ACS Makes an Impact at 2024 AMA House of Delegates Annual Meeting
The 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) took place June 7–12, where the ACS played a part in significant actions that will shape the future of healthcare.
HOD Election Sweep for the ACS
The AMA HOD elected Bobby Mukkamala, MD, FACS, an otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon from Flint, Michigan, as president-elect.
Following his first year as Vice-Speaker of the AMA HOD, John Armstrong, MD, FACS, was re-elected for a second 1-year term. In this capacity, he is instrumental in ensuring the House of Delegates deliberations are inclusive, fair, and complete.
Four additional Fellows were endorsed by the ACS in competitive elections for Board of Trustee and Council positions. All four surgeons won positions in their respective offices:
- David H. Aizuss, MD, FACS, was reelected to the Board of Trustees
- Lynn Jeffers, MD, MBA, FACS, was elected to the Board of Trustees
- David Welsh, MD, MBA, FACS, was elected to the Board of Trustees
- Steven Chen, MD, MPH, FACS, was reelected to the Council on Medical Service
The ACS looks forward to greater collaboration with its endorsed candidates to further critical issues affecting surgeons and their patients.
Daniel Dent, MD, FACS, declared his candidacy for a position on the AMA Council on Medical Education at the next AMA HOD Annual Meeting. We look forward to supporting Dr. Dent in his efforts to further advocate for improvements to quality patient care and surgical issues.
ACS Delegation’s Participation in the HOD
The ACS delegation to the AMA consists of Jacob Moalem, MD, FACS (Chair); Dr. Armstrong; Ross Goldberg, MD, FACS; Leigh Neumayer, MD, MBA, MA, FACS; Naveen Sangji, MD, MPH; Kenneth Sharp, MD, FACS; Daniel Dent, MD, FACS; Michael Visenio, MD, MPH; and Luke Selby, MD, MS, FACS.
With ACS staff support, the delegation studied and debated content regarding 202 resolutions and 72 council reports, totaling over 1,800 pages of material. These items of business were grouped and subdivided by theme into reference committees pertaining to Bylaws, Legislation, Medical Education, Public Health, Science and Technology, Finance and Governance, and Medical Practice.
The delegates actively participated in crafting and shaping AMA policy to align with ACS policy through active involvement in specialty and state-specific caucuses, Reference Committee hearings and HOD’s Business Sessions.
Critical Issues Impacting Surgeons
The ACS delegation testified in the reference committees regarding policies affecting:
- Prior authorization
- Maintenance of certification
- Artificial intelligence
- Medicare physician payment
- International medical graduates
- Cancer screening and management
- Obesity
Resolution 116, “Increase Insurance Coverage for Follow-Up Testing After Abnormal Screening Mammography,” established AMA support for public and private payer coverage for additional screening and follow-up testing after an abnormal screening mammography.
The delegation also spoke on Resolution 118, “Public and Private Payer Coverage of Diagnostic Interventions Associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening and Diagnosis,” putting into place language for adequate payment and the elimination of cost sharing in all health plans for the full range of colorectal cancer screening and all associated costs.
Finally, Resolution 711, “Insurer Accountability When Prior Authorization Harms Patients,” advocated for increased legal accountability of insurers and other payers when delay or denial of prior authorization leads to patient harm.
For the full content of the meeting, refer to the AMA HOD’s page.
The ACS looks forward to continuing its partnership with the AMA and other medical societies to champion the causes that matter most to surgeons and their patients. Fellows who are interested in authoring resolutions with the AMA delegation may contact Cory Bloom at cbloom@facs.org.
Register Now to Attend the August Coding Course in Nashville
Medicare and third-party payor policy and coding changes make it imperative that surgeons and their coding staff have accurate and up-to-date information to protect reimbursements and optimize efficiency. The next in-person ACS/KZA General Surgery Coding Course, August 16-17 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, can help.
ACS members and their staff receive a registration discount, so register today! The Coding Course includes two all-day sessions and up to 6.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for each day.
2024 Spotlight on E/M and Office Procedure for the General Surgeon
Friday, August 16, 8:00 am–4:00 pm CT
Participants will learn how to properly apply elements of medical decision-making when selecting levels of evaluation and management (E/M) codes; correctly use E/M modifiers; identify key issues in nonphysician practitioner and critical care billing; and accurately code and document common office procedures.
Mastering General Surgery Coding and RVU Optimization
Saturday, August 17, 8:00 am–4:00 pm CT
Attendees will learn how to select correct codes for common general surgery procedures; recognize the impact of modifiers on global periods and reimbursement; identify areas for improvement in surgical documentation; and manage precertification and preauthorization.
For more information about the ACS/KZA General Surgery Coding Course, contact KZA or email practicemanagement@facs.org.
