Update from AMA Annual Meeting 2019

 

The American Medical Association (AMA) conducted the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates from June 8-12 in Chicago. The House of Delegates (HOD) is the principal policymaking body of the AMA, consisting of more than 600 delegates and accompanying alternate delegates who represent the medical specialty societies (including CHEST); the state and territorial medical associations; the uniformed services; and other stakeholder organizations. Leading policymakers including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma and the Surgeon General of the United States, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, MD, also participated in the meeting.

This year, the delegates (CHEST has three delegate positions) considered more than 200 policy proposals (resolutions and reports) in a multi-step process: caucuses, Reference Committees, and hearings before the full House of Delegates.

The caucuses are an important first step in the HOD process. The Chest/Allergy Section Council (participants at this meeting were from the AAAAI, AAOA, AASM, ACAAI, ATS, CHEST, and SCCM) met the day before the Reference Committee hearings to:

• Decide what resolutions and reports are most important to the chest diseases, critical care medicine, sleep medicine, and allergy communities;
• Determine (if possible) a unified position (support/oppose);
• Develop talking points; and
• Identify who will speak for the caucus (or as individuals if there were differing positions) at the various Reference Committee meetings.

Under the leadership of Tina Shah, MD, MPH, from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the caucus decided to focus on 16 reports and resolutions that were slated for discussion at 7 different Reference Committees. The caucus used the GroupMe mobile, a group messaging app, to stay in touch during the meeting to ensure that someone from the caucus would be at all pertinent sessions and to communicate progress and results in real time.

The topics of the reports and resolutions selected by the Caucus for involvement included:

• Returning Liquid Oxygen to the Medicare Fee Schedule
• COPD National Action Plan
• Low Nicotine Product Standard
• Addressing the Vaping Crisis
• Regulating Liquid Nicotine and E-Cigarettes
• Put Over-the-Counter Inhaled Epinephrine Behind Pharmacy Counter
• Change in Marijuana Classification to Allow Research
• Promotion of Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis by Out-of-Hospital Healthcare Providers
• The Climate Change Lecture for US Medical Schools
• Physician-Assisted Suicide
• End-of-Life Care

 

The Reference Committees, where both AMA members and nonmembers (with permission) may testify, are organized by topic:

• Medical Service
• Legislation, Legal, and Regulatory Issues
• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Science and Technology
• AMA Governance and Finance
• Medical Practice
• Constitution and Bylaws

The Reference Committees hear testimony on each resolution, adjourn, and then meet privately (often into the wee hours) to develop recommendations to the full House. Their options include:

• Recommend Adoption
• Recommend Adoption With Amendment
• Recommend Referral (further study by one of several Councils)
• Recommend Referral for Decision (by the Board of Trustees after further study)
• Recommend for Non-Adoption

During the following 3 days, the full House of Delegates considers the Reference Committee recommendations. Any delegate may object to any recommendation and cause it to be debated and voted on by the full House of Delegates. Details about the outcomes of the 200+ resolutions are available at the AMA website (ama-assn.org).

The compendium of policies covers the entire range of topics impacting the practice of medicine – ethics, legislation, regulation, public health, individual health, and medical education among them. The full range of policies may be found in the AMA’s Policy Manual available on the AMA website (ama-assn.org).

CHEST members with an interest in the AMA policy-making process may observe any AMA-HOD meeting or participate in the AMA’s democratic processes. Attendees will also be able to increase their knowledge and skills with no cost at scores of educational sessions and will also be able to connect with more than 1,500 peers and other meeting attendees from across the country. CHEST members with the time (there are two 5-day meetings each year) and interest are invited to apply to be an official CHEST delegate to the AMA. Contact Jennifer Nemkovich at [email protected] for details.
 

Dr. Desai is with the Chicago Chest Center and Suburban Lung Associates; and the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also the CHEST Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. Mr. Newman is the Senior Director of Strategy, Product, & Global Development at CHEST.

 

The American Medical Association (AMA) conducted the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates from June 8-12 in Chicago. The House of Delegates (HOD) is the principal policymaking body of the AMA, consisting of more than 600 delegates and accompanying alternate delegates who represent the medical specialty societies (including CHEST); the state and territorial medical associations; the uniformed services; and other stakeholder organizations. Leading policymakers including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma and the Surgeon General of the United States, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, MD, also participated in the meeting.

This year, the delegates (CHEST has three delegate positions) considered more than 200 policy proposals (resolutions and reports) in a multi-step process: caucuses, Reference Committees, and hearings before the full House of Delegates.

The caucuses are an important first step in the HOD process. The Chest/Allergy Section Council (participants at this meeting were from the AAAAI, AAOA, AASM, ACAAI, ATS, CHEST, and SCCM) met the day before the Reference Committee hearings to:

• Decide what resolutions and reports are most important to the chest diseases, critical care medicine, sleep medicine, and allergy communities;
• Determine (if possible) a unified position (support/oppose);
• Develop talking points; and
• Identify who will speak for the caucus (or as individuals if there were differing positions) at the various Reference Committee meetings.

Under the leadership of Tina Shah, MD, MPH, from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the caucus decided to focus on 16 reports and resolutions that were slated for discussion at 7 different Reference Committees. The caucus used the GroupMe mobile, a group messaging app, to stay in touch during the meeting to ensure that someone from the caucus would be at all pertinent sessions and to communicate progress and results in real time.

The topics of the reports and resolutions selected by the Caucus for involvement included:

• Returning Liquid Oxygen to the Medicare Fee Schedule
• COPD National Action Plan
• Low Nicotine Product Standard
• Addressing the Vaping Crisis
• Regulating Liquid Nicotine and E-Cigarettes
• Put Over-the-Counter Inhaled Epinephrine Behind Pharmacy Counter
• Change in Marijuana Classification to Allow Research
• Promotion of Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis by Out-of-Hospital Healthcare Providers
• The Climate Change Lecture for US Medical Schools
• Physician-Assisted Suicide
• End-of-Life Care

 

The Reference Committees, where both AMA members and nonmembers (with permission) may testify, are organized by topic:

• Medical Service
• Legislation, Legal, and Regulatory Issues
• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Science and Technology
• AMA Governance and Finance
• Medical Practice
• Constitution and Bylaws

The Reference Committees hear testimony on each resolution, adjourn, and then meet privately (often into the wee hours) to develop recommendations to the full House. Their options include:

• Recommend Adoption
• Recommend Adoption With Amendment
• Recommend Referral (further study by one of several Councils)
• Recommend Referral for Decision (by the Board of Trustees after further study)
• Recommend for Non-Adoption

During the following 3 days, the full House of Delegates considers the Reference Committee recommendations. Any delegate may object to any recommendation and cause it to be debated and voted on by the full House of Delegates. Details about the outcomes of the 200+ resolutions are available at the AMA website (ama-assn.org).

The compendium of policies covers the entire range of topics impacting the practice of medicine – ethics, legislation, regulation, public health, individual health, and medical education among them. The full range of policies may be found in the AMA’s Policy Manual available on the AMA website (ama-assn.org).

CHEST members with an interest in the AMA policy-making process may observe any AMA-HOD meeting or participate in the AMA’s democratic processes. Attendees will also be able to increase their knowledge and skills with no cost at scores of educational sessions and will also be able to connect with more than 1,500 peers and other meeting attendees from across the country. CHEST members with the time (there are two 5-day meetings each year) and interest are invited to apply to be an official CHEST delegate to the AMA. Contact Jennifer Nemkovich at [email protected] for details.
 

Dr. Desai is with the Chicago Chest Center and Suburban Lung Associates; and the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also the CHEST Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. Mr. Newman is the Senior Director of Strategy, Product, & Global Development at CHEST.

 

The American Medical Association (AMA) conducted the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates from June 8-12 in Chicago. The House of Delegates (HOD) is the principal policymaking body of the AMA, consisting of more than 600 delegates and accompanying alternate delegates who represent the medical specialty societies (including CHEST); the state and territorial medical associations; the uniformed services; and other stakeholder organizations. Leading policymakers including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma and the Surgeon General of the United States, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, MD, also participated in the meeting.

This year, the delegates (CHEST has three delegate positions) considered more than 200 policy proposals (resolutions and reports) in a multi-step process: caucuses, Reference Committees, and hearings before the full House of Delegates.

The caucuses are an important first step in the HOD process. The Chest/Allergy Section Council (participants at this meeting were from the AAAAI, AAOA, AASM, ACAAI, ATS, CHEST, and SCCM) met the day before the Reference Committee hearings to:

• Decide what resolutions and reports are most important to the chest diseases, critical care medicine, sleep medicine, and allergy communities;
• Determine (if possible) a unified position (support/oppose);
• Develop talking points; and
• Identify who will speak for the caucus (or as individuals if there were differing positions) at the various Reference Committee meetings.

Under the leadership of Tina Shah, MD, MPH, from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the caucus decided to focus on 16 reports and resolutions that were slated for discussion at 7 different Reference Committees. The caucus used the GroupMe mobile, a group messaging app, to stay in touch during the meeting to ensure that someone from the caucus would be at all pertinent sessions and to communicate progress and results in real time.

The topics of the reports and resolutions selected by the Caucus for involvement included:

• Returning Liquid Oxygen to the Medicare Fee Schedule
• COPD National Action Plan
• Low Nicotine Product Standard
• Addressing the Vaping Crisis
• Regulating Liquid Nicotine and E-Cigarettes
• Put Over-the-Counter Inhaled Epinephrine Behind Pharmacy Counter
• Change in Marijuana Classification to Allow Research
• Promotion of Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis by Out-of-Hospital Healthcare Providers
• The Climate Change Lecture for US Medical Schools
• Physician-Assisted Suicide
• End-of-Life Care

 

The Reference Committees, where both AMA members and nonmembers (with permission) may testify, are organized by topic:

• Medical Service
• Legislation, Legal, and Regulatory Issues
• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Science and Technology
• AMA Governance and Finance
• Medical Practice
• Constitution and Bylaws

The Reference Committees hear testimony on each resolution, adjourn, and then meet privately (often into the wee hours) to develop recommendations to the full House. Their options include:

• Recommend Adoption
• Recommend Adoption With Amendment
• Recommend Referral (further study by one of several Councils)
• Recommend Referral for Decision (by the Board of Trustees after further study)
• Recommend for Non-Adoption

During the following 3 days, the full House of Delegates considers the Reference Committee recommendations. Any delegate may object to any recommendation and cause it to be debated and voted on by the full House of Delegates. Details about the outcomes of the 200+ resolutions are available at the AMA website (ama-assn.org).

The compendium of policies covers the entire range of topics impacting the practice of medicine – ethics, legislation, regulation, public health, individual health, and medical education among them. The full range of policies may be found in the AMA’s Policy Manual available on the AMA website (ama-assn.org).

CHEST members with an interest in the AMA policy-making process may observe any AMA-HOD meeting or participate in the AMA’s democratic processes. Attendees will also be able to increase their knowledge and skills with no cost at scores of educational sessions and will also be able to connect with more than 1,500 peers and other meeting attendees from across the country. CHEST members with the time (there are two 5-day meetings each year) and interest are invited to apply to be an official CHEST delegate to the AMA. Contact Jennifer Nemkovich at [email protected] for details.
 

Dr. Desai is with the Chicago Chest Center and Suburban Lung Associates; and the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also the CHEST Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. Mr. Newman is the Senior Director of Strategy, Product, & Global Development at CHEST.