The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) was readmitted to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates during its 2019 annual meeting, which was held June 8 – 12 in Chicago. Based on the number of AASM physician members who joined the AMA in 2018, the AASM was able to have two delegates seated for 2019. The AASM delegates are Past Presidents Alejandro Chediak, MD, and Patrick Strollo Jr., MD.

Delegate apportionment for 2019 is based on official AMA membership records as of Dec. 31, 2018, with one delegate apportioned for every 1,000 AMA members, or fraction thereof. A total of 281 delegates were apportioned across the 124 national medical specialty societies in the House. While every society seated in the House of Delegates is entitled to one delegate, the AASM is among the 54 national specialty societies with more than one delegate (with a like number of alternate delegates).

The AMA House of Delegates represents the views and interests of a diverse group of member physicians from more than 170 societies. These delegates meet twice per year to establish policy on health, medical, professional and governance matters, as well as the principles within which the AMA’s business activities are conducted.

Having representation in the House of Delegates enables the AASM to amplify the voice of sleep physicians in important health care policy decisions. It also allows the AASM to represent the sleep medicine specialty at two influential bodies that impact how all clinicians practice and get reimbursed:

  • The AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC), which impacts CMS and private payor reimbursements.
  • The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Advisory Committee, which provides guidance to the CPT Editorial Panel, which determines new codes for claims.

Learn more from the AASM about the AMA CPT and RUC and the AMA House of Delegates.