The Advocacy Council continues its work – independently and with our various like-minded coalitions — on important issues that affect the allergy specialty, allergy practices and allergists. Some highlights of work during the second quarter of 2023 include:
Support for:
- The AMA’s Physician Practice Information Survey – the College encourages those who receive it to complete it. The practice-cost data collected will be used to advocate in support of physicians to accurately represent their practice, patients, and profession.
- Requests for pediatric subspecialty loan forgiveness for pediatricians practicing in underserved areas.
- H.R. 2474: Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act – The legislation applies a permanent inflation-based update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor, which will provide much-needed stability to the Medicare payment system as our members contend with an increasingly challenging environment providing Medicare beneficiaries with access to timely and quality care.
- The review of requirements for Emergency Medical Kits in airplanes at least every three years with the goal of getting epinephrine autoinjectors placed in the kits.
- Advancing Rural Care – establishes student loan repayment programs through HRSA to incentivize specialty health care providers, including Allergy/Immunology physicians, to practice in rural areas. Physicians would qualify after six years of practice in rural communities.
- Team-based care – supporting the care of patients by a physician-led care team.
The College scored a big win when the College advocated for and won an allergy exception to USP Chapter 797. Permission has been granted from USP to publish this exception to Section 21 – Compounding Allergenic Extracts Exception – for our members. College members have exclusive access to our easy-to-read summary of the exception, which is available in our Allergen Extract Mixing Toolkit.
The Advocacy Council also advocated for:
- The addition of “allergists” to the list of supervising physicians in Ohio H.B. 102 – Licensed Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapists.
- CIGNA to revise its policy on Modifier 25. The Advocacy Council successfully advocated for this important issue with other health care organizations.
- Antimicrobial resistance to be included in the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act.
- Continuing support of Medicare Payment Reform. The Advocacy Council continues to advocate for legislation to correct physician reimbursement payments.
- Standardizing prior authorization and reducing administrative burdens.
- Reducing Good Faith Estimate burdens.
The Advocacy Council also joined the Food Labeling Modernization Act stakeholders’ group.
Work continues throughout the year to represent College members to the government, regulatory bodies, and payers. The Advocacy Council – ADVOCATING FOR ALLERGISTS AND THEIR PATIENTS.
