Advocacy & Resources

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Amplify the Voices of Transplant Surgeons and Patients!

"ASTS membership in the AMA allows us to have a stronger voice by advocating for policies critical to our specialty and patients. With the support of the largest medical organization in the U.S., our organization of dedicated transplant surgeons can educate multitudes about issues related to transplantation.” -ASTS Delegate Stuart M. Greenstein, MD
Your AMA membership is vital to making sure we keep our seat in the House of Delegates

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What has your AMA Delegation done for you?

Introduced and passed a resolution stating that in addition to supporting the OPTN Modernization Initiative, the OPTN should remain a public-private partnership and a membership organization with an elected Board of Directors. The resolution resulted in a letter from AMA EVP James Madara, MD, to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

Started a Transplant Caucus that spans multiple specialties to focus on issues related to transplantation in the AMA House of Delegates. The focus of the Transplant Caucus is to foster, through collaboration, AMA resolutions and policies that are advantageous to patients and professionals involved with organ and tissue transplantation.

Advocated that CMMI demonstration projects are not subject to Congressional approval.

Ensured transplantation is accessible to all, including those with intellectual or developmental disabilities who can fulfill transplant center protocols.

Affirmed that patients with substance abuse history are accepted for organ transplants when center-specific criteria are met.

Represented the interests of academic physicians by having an ASTS member (Dr. Greenstein) on the governing council of the Academic Physicians Section.

Created a guide on professional coding with updated information on coding for liver perfusion.

All of the AMA policies related to organ donation and transplantation can be found on the AMA website.

Learn how the AMA is advocating for you!

AMA National Survey

The AMA is undertaking a new national study, supported by the ASTS and 173 other health care organizations, to collect data on physician practice expenses (PE). The aim of the Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey is to better understand the costs faced by today’s practices to support physician payment advocacy. The study is intended to serve as an opportunity for communicating accurate financial information to policymakers, including members of Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Medicare physician payment schedule, maintained by CMS and used by many other payers, relies on 2006 cost information to develop PE relative values and physician reimbursement rates. As the US economy and health care system have undergone substantial changes since that time, including inflation and the wide-spread adoption of electronic health records and other information technology systems, PE payments no longer accurately reflect the relative resources that are typically required to provide physician services.

Thousands of individual physicians across the country will receive a short online patient care hours survey from either their practice or from Mathematica, with whom the AMA has contracted for this survey. The input from physicians and their practices that are randomly selected to participate in this study is critical to help ensure that PE and patient care hours are accurately reflected in the methodologies used by insurers for determining physician payment rates.

If you receive this survey and have any questions, contact Emily Besser, MA, CAE, Associate Director, Advocacy.