On April 23, the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 to finalize a rule banning non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The proposed rule issued in Jan. 2023 received over 26,000 comments from stakeholders with an overwhelming majority supporting the change. The AOA submitted comments to the FTC along with 45 osteopathic affiliates expressing support for limiting … Read More
The AOA is seeking feedback from members to better understand the extent to which the Change Healthcare cyberattack, which occurred on Feb. 21, continues to impact physicians and patients. The attack on Change Healthcare, a clearinghouse subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, resulted in system outages that caused disruptions to electronic transactions across the health care ecosystem. … Read More
On March 28, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor and Department of Treasury released their final rule preventing short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans from being marketed as standard coverage. In this rule, the Departments finalized provisions to limit the length of coverage under STLDI plans from up to 36 months … Read More
On April 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule. The rule makes several changes to improve access to timely care supported by the AOA, including: Adding network adequacy evaluation standards for an “Outpatient Behavioral Health” new facility-specialty provider category; Requiring MA utilization management … Read More
This year’s DO Day on Capitol Hill was a resounding success, as hundreds of osteopathic physicians, students and advocates came together to make their voices heard in the halls of Congress. The AOA is proud of the passion and commitment demonstrated by participants, and we are excited to share some of the key accomplishments and … Read More
The AOA and the Minnesota Osteopathic Medical Society (MOMS) recently sent a letter supporting Minnesota state bill, S.F.3531, which enacts various policies aimed at supporting physician wellness and addressing burnout, to the benefit of the state’s physicians as well as the patients whom they serve. The letter states that, as of 2023, 26 state medical … Read More
CMS has created a new office/outpatient (O/O) evaluation and management (E/M) visit complexity add-on code to improve payment for the time, intensity and practice expense resources involved when physicians furnish E/M office visit services that enable them to build longitudinal relationships with patients. The AOA has developed a range of new resources to educate physicians … Read More
The AOA recently sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stressing the importance of maintaining payment parity for telehealth and in-person services. The letter highlights a commitment to ensuring telehealth services, including both audio-visual and audio-only modalities, receive appropriate payment. These ongoing advocacy efforts reflect an understanding of the challenges … Read More
On Feb. 15, the AOA and other physician organizations from the “The Group of Six” issued a statement in support of the safety of vaccines, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine. In an era where public health faces unprecedented challenges, the AOA continues to stand at the forefront of advocating for commonsense health policy. The … Read More