The ACR and its delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) are busy preparing for the 2025 Interim HOD meeting, to be held Nov. 14–18 in National Harbor, Md. Hundreds of delegates from medical specialty societies and state medical associations gather at two AMA HOD meetings each year—in June and November—to set the policy and direction for the nation’s largest and most powerful physician organization.
The ACR’s resolutions at this meeting will address non-compete agreements as well as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in prior authorization processes. Both resolutions have attracted an impressive list of co-sponsorships from like-minded specialty societies. The ACR’s delegation will also be working with the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy to support a report from the AMA’s Council on Medical Service that calls for changes to the average sales price methodology for biosimilars to ensure rheumatologists and other specialists are reimbursed fairly for infusing them.
If passed by the AMA’s House of Delegates, these issues will add to a long list of ACR-developed policies and directives previously passed by the AMA, which have addressed issues including:
- National Institutes of Health funding;
- Copay accumulator policy;
- Third-party pharmacy benefit administrators;
- Stakeholder engagement with Medicare Administrative Contractors;
- Payer financial incentives to switch treatments;
- Selective application of prior authorization;
- Step therapy in Medicare Advantage;
- Biosimilar interchangeability pathways;
- Ensuring an effective H-1B visa program to enhance the rheumatology workforce;
- Drug pricing;
- Drug cost attribution in quality payment programs;
- Pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform; and
- Opposing the previous Medicare Part B drug payment demonstration.
The ACR delegation will also work to shape policy discussions in a number of other areas affecting members. Among other issues, some of the topics that will be addressed at the upcoming meeting include updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments, Medicaid cuts, the H-1B visa program, prior authorization and gender pay equity. ACR members are encouraged to suggest topics of focus for future ACR resolutions or proffer input on the AMA delegation’s work on behalf of rheumatology by writing to [email protected].
Resolutions are introduced and considered by the ACR based on its positions and policies and the work of ACR committees and the Board of Directors. The ACR’s delegation to the AMA House of Delegates consists of Gary Bryant, MD (delegate and delegation chair), Eileen Moynihan, MD (delegate), Cristina Arriens, MD (alternate delegate), Colin Edgerton, MD (alternate delegate), Luke Barre, MD (Young Physician Section representative), and Christina Downey, MD (Young Physician Section representative).
The ACR asks rheumatologists to continue to join or renew membership in the AMA so this work may continue. Rheumatology’s voice at the House of Delegates meeting is determined based on the number of ACR members who are also members of the AMA, so every single person who is a member of both the ACR and the AMA adds to the strength of this effort. Visit the AMA’s membership site to join or renew your AMA membership and receive valuable membership benefits along with helping to advance rheumatology.
