One method by which AMGA ensures that policymakers and lawmakers are aware of AMGA-members’ concerns is by writing letters regarding specific pending issues. Frequent AMGA communications on behalf of membership are sent to Members of Congress, and decision makers at federal agencies such as HHS and CMS that have jurisdiction over important healthcare-related matters. Often, AMGA requests its members to send similar letters to amplify the message.

Letters to Congress and the Administration

• November 2, 2007 letter to Sec. of HHS re: Medicare Electronic Health Record Demonstration
• January 24, 2006 letter to Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., CMS Administrator regarding AMGA Chronic Care Model
• December 29, 2005 letter to Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., CMS Administrator regarding the Physicians’ Voluntary Reporting Program (PVRP)
• November 16, 2005 letter to Congressman Nathan Deal (R-GA) regarding the Medicare Physician Payment: How to Build a More Efficient Payment System subcommittee hearing
• September 16, 2005 letter to Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT) regarding the federal fraud and abuse laws for HIT arrangements in draft HIT legislation
• September 16, 2005 letter to Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) regarding the federal fraud and abuse laws for HIT arrangements in draft HIT legislation
• August 5, 2005 letter to Michael Leavitt, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nominating Ronald A. Paulus, M.D., M.B.A., to the American Health Information Community
• August 5, 2005 letter to Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT) regarding the Medicare Value-Based Purchasing for Physicians' Services Act of 2005, H.R. 3617
• July 26, 2005 letter to Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D., (R-GA) regarding the HEALTH Act of 2005, H.R. 5
• July 21, 2005 letter to Ms. Anita Greenberg, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid regarding the implementation of the CPT code refinement
• June 27, 2005 letter to Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., CMS Administrator regarding the Proposed Fair Market Value Safe Harbor in Stark II Phase II Interim Final Rule
• February 10, 2005 - letter to David M. Walker, Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office endorsing Nicholas Wolter, M.D., for a second term to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
• November 4, 2004 - letter regarding funding for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology - sent to Senators Frist, McConnell, Reid, Specter, Domenici, Bond, Burns, Shelby, Gregg, Bennett, Campbell, Craig, Hutchison, DeWine, Brownback, Byrd, Inouye, Hollings, Leahy, Harkin, Mikulski, Kohl, Murray, Dorgan, Feinstein, Durbin, Johnson, Landrieu
• September 28, 2004 - letter to Mr. Roy Ramthun, Senior Advisor for Health Initiatives, US Department of the Treasury regarding The Iowa Clinic's medical liability proposal
• September 28, 2004 - letter to Senator Charles Grassley regarding The Iowa Clinic's medical liability proposal
• September 28, 2004 - joint letter to John D. Dingell regarding HR 3634, the Drug Addiction Treatment Expansion Act and S. 1770, a bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to lift the patient limitation on prescribing drug addiction treatments by medical practitioners in group practices
• September 28, 2004 - joint letter to Representative Joe Barton regarding HR 3634, the Drug Addiction Treatment Expansion Act and S. 1770, a bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to lift the patient limitation on prescribing drug addiction treatments by medical practitioners in group practices.
• July 12, 2004 - letter to CMS nominating John Steiner, J.D., Chief Compliance Officer and Privacy Official, Cleveland Clinic Foundation to the CMS EMTALA Technical Advisory Group
• June 8, 2004 - letter to Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) regarding the Sustainable Growth Rate and the physician payment update
• June 8, 2004 - letter to Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) regarding the Sustainable Growth Rate and the physician payment update
• May 12, 2004 - letter regarding Medical Liability - sent to Reps. Cramer; Cardoza; Dooley; Boyd; Scott; Lucas; Peterson; Taylor; Pomeroy; Holden; Murtha; Davis; Gordon; Hall; Stenholm; Matheson; Flake; Doolittle; Lincoln Diaz-Balart; Terry; King; Coble; Istook; Jenkins; Paul; Bachus; Snyder; DeGette; Doyle; Hyde; Johnson; Gilchrest; Shuster; Combest
• March 23, 2004 - letter to Chuck Clapton, Counsel, House Energy and Commerce Committee thanking him for participating in AMGA’s policy roundtable at the annual conference
• March 23, 2004 - letter to Tom Barker, Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services thanking him for participating in AMGA’s policy roundtable at the annual conference
• March 8, 2004 - letter to Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) regarding the Physician Fee Schedule
• March 1, 2004 - letter to Chuck Clapton, House Energy and Commerce Committee inviting him to speak at AMGA’s policy roundtable at the annual conference
• February 17, 2004 - letter to Tom Barker, Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services inviting him to speak at AMGA’s policy roundtable at the annual conference
• February 5, 2004 - letter to Mr. Joel White, Staff Director, House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health congratulating him on his promotion
• January 28, 2004 - letter regarding National Implementation of Hospital CAHPS (HCAHPS)
  sent to Melissa Musotto, CMS
• January 20, 2004 - letter to Mr. Joel White, Professional Staff Member, House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health
• November 25, 2003 - letter regarding passage of the Medicare prescription drug bill
  sent to Senators Frist, Grassley, McConnell and Representatives Thomas, Tauzin, Bilirakis, Johnson, DeLay, Hastert, Blunt
• November 12, 2003 - letter regarding Physician Payment Update
  sent to Senators Frist, Grassley, McConnell and Representatives Thomas, Tauzin, DeLay, Hastert, Blunt
• September 25, 2003 - letter regarding Nomination of Anthony Senagore, M.D.
  sent to CMS Administrator Tom Scully
• September 8, 2003 - letter regarding Rural Provisions and Physician Update
  sent to Senators Frist, Grassley, Nickles, Rockefeller, Breaux, Kyl, Baucus, Hatch, Daschle and Representatives Thomas, Tauzin, Rangel, Dingell, Berry, Bilirakis, Johnson, DeLay
• September 4, 2003 - letter regarding Electronic Prescriptions
  sent to Senators Frist, Grassley, Nickles, Rockefeller, Breaux, Kyl, Baucus, Hatch, Daschle and Representatives Thomas, Tauzin, Rangel, Dingell, Berry, Bilirakis, Johnson, DeLay
• September 2, 2003 - letter regarding Clinical Labs
  sent to Senators Frist, Grassley, Nickles, Rockefeller, Breaux, Kyl, Baucus, Hatch, Daschle and Representatives Thomas, Tauzin, Rangel, Dingell, Berry, Bilirakis, Johnson, DeLay
• July 29, 2003 - letter regarding Pension Contribution Benchmarks
  sent to Becky Relic and William F Sweetnam, Jr., U.S. Department of the Treasury

• December, 2004 - letter regarding the recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought by the nation’s physicians against CIGNA
• May 6, 2004 - letter regarding Correct Coding Initiative sent to John Rowe, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Aetna, Inc.

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