Physician payment reform will top the list of the AAFP's federal advocacy efforts when the 110th Congress is gaveled to order in January. That focus will work to revive reform activity that came to a virtual halt as lawmakers "saw the ground shifting" before the mid-term elections, said Kevin Burke, director of the AAFP Division of Government Relations.
Physician Payment Reform Leads AAFP Priorities for 110th Congress
By Leslie Champlin
• Austin, Texas
11/16/2006
"Health information technology stalled. Physician payment reform stalled. Health professions grants stalled. Medical liability reform was blocked," he told participants at the Nov. 10-11 State Legislative Conference here. "Congress was not acting. They didn't defeat anything. They just held off."
As Democrats take charge of the U.S. House and Senate for the 110th Congress, they promise a new focus on domestic issues, including health care. However, whether that focus will include reforming Medicare physician payment is not necessarily guaranteed, say observers.
"It’s not that Democrats are necessarily more likely to score legislative wins -- in fact, the opposite may be true," wrote John Reichard, editor of Congressional Quarterly's CQ HealthBeat, on Nov. 8. "But their passion for all the permutations of health care means it is one of their core issues and that it is likely to receive dramatically more attention on Capitol Hill."
Lawmakers expected to move into key House and Senate committee leadership positions have promised action on health issues. Among them:
As Democrats take charge of the U.S. House and Senate for the 110th Congress, they promise a new focus on domestic issues, including health care. However, whether that focus will include reforming Medicare physician payment is not necessarily guaranteed, say observers.
"It’s not that Democrats are necessarily more likely to score legislative wins -- in fact, the opposite may be true," wrote John Reichard, editor of Congressional Quarterly's CQ HealthBeat, on Nov. 8. "But their passion for all the permutations of health care means it is one of their core issues and that it is likely to receive dramatically more attention on Capitol Hill."
Lawmakers expected to move into key House and Senate committee leadership positions have promised action on health issues. Among them:
- Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who "has a great deal of respect for pediatricians, family physicians and general internists who are on the front lines of medical care and doesn't think they get the recognition they deserve," said Burke. "He wants to address physician payment as an opportunity to change the Medicare pay scale to weight it more toward primary care because he understands primary care is so important in controlling health care costs."
- Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., who is "very keen on improving health care coverage for Americans," Burke told conference participants.
- Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., who moves up in seniority on the House Appropriations Committee, is "very interested in health information technology," according to Burke.
In addition, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who is expected to chair the House Ways and Means Committee, has announced his interest in resolving issues about the uninsured. “I can’t begin to tell you the number of pharmaceuticals and private hospital organizations that have come to me and my staff saying they would want to work with us as we put together a plan to cover those 47 million (uninsured) people who are out there,” he told Reichard. "A lot of corporate people are concerned" about the uninsured because "they are paying for the insurance of these people directly. These people are getting health care. They’re just not paying for it. The people (paying) for it are paying for them as well.”
The Academy's ongoing advocacy efforts and the presence of FamMedPAC -- the AAFP federal political action committee -- have provided the foundation for cultivating relationships with these and other lawmakers who will take leadership roles in January, said Burke.
Of the 87 incumbent lawmakers or legislative candidates FamMedPAC supported in the recent mid-term election, 75 won, according to Mark Cribben, J.D., FamMedPAC director.
"I think we'll be in a position to work with (those lawmakers) and get things accomplished," said Cribben. "We're already getting noticed."
The Academy's ongoing advocacy efforts and the presence of FamMedPAC -- the AAFP federal political action committee -- have provided the foundation for cultivating relationships with these and other lawmakers who will take leadership roles in January, said Burke.
Of the 87 incumbent lawmakers or legislative candidates FamMedPAC supported in the recent mid-term election, 75 won, according to Mark Cribben, J.D., FamMedPAC director.
"I think we'll be in a position to work with (those lawmakers) and get things accomplished," said Cribben. "We're already getting noticed."
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