Advocacy Articles
Updates about legislative and regulatory issues impacting the field of sleep medicine
The National Institutes of Health recently released a projection estimating that funding for sleep research will decrease by 22% to $254 million in fiscal year 2018, compared with the FY 2017 estimated (enacted) total of $327 million.
President Trump recently announced his intent to nominate Dr. Jerome Adams to be the next U.S. Surgeon General.
On June 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 (PACA), a bill that proposes to reform the current medical liability system. The legislation passed narrowly by a vote of 218 to 210.
On Monday the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its evaluation of the updated draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) health care bill crafted by Senate Republicans. CBO estimates that 22 million more Americans would be uninsured, and federal spending would be reduced by $321 billion within the next decade.
Senate Republican leadership unveiled a discussion draft bill on Thursday to replace many aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The long-awaited bill is called the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017.
President Trump unveiled his $4.1 trillion federal budget this week for fiscal year (FY) 2018, and it proposes significant cuts to Medicaid and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
According to the forecast released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) would result in 14 million fewer people having health insurance in 2018, which would increase to a total of 23 million by 2026. The CBO report also estimates that the legislation would reduce the federal deficit by $119 billion over 10 years.
The AASM encourages members to visit the new Transportation Safety webpage on the AASM website! The webpage includes a number of documents addressing drowsy driving along with other transportation safety issues.
On Thursday, May 18, the Colorado Medical Board conducted a meeting to discuss the dentist’s role in the management of sleep apnea. During the meeting, the Medical Board stated that a committee, which will be equally represented by Dental Board members and Medical Board members, will be created to develop a joint policy.
To show appreciation for the recent $2 billion funding increase in fiscal year 2017 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the AASM sent a letter to members of Congress commending them on their hard work and communicating how this increase will lead to innovative medical products, services, and strategies that improve health and save lives.