J. Allen Meadows, MD, FACAAI, Executive Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs, attended the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC, Feb. 12-14, along with Vivek Rao, MD, FACAAI, a Texas allergist and member of ACAAI’s House of Delegates. The conference offered a variety of sessions of interest to physician advocates.
Congressman Larry Buschon, MD (R-IN) gave an inspiring address on Congressional perspectives. Other speakers included CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
Topics that Dr. Meadows and Dr. Rao advocated for on Capitol Hill, along with 100’s of other participants included:
- The 3.37% cut in Medicare fees.
- A sustainable Medicare fix that allows doctors to keep up with inflation.
- EFT fees allergists are charged when insurance companies pay our claims.
- Expanding graduate medical education opportunities.
During the conference, Drs. Meadows and Rao met with the staff of many Congressional members from Alabama and Texas, including in-person meetings with Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) and Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL).
The College’s Advocacy Council is appreciative of Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) for his help in saving allergists’ ability to continue mixing allergenic extracts in their offices.
