AOA urges OMB to reduce physician burdens and protect access to care

In response to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) request for input on deregulatory actions, the AOA submitted formal comments identifying federal policies that hinder physician autonomy, limit competition and contribute to administrative burnout. The AOA’s recommendations center on three key areas:

Reducing administrative burden: The AOA called for major reforms to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), citing its failure to improve care quality and its disproportionate penalties on small and rural practices. The association urged CMS to enhance measurement accuracy, improve feedback and promote flexibility for physicians.
Clarifying liability in AI use: The AOA expressed concern that current rules unfairly shift liability for algorithmic bias in AI-enabled tools onto physicians, even when developers do not provide sufficient data transparency. The AOA recommends that developers, not providers, be held responsible for ensuring equitable device performance.
Promoting market competition: Calling for the lifting of restrictions on physician-owned hospitals and voicing opposition to contract provisions that force physicians to refer patients within their employer’s network. Such practices, they argue, reduce care quality and undermine physician decision-making.

The AOA highlighted the need to strike a balance between reducing unnecessary regulation and maintaining safeguards that protect patients and preserve program integrity. Be sure to read the full comments to learn more about the AOA’s recommendations.