Allergy is one of the smaller subspecialties in the world of medicine, but our partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) – and the hundreds of thousands of physicians it represents across the country – makes our “voice” so much larger. From its huge advocacy presence as a supporter of physicians and medical practices to the many resources it develops, the organization has a tremendous influence on American medicine.
The College represents you – the practicing allergist – and is honored to be a member of the AMA’s House of Delegates (HOD). The AMA’s HOD is a platform where we can raise our advocacy voice to lobby for issues affecting allergy, such as prior authorization reform, prevention of scope creep, network adequacy, the continuation of many of the telehealth waivers, and meaningful positive updates to the Medicare physician fee schedule conversion factor that reflect inflation and the financial costs of administrative burdens.
The College’s AMA delegate and alternate delegate have represented our advocacy issues for more than 20 years. In addition to the AMA’s HOD, the College is represented by a delegate and alternate delegate at the AMA’s Women’s Section, Young Physician Section, and Resident Fellow Section.
In order to keep our representation in its HOD, the AMA requires that at least 20% of ACAAI physician members who are eligible are AMA members. Societies’ memberships are reviewed every five years. Our review is next year, and it will be based on 2023 AMA membership. So if you are not already an AMA member, please join before the end of the year.
A strong AMA provides invaluable support for allergists/immunologists as it advocates for all the issues noted above and more. AMA’s Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey is underway, and we urgently need all selected physicians to actively engage in this effort. The intent of the survey, which has been endorsed by more than 170 medical societies and other health care associations (see full list here), is to collect updated and accurate data on practice costs, which are a key element of physician payment. This data has not been updated since it was last collected more than 15 years ago, and it is critically important to have updated data to ensure accurate payment. If your practice is selected, please complete the survey in a timely manner.
A strong AMA provides invaluable support for allergists/immunologists as it advocates for all the issues noted above and more. We’re calling on YOU – support the College – support the AMA – by paying your Membership Dues!
