Issues
The AfPA continually monitors and responds to national and regional policy issues that have the potential to influence patient access to treatments and care. We will frequently post articles and announcements here on policy issues and developments to keep you informed and to notify you when action is needed.
Medicare Access
- GOP Doctors Caucus letter to President Obama regarding IPAB, June 1, 2011
- "On Medicare, the right role for Congress," by Grace-Marie Turner, Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 11, 2011
- American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons position statement on IPAB
- Alliance for Specialty Medicine position paper on IPAB
- Pacific Research Institute policy paper on IPAB
- AfPA Endorses Repeal of Medicare's Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)
- American Medical Association IPAB Statement
- Obama Panel to Curb Medicare Finds Foes in Both Parties, New York Times, April 19, 2011
- American Hospital Association letter to Congress on IPAB, March 31, 2011
- Health industry and lawmakers move against Medicare spending board, Politico, January 26, 2011
Electronic Medical Record, E-Prescriptions, and E-Preauthorization
- AfPA Position Statement: Restrictive E-Rx Systems and the EMR
- The Right EMR, video from members of the American Academy of Private Physicians
- Beware! The co-opting of electronic prescriptions, by David Charles, M.D., Medical News, January 2011
Therapeutic Substitution
- CSRO Survey of Rheumatologists Nationwide Reveals Health Insurance Barriers Jeopardize Patient Access to Care and Ability of Physicians to Effectively Treat Patients, Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, September 30, 2011
- PBMs - Live and Let Die, by Rodolfo Molina, M.D., San Antonio Medicine, February 2011
- Fail First? Is This Any Way to Practice Medicine?, by David Charles, M.D., AOL News, August 16, 2010
- Time for a Physician-Patient Relationship Preservation Act, by David Charles, M.D., Providence Journal, February 27, 2010
- Doctor's orders may not be followed at pharmacy, WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, November 20, 2009
- Conversations with Al McFarlane: Getting what the doctor ordered, Insightnews.com, October 26, 2009
- Washington State mandates therapeutic substitution, KIRO-TV, April 1, 2009
- Not What the Doctor Ordered? WXYZ (Detroit), March 17, 2009. View Part 1 and Part 2
- Doctors, patients upset as insurers push them to use cheaper drugs, South Florida Sun Sentinel, November 29, 2008
- AMA: Switching Patients' Medication without Their Consent Is Unethical, MedicationSense.com
- Waging Health Battles by Fax, Wall Street Journal column, October 1, 2008
- A Family Doctor Rails Against Insurance Pre-Authorization, Wall Street Journal blog, October 1, 2008
- Beware of legislation that would allow untested copies of biologic drugs, by David Charles, M.D., August 31, 2008
Evidence-Based Medicine
- Put patients before price, by Jack Schim, M.D., Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise, January 3, 2009
- AfPA Position Statement on the Principles of Evidence-Based Medical Policy Making
- Low Osmolar Contrast Media Case Study
Comparative Effectiveness
- Beware use of data to ration health care: A guest column by Donald Palmisano, M.D., Nola.com, Novmeber 11, 2011
- Mammography guidelines intensify health care reform debate, Medpage Today, November 23, 2009
- Health care storms brews; Critics fear plan to rank treatment may hurt elderly, be a move toward nationalized care, The Tennessean, February 14, 2009
- Congress must stay out of the doctor's office, by Howard Hoffberg, M.D., Prince George's Sentinel, November 6, 2008
- A physician's take on budget-driven health care, by Peter McAllister, M.D., Manchester, Conn. Journal-Inquirer, May 23, 2008
- Penny-pinching on medicine has a price, by Bruce S. Rubin, Tampa Tribune, April 29, 2008
- Don't risk personalized care, by Peter McAllister, M.D., Scranton Times-Tribune, April 28, 2008
- Congress tampering with doctor-patient relationship, by David Charles, M.D., The Tennessean, February 10, 2008
Pay-for-Performance
- Government takes the pen out of your doctor's hand, by David Charles, M.D., Bucks County Courier, December 29, 2010
- Insurance companies must put patients first; Physicians worry as bumbling bureaucrats, firms get in the way, by Gregory Knopf, M.D., Portland (Ore.) Tribune, December 30, 2010
- Government + medicine usually equals suffering, by David Charles, M.D., The Tennessean, December 23, 2010
- The Best Possible Care: You're Worth It, by Dr. Christopher Morgan, The Lund Report, August 25, 2010
- Time for a Physician-Patient Relationship Preservation Act, by David Charles, M.D., Providence Journal, February 27, 2010
- A code of conduct for health insurers, by David Charles, M.D., The Hill, November 4, 2009
- Bureaucracy won't contain costs, by David Charles, M.D., San Diego Union-Tribune, August 13, 2009
- Dr. Jack Schim speaks about patient access on KUSI-TV's "Good Morning San Diego," June 1, 2009
- Why 'Quality' Care Is Dangerous; The growing number of rigid protocols meant to guide doctors have perverse consequences, Wall Street Journal commentary by Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband, April 8, 2009
- Alliance for Patient Access Applauds AMA’s Heath Insurer Code of Conduct, AfPA press release, November 14, 2008
- Mark Nielsen, M.D. discusses the impact of pay-for-performance physician compensation models on patient access and physician autonomy on "The Mary Hanson Show."
- Letter to the editor from David Charles, M.D. in response to Doctors Paid to Prescribe Generic Pills, Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2008
Marketing Restrictions
- Physician led Peer-to-Peer Manufacturer Sponsored Educational Programs, AfPA position statement, October 25, 2010
- It's Time to Fight the 'PharmaScolds', Wall Street Journal commentary by David A. Shaywitz and Thomas P. Stossel, April 8, 2009
- Proposed Limits Jeopardize Patient Care, by Peter McAllister, M.D., Connecticut Post, March 20, 2009
- Firms win victory on doctor gift rules; draft doesn't seek research funds data, Boston Globe, December 6, 2008
- Study Sees Doctor Shortage, Boston Herald, October 6, 2008
- Drug companies can be helpful, by Peter McAllister, M.D., Rutland, Vt. Herald, August 9, 2008
- Disclosing Physicians' Gifts: Analysis, Articles, and an Interview, an interview with Dr. David Charles on "A Chronic Dose" blog, August 8, 2008
- AfPA Position Statement on Massachusetts Gift Ban Legislation, May 2008
- The Facts About Pharmaceutical Marketing and Promotion, April 2008