA’s comprehensive policy on health reform provides a solid foundation for upcoming deliberations on changes to the Affordable Care Act and other programs. In the coming weeks, we will be hosting a series of discussions with Federation members to prepare and position medicine to effectively engage in the debate about the future of health reform. Building Consensus on Further QPP Improvements Comments on the MACRA Interim Final rule are due on December 19. We anticipate the Trump Administration will make changes to MACRA, or the Quality Payment Program (QPP), through the proposed fee schedule rule, which the Administration is scheduled to issue in late June or early July of 2017. Consequently, there is a little more time on this piece of our advocacy agenda. As we have over the last 18 months, the AMA will seek to forge consensus on recommendations to improve the QPP. Please provide the top three recommendations for changes to QPP by COB on November 30. Candidates for Appointments in the Trump Administration Finally, we want to address questions about candidates for positions in the Trump Administration. Based on House of Delegates policy, we have a clearance process that requires approval by the AMA Board of Trustees. Given timing issues, we recommend that individuals seeking appointments or organizations recommending candidates communicate directly with the Trump Transition Team (online and via hard copy to: The Honorable Mike Pence, Vice President-Elect, Trump Transition Team, 1800 F Street NW, Washington DC, 20405). For those seeking AMA support for a position or for another individual to serve in the Trump Administration, please provide a brief cover letter as well as the candidate’s bio and C.V. Please submit the information related to all these areas to terri.marchiori@ama-assn.org. Comments are closed.
