AMA Role and Activities in COVID-19 Response

The following is a message from American Medical Association EVP/CEO James L. Madara, MD, sent on Saturday, March 21.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an enormous threat to public health and an extreme challenge to physicians. Now, more than ever, physicians need a powerful ally in patient care. The AMA’s COVID-19 response strategy, found here, provides a road map for our initiatives in an unprecedented pandemic scenario. The strategy frames the AMA’s response in three key areas:

• Providing clear, evidence-based guidance from trusted resources, including JAMA Network, the CDC, WHO, state and local agencies and AMA subject matter experts.
• Building an interface with physicians on the front line, allowing them to share their experience with other physicians, the government and key health agencies.
• Removing obstacles to diagnosis and treatment through our Advocacy, CPT, PS2 and other initiatives.

We are acquiring many ideas and we filter them through the above three strategic channels (keeping in mind the overarching view of what it is the AMA does well). Since early January, we have closely monitored the global outbreak of COVID-19 and compiled up-to-the-moment information for physicians. Here are some examples of what we’ve done recently viewed through the lens of our COVID-19 response strategy:

• Providing clear, evidence-based guidance
  • AMA COVID-19 online resource center, Physicians Guide to COVID-19, and a COVID-19 FAQ provides evidence-based perspectives from AMA’s physician leaders and subject matter experts to help physicians prepare their practices, address patient concerns, and provide answers to physicians’ top questions.
  • Comprehensive overview of the coronavirus by the JAMA Network – including epidemiology, infection control and prevention recommendations – available for free on its JN Learning website.
  • AMA resources available to physicians to navigate COVID-19 pandemic

• Building an interface with physicians on the front lines
  • Speaking directly to power on behalf of physicians
  • Conversations and updates with our Federation partners and AMA Ambassadors
  • Learning from and sharing first-hand accounts of physicians on the front lines. Listen to JAMA Editor Howard Bauchner, MD interview Maurizio Cecconi, MD in Italy and NIAID’s Anthony Fauci, MD;  read how the Permanente Medical Group developed new approaches to preserve PPE.
  • Listening to and answering questions from physicians on twitter, leveraging ambassadors to engage and spread the word, and will be conducting Twitter chats to answer physician questions and share experiences.
  • Called on the Administration for $100 billion dollars to support front line health care personnel and providers.

• Removing obstacles to diagnosis and treatment

• • AMA Head: Lack of protective gear for health care workers is ‘unacceptable’
  • AMA Calls on Administration to Use Every Lever to Address Protective Equipment Needs, Lack of Tests in COVID-19 Fight
  • Mobilizing a dramatic increase in the nation’s telemedicine capacity through its advocacy and publication of the Quick Guide to Telemedicine in Practice, a new resource to help physicians implement remote care.
  • Developed new CPT code for coronavirus.
  • Eased restrictions on the use of laboratory developed tests for COVID-19 testing to expand local access.
  • Administration exercising flexibility in reducing regulatory burdens by allowing physicians to care for Medicare beneficiaries in States other than where they are licensed, waiving enrollment requirements and expediting enrollment, and waiving the requirement for Medicare patients for a 3-day hospitalization prior to covering skilled nursing facility care.
  • Worked with HHS on the development of new recommendations for deferring non-urgent elective procedures that are consistent with recommendations of the American College of Surgeons.

The AMA’s COVID-19 news and video coverage is promoted across the AMA website, email, Morning Rounds, all social platforms and Apple News. Since COVID-19 coverage began through March 18, nearly 390,000 users have consumed COVID-19 content from the AMA website, including nearly 17,000 clicks/referrals to JAMA and EdHub resources.

Resources

AMA Letters:

• March 19 – Letter to Congressional Leaders re: urgent steps to help preserve viability of physician practices due to the demands of COVID-19.
• March 18 – Letter to Seema Verma re: CPT code clarification in light of COVID-19 with remote physiologic monitoring and telephone evaluation and management.
• March 16 – Letter to Michael Pence re: Request for assistance with shortage of personal protective equipment for health care professionals.
• March 13 – Letter to Alex Azar re: Medicare assistance for solutions facing the nation with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sign-On Letters:

• March 19 – Letter with AHA and ANA to Congressional Leaders re: asking Congress to allocate $100 billion to the front line health care personnel and providers.
• March 18- Letter to Mike Pence and Congressional Leaders re: joint industry letter that asks for help with expanding public health capacity and access to and the availability of testing and to take action to mitigate the economic and societal impact of COVID-19.
• March 16- Letter with AHA and ANA to Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi, re: assistance in providing front line health care providers with financial support.
• March 12 – Letter with AHA and ANA to Michael Pence re: assistance in a declaration of COVID-19 outbreak disaster or emergency under the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act.

Press releases to date:

March 20:

• AMA Calls on Administration to Use Every Lever to Address Protective Equipment Needs, Lack of Tests in COVID-19 Fight
• AMA resources available to physicians to navigate COVID-19 pandemic

March 19:

• AMA recommends exceptions to facilitate opioid use disorder treatment
• AMA supports Telehealth Initiative to improve health care access

March 18:

• AMA praises executive order to bolster COVID-19 testing and PPE supply
• AMA praises government on elective surgery guidelines during pandemic

March 17:

• AMA applauds Medicare telemedicine policy change during pandemic

March 13:

• New CPT code announced to report novel coronavirus test
• AMA commends Administration on COVID-19 emergency declaration

March 10:

• CPT fast tracking code development for novel coronavirus test

March 5:

• AMA statement on Congress passing supplemental COVID-19 appropriations