ASHP State Affiliate Health Reform Update

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ASHP State Affiliate Health Reform Update

• Joseph Hill
• ASHP Government Affairs
• August 31, 2009

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Health Care ReformWhat is the Status?What is
our Progress?What Now?
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Health Care Reform

• Our efforts began last year
• We started with broad principles
• Access
• Cost
• Quality
• Worked within the above framework to include our
  priorities Provider Status/Payment for services,
  Funding for Residency Programs, Workforce

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Health Care Reform

• ASHP is also a member of the profession-wide
  Pharmacy Stakeholders for Health Reform
  CoalitionThis includes all practice settings
• The group developed broad based principles on
  pharmacists involvement in health reform
• This group has held meetings on the Hill and with
  the Obama transition teama very powerful message
  when all of pharmacy is involved!!!

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Health Care ReformSuccess to Date

• House of Representatives-H.R. 3200
• Medication Therapy Management Grants, Med home
• Loan Forgiveness for Pharmacists and others
  outside NHSC
• Possible amendments by Energy and Commerce
  Committee
• MTM grant program utilizes the consensus
  definition of MTM as developed by all pharm orgs
• This would attempt to measure the value of MTM
  services
• Not specific to any single practice setting
• Grant programs are larger than demos/pilotsthis
  is a big step in the right direction!

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Health Care ReformSuccess to Date

• HR 3200 along with MTM grant, medication
  services must be included in the medical home
  model
• This is critical, not just because of the patient
  care element, but also represents the pharmacist
  as a member of the care team
• Loan forgiveness
• It is not the National Health Service Corps, but
  all Title VII Health Professions ineligible for
  NHSC can participate
• Removes the barrier of health professions
  competing against one another
• Pharmacists were not left out of this debate!

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Health Care ReformSuccess to Date

• Senate Legislation (Similar to the House)
• Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP)
  Committee
• Medication Therapy Management Grants
• MTM requires service in medical home model
• Both House and Senate bills have workforce
  provisions, no loan forgiveness in Senate bill
• Both create health care workforce commissions to
  study workforce challenges, pharmacists are
  listed in both
• Finance Committee
• Proposal Expected Mid-September
• This is where PGY2 funding would be restored

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Federal Legislative ActivitiesHealth Care Reform

• House will likely vote on HR 3200 in September
• Senate HELP and Finance Committee versions will
  be combined, floor vote to follow
• If both houses pass it, conference committee will
  work out the differences
• Final stop is the Presidents desk

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Health Care Reform

• Still need (our legislative requests)
• Restoration of PGY2 Residency Funding (may be in
  the Finance Committee Proposal?)
• Recognition of Pharmacists as Providers Similar
  to Other Non-Physicians (Nurse Practitioners and
  Physician Assistants)
• Loan Forgiveness Provision in Senate version

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Health Care Reform

• What has ASHP done so far
• Submitted testimony in both House and Senate
• Submitted comments to the Senate Finance
  Committee policy options
• Submitted letters from ASHP to individual members
  of Congress
• Meetings with Hill offices, White House,
  Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
• Engaged other stakeholders inside and outside of
  pharmacy
• Grassroots initiatives

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Grassroots and GrassTopsActivities

• Several grassroots action alerts were sent out to
  ASHP membersabout 700 letters so far
• Just engaged the student members on PGY2
• 700 letters will not be enough
• Promoted in NewsLink
• Promoted in Advocacy NewsLink
• Promoted in Facebook
• All avenues of communication must be open

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Grassroots and GrassTopsActivities, continued

• ASHP has created a health care reform
  bloghttp//ashpblog.squarespace.com/
• Promoted meetings during the August recess
• Phone calls are also simple and effective!
• ASHP direct advocacy on the HillAugust is quiet,
  meetings are easiereven for the lobbyists!

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Grassroots and GrassTopsActivities, continued

• Used by State Affiliates
• Targeted Grasstops Contacts to Senate and House
  members
• Site Visits (Kevin Colgan, et.al. Hinsdale
  Hospital)
• Town Hall Meetings
• Build Up to Legislative Day

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Leg Day Messages

• Support MTM, med home, loan forgiveness
  provisions within the bill, want to keep
• Include PGY2 funding in the bill, want to add
• Congressional leave-behinds will also include a
  description of the National Quality Forum (NQF)
  recommendation that pharmacists be providers

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References

• Link to health reform page of web site
• http//www.ashp.org/health_reform?WT.accp_2009081
  5_Health_Care
• Link to Grassroots action center
• http//vocusgr.vocus.com/vocusgr/WebPublish/contro
  ller.aspx?SiteNameASHPDefinitionHomeXSLHomeS
  V_SectionHome

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QUESTIONS?