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Advocacy

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Scope of practice expansion is a long-standing, continuous and complex concern in the health care field. AAPM&R is aware of the various concerns specifically plaguing physiatrists, from non-physicians to non-physiatrists, intent on expanding their scope of practice beyond their level of education, training and experience. 

AAPM&R is taking action.

Your Academy remains vigilant about ongoing efforts by non-physician and non-PM&R providers to expand their scope of practice beyond their level of education, training and experience, which may threaten the health and safety of patients and impact the livelihood of physiatrists.

Federal and State Advocacy Actions in 2023:

  • In August, AAPM&R launched an ongoing federal grassroots campaign to contact members of Congress and express opposition to H.R. 2713, the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act. This legislation would inappropriately expand scope of practice for non-physician practitioners including nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and physician assistants. Academy members, click here to participate in this campaign.
  • In June, AAPM&R joined the American Medical Association (AMA) and more than ninety medical societies and associations in submitting a letter to congressional leadership in opposition to H.R. 2713.
  • In May, AAPM&R organized an ongoing Federal grassroots campaign to contact members of Congress and express opposition to S. 131/H.R. 618. To date, Academy members have responded strongly to this campaign, sending more than 560 letters to Congress to stop the expansion of scope of practice for nurse practitioners and physician assistants under the federal Worker’s Compensation Program. Academy members, click here to participate in this campaign.
  • In March, AAPM&R launched a grassroots campaign for Academy members in New York to stop the elimination of oversight of physician assistants in Part W of the Governor’s proposed Health and Mental Hygiene Budget (A.3007/S.4007). Academy members sent more than 80 letters to state officials in this ultimately successful advocacy effort. The final budget was signed by the Governor on May 3 and the provision eliminating the oversight of physician assistants was removed.

AAPM&R's Scope of Practice Workgroup

Recognizing the growing concern of non-physician (and non-PM&R) scope of practice expansion, your Academy is addressing this issue through multiple committees, including a new Scope of Practice Workgroup. This workgroup is comprised of representatives from the Quality, Practice, Policy, and Research (QPPR) Committee, the Health Policy and Legislation (HP&L) Committee, and the Reimbursement and Policy Review Committee (RPRC), and AAPM&R’s representative to the AMA Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP).

Scope of Practice Partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA)

Your Academy, as a member of the AMA Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP), actively engages in the collaborative effort of the AMA, American Osteopathic Association (AOA), national medical societies, state medical associations and state osteopathic medical associations to oppose scope of practice expansions by non-physician providers that threaten the health and safety of patients. The SOPP achieves this goal through legislative activities, regulatory activities, judicial advocacy, and programs of information, research and education. Active participation in this collaborative ensures physiatry is represented and contributes to SOPP’s goal to protect the health and safety of patients whose well-being may be threatened by health care practitioners who lack the education, training or experience to perform procedures for which they seek licensure or recognition.

Resources

From ongoing collaborations with the American Medical Association (AMA) to a full toolkit of position statements, we plan to continue developing tangible resources to assist physiatrists in addressing scope of practice issues.

Your Academy's Latest Efforts to Defend Physiatrists' Scope of Practice

View the full list of AAPM&R advocacy letters.


AAPM&R Attends AMA Annual Meeting

Jun 20, 2016

AMA DelegatesAAPM&R staff members and delegates attended the American Medical Association (AMA) Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 11-15, 2016. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. The delegation sponsored two meetings for the PM&R Caucus on Saturday, June 11 and Monday, June 13 to discuss introduced resolutions and actions of the house.
  2. AAPM&R’s Resolution 110, “Opposing Limits on Care Based Solely on ICD-10 Code Specificity,” was adopted as amended. The resolution asked that the AMA oppose limitations in coverage for medical services based solely on diagnostic code specificity, especially in cases when it would be less accurate or spurious to use an alternate diagnosis code. Ultimately the resolution was adopted with a friendly amendment, supported by the Academy’s delegation, to expand the resolve to apply more broadly. The title was also changed to “Opposing Coverage Decisions Based Solely on ICD-10 Code Specificity.”
  3. AAPM&R Resolution 223, “Dry Needling Is an Invasive Procedure,” was adopted with no amendments. The resolution asked that the AMA recognize dry needling as an invasive procedure and maintains that dry needling should only be performed by practitioners with standard training and familiarity with routine use of needles in their practice, such as licensed medical physicians and licensed acupuncturists. There was also a similar resolution introduced by the Illinois Medical Association, but the House ultimately adopted the Academy’s resolution in lieu of the other, with no amendments.
  4. The AAMP&R delegates added the Academy as a co-sponsor for an emergency resolution in response to the tragic shootings at an Orlando nightclub earlier this month. The resolution called for the AMA to immediately make a public statement that gun violence represents a public health crisis which requires a comprehensive public health response and solution and to actively lobby Congress to lift the gun violence research ban.

View the full meeting report and learn more about AAPM&R’s advocacy efforts.