The American Medical Association held its annual State Advocacy Summit this past week, which featured NC Medicaid chief medical officer, Dr. Shannon Dowler, as a presenter. Dr. Dowler provided an overview of NC Medicaid’s experiences and lessons learned over the span of the pandemic.
Additional topics covered at the State Advocacy Summit included:
• Support of physician wellness
• Reproductive health care after Dobbs
• Scope of practice – Evidence to drive health policy
• Engaging state departments of insurance
• Competition and antitrust policy
• 2023 Congressional horizon
• Reforming prior authorization
• Addressing the nation’s overdose and death epidemic
Dr. Dowler reviewed the transition from in-person to telehealth care encounters, the pandemic’s impact on adult and pediatric behavioral health service use, and the disparity of telehealth services provided by race and patient location.
The Summit annually provides an opportunity for the AMA to convene with state and national medical associations to address state level legislative issues and strategies.