The Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking nominations to fill vacant appointments to the 2011 Council of Public Representatives (COPR) roster. The COPR consists of up to 21 individuals with diverse backgrounds from local, regional, and national levels, with a range of professions and experiences, including community leaders, patient advocates, health educators, media, medical and public health professionals, science administrators, and academicians who have a broad public perspective. Every year NIH selects new COPR members who serve an average of four-year terms.

Montana congressman Denny Rehberg, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education, recently sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius calling for a halt to the establishment of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He expressed concerns about how NCATS would impact existing programs such as Institutional Development Awards and Clinical and Translational Science Awards.

The AASM has been working with legislators in Washington, D.C., on a draft bill that would incorporate sleep disorders testing into the "Welcome to Medicare" benefit, which allows individuals entering the Medicare program to receive an initial preventive physical examination and other screening services without a copayment. Some of the other services included in this benefit are various cancer screening tests, cardiovascular screening blood tests, diabetes screening tests, and an electrocardiogram.

The AASM recently submitted comments on the importance of effective sleep as a vital element in achieving the goal of developing and maintaining safe workplaces. The AASM urged NACOSH and its Subgroup on Injury and Illness Prevention Programs to take a serious look at the undisputed implications between fatigue and workplace safety.

On June 21, 2011, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted Advisory Opinion No. 11-08 in response to a request for clarification regarding an existing arrangement and a proposed arrangement involving contracts between a durable medical equipment (DME) supplier and various independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTF). 

In late May, the AASM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed rule to establish standards for the operation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), which create incentives for health-care providers to work together to treat an individual Medicare patient across care settings – including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.

National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Colins presented the NIH fiscal year 2012 budget request before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.

Comments addressed recently released studies related to hours of service for drivers of commercial vehicles. The AASM noted the studies provide evidence to support the well-established scientific connection between hour of work and fatigue.