Physician members of the American Gastroenterological Association will travel to Capitol Hill to advocate for the gastroenterology field.
The physician advocates will discuss issues with Congress that they believe jeopardize the practice and science of gastroenterology.
The AGA will advocate for increasing funding from the National Institutes of Health. "AGA members understand current fiscal constraints faced by our country. However, research funding will promote patient health and national economic development," said AGA Chair Anil K. Rustgi, MD, AGAF. "The AGA stands firmly behind a recommendation that Congress funds the NIH at $32 billion for fiscal year 2015. This figure represents the minimum investment necessary to avoid further loss of promising research and to allow the NIH budget to keep pace with inflation."
The AGA will also push for transparency in the rulemaking process for Medicare reimbursement. "We believe that services that are currently under review, including life-saving colorectal cancer screenings, must be a result of a more transparent process so that the implications of reimbursement changes can be thoroughly discussed and vetted prior to implementation," said John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF, president of the AGA Institute.
The AGA's other advocacy aims include:
• Reducing regulatory burdens
• Eliminating colonoscopy cost sharing
• Reforming the Medicare payment system
More articles on gastroenterology:
Solos Endoscopy to expand device distribution to Canada
Does sigmoidoscopy fill a colorectal cancer screening niche?
ASGE grants Dr. Jerome Siegel Rudolf V. Schindler Award
The physician advocates will discuss issues with Congress that they believe jeopardize the practice and science of gastroenterology.
The AGA will advocate for increasing funding from the National Institutes of Health. "AGA members understand current fiscal constraints faced by our country. However, research funding will promote patient health and national economic development," said AGA Chair Anil K. Rustgi, MD, AGAF. "The AGA stands firmly behind a recommendation that Congress funds the NIH at $32 billion for fiscal year 2015. This figure represents the minimum investment necessary to avoid further loss of promising research and to allow the NIH budget to keep pace with inflation."
The AGA will also push for transparency in the rulemaking process for Medicare reimbursement. "We believe that services that are currently under review, including life-saving colorectal cancer screenings, must be a result of a more transparent process so that the implications of reimbursement changes can be thoroughly discussed and vetted prior to implementation," said John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF, president of the AGA Institute.
The AGA's other advocacy aims include:
• Reducing regulatory burdens
• Eliminating colonoscopy cost sharing
• Reforming the Medicare payment system
More articles on gastroenterology:
Solos Endoscopy to expand device distribution to Canada
Does sigmoidoscopy fill a colorectal cancer screening niche?
ASGE grants Dr. Jerome Siegel Rudolf V. Schindler Award