Are you ready to strategize with some of the top state policy makers?
Registration for the 2018 AMA State Legislative Strategy Conference, held Jan. 4–6 in Fort Myers, Fla., is underway. This is your chance to learn more about the most pressing issues impacting medicine at the state level and develop cutting-edge advocacy strategies to deploy in state legislative advocacy.
Thursday will offer a series of strategy workshops where you can hone your advocacy skills and strategies with colleagues, state legislators, pollsters and grassroots directors.
Don't miss this opportunity to share your organizations' priorities, concerns and tactics with advocacy leaders from across the country, and to discuss the challenges and opportunities likely to be part of your upcoming legislative sessions.
Keynote speakers include Bruce P. Mehlman, well-regarded as an expert in developing strategies that achieve impactful policy outcomes, and Sam Quinones, nationally recognized journalist and author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic.
Make your hotel reservation by Dec. 12.
Registration is also open for the National Advocacy Conference. This year the AMA is offering a 20 percent discount if you register now for both the 2018 AMA State Legislative Strategy Conference and the AMA National Advocacy Conference. Register for both conferences and receive your discount. This offer ends on Dec. 18.
New study looks at opioid prescribing and rhinoplasty
Patients who have rhinoplasty may need fewer opioids than they commonly are prescribed, according to a new study published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery in conjunction with the recent American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Annual Fall Meeting. The study, "Opioid Use by Patients After Rhinoplasty," asked, "How many of the initially prescribed 20 to 30 tablets of hydrocodone bitartrate (5 mg) and acetaminophen (325 mg) do patients consume after rhinoplasty?"
Of the 62 patients in the study, 46 consumed 15 or fewer tablets, nine did not use the medication at all, and only three patients required a refill. Among the conclusions, the authors said that following the study results, "they now tailor pain-management regimens, decreasing the initial number of hydrocodone-acetaminophen tablets prescribed while maintaining patient satisfaction."
The study, which has been added to the AMA Opioid Microsite, can be found here.
NCOIL approves model bill on out-of-network care
The National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) recently approved a model bill on out-of-network care that attempts to reduce the impact of unanticipated out-of-network bills on patients while still encouraging insurers to contract with physicians. The AMA has been working with NCOIL members and staff for many years in the development of this model, having testified before NCOIL's Health, Long-Term Care & Health Retirement Issues Committee on several occasions, submitting comments and testimony (PDF) on drafts, and offering resources such as our own model bills for consideration and incorporation. The work has paid off. While the final NCOIL model bill is not perfect, it contains provisions addressing network adequacy, transparency of out-of-network coverage, the financial impact of out-of-network bills on patients, and one of the most debated issues—fair payment standards to physicians. For a copy of the model bill or if you have questions, contact Emily Carroll at [email protected].
