AAMC Announces September
Teaching Hospital Advocacy Days
August 30, 2002-In a Aug. 23 letter to all Council
of Teaching Hospital and Health System (COTH) Chief Executive
Officers, the AAMC announced two September advocacy days for
teaching hospitals' participation. The letter encourages teaching
hospital leaders to come to Washington to attend one or both
days to advocate to Congress the need for Medicare Indirect
Medical Education (IME) relief from FY 2003 and beyond reductions.
The first opportunity, scheduled for Sept. 10, has been planned
by the American Hospital Association (AHA) for trustees of
all hospitals to meet with their legislators. The AAMC is
working with the AHA to support the AHA trustee advocacy day.
The second opportunity, jointly sponsored by the AAMC and
AHA, is planned for Sept.26. "Teaching Hospital Advocacy
Day II" will allow a repeated, but more focused, advocacy
message specific to teaching hospitals and the Medicare IME
issue.
The timing of the advocacy days will hopefully coincide with
the Senate Finance Committee's preparations to take up Medicare
legislation in the fall.
The AAMC supports maintaining the Medicare IME adjustment
at its current level of 6.5 percent, as set forth in "The
American Hospital Preservation Act," S. 839/H.R. 1556.
Unless Congress acts, in FY 2003 and thereafter, the IME adjustment
will be reduced to 5.5 percent, translating into a reduction
of $800 million in reduced IME payments in FY 2003 or $4.2
billion over five years.
Information:
Lynne Davis Boyle, Assistant Vice President
AAMC Office of Governmental Relations
ldavisboyle@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
Get Washington Highlights
in your Inbox!
| 
