AAFP Advocacy Focus: Navigating Legal Issues
Family medicine is subject to regulatory and legal changes with enormous potential impacts on the specialty, so the Academy's advocacy addresses a full range of issues, including administrative simplification, antitrust laws, physician collective negotiation, HIPAA, liability reform, and legal transparency.
Why We Fight
At the heart of the financial pressures limiting growth of the primary care workforce — and inhibiting individual family physicians — are several legal and regulatory concerns demanding vigilance and action. The Academy advocates forcefully for members across the spectrum of these issues, with emphasis on these.
Administrative Simplification
Health care costs can be reduced by strengthening the electronic exchange of data and by removing unnecessary burdens throughout the compliance, claims, and billing processes — advances for which the Academy advocates.
Antitrust/Collective Negotiation
The AAFP pushes to eliminate outdated restrictions and allow primary care physicians to jointly negotiate with third-party payers.
Patient Privacy
HIPAA’s impact must remain consistent with its intent, so the Academy closely monitors proposed changes to the law.
Medical Liability
The AAFP is committed to substantive reform in this area and is working to solve critical issues connected to it.
Transparency
Stay current on recent developments in physician payment data and open payments and the Academy's related advocacy.