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The AOA supports the osteopathic profession by monitoring and advocating on state-level legislation, regulations and licensure issues.
Partnering with state and specialty affiliate organizations, the AOA tracks legislative issues, compiles research data, develops issue briefs and engages state policymakers in support of the osteopathic medical profession. Read on for information about our latest efforts, current priorities and advocacy wins.
The AOA supports legislation that promotes the physician-led, team-based model of health care delivery, which values each member of the patient care team while protecting patient safety through appropriate physician involvement. We support uniform, evidence-based licensure pathways for physicians, as well as non-physician clinicians, based upon scope of practice.
Learn more about the AOA’s work to prevent inappropriate scope of practice expansions:
The AOA promotes measures that appropriately recognize osteopathic physicians, resident physicians and students, as well as osteopathic exams and board certifications, as fully equivalent to their allopathic counterparts. We work to educate lawmakers about osteopathic medicine and support the licensure and regulation of DOs by osteopathic medical boards in dual states.
Learn how the AOA works to protect and promote the distinctive practice of osteopathic medicine:
We support legislation that requires health care providers to affirmatively communicate their degrees and licensure type to patients. This helps prevent fraud and enables patients to make informed decisions about their care.
The AOA promotes enactment of legislation that increases the physician workforce through increased funding for graduate medical education and expanded financial incentives for physicians practicing in rural and underserved areas.
The AOA advocates for the delivery of health care services, including the prescription of controlled substances, through telemedicine and other communications-based technologies when appropriate. We advocate for payment parity between these services and similar services delivered in person.
We support the advancement of state insurance regulations that require insurers to maintain adequate in-person provider networks and improve network transparency. We also support the physician’s right to voluntarily contract with insurers and set their own out-of-network rates.
The AOA works to advance enactment of the compact, which provides a voluntary, expedited pathway to physician licensure in multiple states and increases access to care for patients in underserved and rural areas.
Read the latest update on the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact:
As part of the AOA’s goal of increasing access to affordable, high-quality health care coverage, we are actively supporting state Medicaid expansion efforts. This also includes commenting on Section 1115 demonstration waiver applications which attempt to implement onerous requirements and make obtaining coverage more difficult.