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Member Updates from the American Medical Association (AMA) Meeting
by M. Lauren Council, MD, FACMS
The American Medical Association (AMA) convened June 11-16, 2021 for the Virtual Annual Special Meeting of the House of Delegates. During that meeting, members of the American College of Mohs Surgery joined with representatives from the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA), the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID), the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA), the American Society of Dermatopathology (ADP), and dermatologists who represent their state medical societies and the armed services, within the Dermatology Section Council to discuss resolutions and elect Board and council candidates. Issues relevant to the practice of Mohs surgery are summarized below. Finally, AMA members elected dermatologist Jack Resneck to serve as President-elect; he will assume the office of President in June 2022.
Medicare Physician Payment
Legislation has been signed into law to prevent the 2% sequestration payment cut through 2021. A campaign led by the AMA urged Congress to stop impending Medicare payment cuts by waiving the budget neutrality requirement for implementing the Evaluation and Management code changes. Without this waiver, dermatologic surgeons would have seen reduced reimbursement at the start of the year. Additionally, physicians will not face penalties from the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) this year due to significant disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic on physician practices’ performance. Ultimately, a one-year, 3.75% Medicare payment increase was approved to offset the budget neutrality adjustment.
Prior Authorization
The AMA advocated for federal and state prior authorization legislation, citing 2020 survey data demonstrating the negative impact of the prior authorization process on patients and physicians. Additionally, data demonstrated lack of implementation of reforms agreed to by insurers in the Consensus Statement on Improving the Prior Authorization Process.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The AMA adopted policies to ensure a diverse physician workforce to meet the needs of patients, advocated for telehealth as a means for accessing and providing care for rural populations, and adopted guidelines to address racism within healthcare organizations.
Non-Physician Title Misappropriation
On May 24, 2021, the American Academy of Physician Assistants voted to change the title of their profession from Physician Assistant to Physician Associate. The AMA opposed this change as misleading to the public and an attempt to expand the scope of practice of non-physicians from the physician-led team-based model of care.