AMGA Unveils 2008 Health Policy Priorities

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- With the opening  of the second session of the 110th Congress, the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today announces its 2008 public policy priorities, beginning with advocacy for the advanced model of coordinated care exemplified by multi-specialty medical groups and other organized systems of care, and an emphasis on Medicare payment reform, among others.

AMGA’s 2008 agenda focuses on improving healthcare for America’s patients and emphasizes the advanced capabilities of organized systems of care. Medical groups provide comprehensive and coordinated care through investments in infrastructure, health information technology, and a broad scope of services, grounded in a philosophy of accountable healthcare delivery. Accordingly, AMGA’s advocacy priorities focus on policies that promote higher quality and efficient patient care by:

-- Promoting the growth, development, and creation of multi-specialty medical groups

-- Ensuring clinical quality improvements by providing incentives for care coordination

-- Advocating for incentives for adoption and use of electronic prescribing and electronic health records

-- Reforming the Medicare “sustainable growth rate” (SGR) formula to keep pace with practice costs, achieving  stability and program predictability

-- Preserving the in-office ancillary services and professional services Stark law exceptions

-- Advocating for government funding of research in support of evidence-based medicine

-- Advancing the Physician Medical Liability Trust initiative as part of medical liability reform

-- Advancing access to healthcare for the uninsured

 “Our members are among the nation’s healthcare leaders,” said Donald W. Fisher, PhD, AMGA’s president and CEO. “Their philosophical underpinnings, processes, and structures produce advanced, comprehensive services and integrated delivery capabilities that are key to addressing many of the country’s most pressing healthcare problems. We look forward to working with Congress to advance policies that incentivize quality healthcare based on the use of health information technology and care coordination.”

Source: American Medical Group Association

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