“Aloha…This Needs to Be Said”: Report From the AMA House of Delegates

“Aloha…This Needs to Be Said”: Report From the AMA House of Delegates

Edward P. Balaban, FACP, DO, FASCO

Dec 08, 2022

ASCO’s delegation to the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates (AMA HOD) recently traveled to Honolulu for the Interim meeting. Our resolutions primarily focused on the threat of legislation that could criminalize medically necessary care in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and services related to fertility preservation. The delegation led strong resolutions urging the AMA to advocate against criminalization or civil liability concerning physicians or patients for pregnancy loss as a result of medically necessary care. In addition, an ASCO resolution urged the AMA to support state and federal efforts to require coverage of iatrogenic fertility preservation services. Our delegation also sponsored a resolution to support state and federal incentives to locate the manufacturing of  personal protective equipment (PPE) within the United States. All three resolutions were adopted.

Along with contributing on a number of topics throughout, we cosponsored a resolution concerning third-party agencies managing specialty pharmacies. This led to the adoption of a policy that would place similar oversight regulation on third-party administrators as those that already apply to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

It was good to once again meet in person with the delegation of Drs. Steve Lee, Erin Schwab, Kristina Novick, Tom Marsland, David Savage, and Barbara McAneny. Dr. Ray Page, also part of the delegation, provided support ahead of the meeting. The attendance at the ASCO-led cancer caucus was standing-room-only and filled with productive collaborative discussion. It is so necessary to recognize the dedicated staff that makes this effort possible: thank you Katie Gifford, Sarah Lanford, Kristine Rufener, Jenn Brunelle, and Karen Hagerty.

It is events and important times such as these that give health and cancer care a chance to affect and guide change. It is times such as these that give our profession an opportunity to say what needs to be said.

And so…Aloha…A hui hou kakou (until we meet again)…

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