ACS Responds to Congressional Oversight of AI in Healthcare
Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued a request for information (RFI) on the oversight and legislative role of Congress over the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and other industries.
The College’s response to the RFI focuses on the vital importance that AI tools are trained and maintained with high-quality, diverse, valid, and representative data and are regularly assessed for continued accuracy and reliability; that regulators engage clinical experts in the assessment of AI health tools; and that physicians’ clinical judgement remains paramount.
The ACS is dedicated to improving the care of the surgical patient and safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment. The organization understands the critical role that technology plays in achieving this mission, as well as the need for thoughtful policymaking to ensure that tools such as AI are used with the utmost regard for patients’ rights and safety.
The College will continue to monitor and offer guidance on implementation of AI in surgery and healthcare and will continue to work with Congress in this area.
ACS Endorses Cancer Prevention Legislation
The ACS recently issued letters in support of two bills aimed at increasing access to preventative cancer screening and reducing patient cost sharing.
The Find it Early Act, introduced by Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), would require health insurance plans to cover screening and diagnostic breast imaging, including mammograms, ultrasounds and breast ultrasounds, and MRIs with no cost-sharing for patients. While insurance plans typically cover mammography screening for breast cancer, many plans do not cover additional types of screening that may be needed for those with dense breasts, certain family histories, or for other reasons. This lack of coverage may lead many patients to forego these tests and risk later stage diagnosis.
The Find it Early Act will address this gap and help increase access to breast cancer screening and avoid preventable deaths. Read the ACS letter of support.
The Colorectal Cancer Payment Fairness Act, introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Donald Payne (D-NJ) and Fitzpatrick, builds on the previously enacted Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act and requires Medicare to offer complete coverage for colorectal cancer treatments patients receive during routine cancer screenings by the end of 2023. The Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, which was signed into law in 2020, required Medicare to increase coverage of procedures that remove polyps during routine colorectal cancer screenings. Before the bill became law, Medicare provided complete coverage of the screenings, but not the removal of the polyps, and patients could face surprise charges if polyps were removed during the procedure. However, coverage is currently set to phase in through 2030.
The Colorectal Cancer Payment Fairness Act will ensure full coverage for these procedures sooner, helping to increase screening rates and reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. Read the ACS letter of support for the House and the Senate, respectively.
Short-Term Funding Resolution Extends Some Health Programs
On September 30, Congress avoided a shutdown of the federal government after coming to a last-minute, bipartisan agreement that will fund the government for 45 days through November 17. The Continuing Resolution (CR) extends fiscal year (FY) 2023 spending at current levels. While the CR temporarily funds several existing health programs that were scheduled to expire at the end of September, including the Community Health Center program, National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, and cuts to Medicaid payments for disproportionate share hospitals, there are several programs that were not included in the CR, such as the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).
PAHPA authorizes several important preparedness programs, but final legislation has not been voted on in either the US House or Senate. In September, the ACS sent a letter to Senate leadership urging swift passage of PAHPA with language that improves medical readiness and response capabilities, a pilot program for public health data, and reauthorization of the Military and Civilian Partnership for the Trauma Readiness Grant Program (also known as MISSION ZERO).
The College will continue to work with Congress and advocate for reauthorization of this crucial legislation.
