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AMA president-elect addresses AAD about health-care challenges facing physicians

SAN FRANCISCO – The American Medical Association continues its work on issues affecting dermatologists and other physicians, according to a presentation from the AMA president elect at the plenary session of the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.

Steven J. Stack, MD, an emergency department physician practicing in Lexington, Ky., said it is “the best of times and worst of times” with medical advances happening at the same time as incredible regulatory burdens and the intrusion of the economics of health care in the doctor-patient relationship.

Steven J. Stack

Stack addressed a number of issues facing medicine, including narrow networks of physicians. He said that the AAD has “fantastic data,” and was able to work with the ACA to begin to change the situation. Now Medicare Advantage plans will have to keep their data current and all the Medicare exchange plans will have to update it monthly by 2016, Stack said.

“That’s a big step forward,” he said.

The Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) is one of those rare issues that really unites most physicians. “It is such a misguided policy,” he said.

Last year, policies that could have helped the SGR made it partially through the Congressional process, Stack said. He’s optimistic that the House of Representatives will pass a bill this week related to the SGR.

“If we do not fix the SGR, we have no hope of getting other payment delivery reforms done properly and well,” he said.

Electronic health records (EHR) and telehealth and teledermatology also are big issues, he said.

He said that skin cancer has “a unique importance” to dermatology.

AMA was helpful in seven more states getting laws to restrict access of tanning beds for those under 18, Stack said. There are now more than 20 states with laws regarding tanning beds and minors, he said.

“The American Medical Association has to dare to go places that others don’t go,” Stack concluded. “Through the partnership we’ve had with AAD and all the other [associations] and state societies, we represent every physician.”

For more information:

Stack SJ. Plenary Session. AMA President-Elect’s Address. Presented at: American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting; March 20-24, 2015, San Francisco.

Disclosure: Stack reports no relevant financial disclosures..