ASHP State Affiliate Health ASHP State Affiliate Health Reform UpdateReform Update

Joseph Hill

ASHP Government Affairs

August 31, 2009

Health Care Reform

What is the Status?What is our Progress?

What Now?

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

Health Care Reform

ASHP is also a member of the profession-wide Pharmacy Stakeholders for Health Reform Coalition—This 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 team—a very powerful message when all of pharmacy is involved!!!

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/pilots—this is a big step in

the right direction!

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!

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

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 President’s desk

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

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

Grassroots and GrassTopsActivities

Several grassroots action alerts were sent out to ASHP members—about 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

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 Hill—August is quiet, meetings are easier—even for the lobbyists!

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

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

References

Link to health reform page of web site http://www.ashp.org/health_reform?WT.ac=cp_20090815_Health_Care

Link to Grassroots action center http://vocusgr.vocus.com/vocusgr/WebPublish/controller.aspx

?SiteName=ASHP&Definition=Home&XSL=Home&SV_Section=Home

QUESTIONS?