AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY for AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

Comments re: Docket No. USTR-2017-0006; provisions relating to public health measures to protect citizens from the death and disease caused by tobacco products.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); SENATE; Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Treasury, Dept of; Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Tobacco TOB

Opposition to H.R. 564 and any appropriations policy riders that would exempt some cigars, including flavored cigars, from regulation under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA). Support for legislation and/or regulation requiring all non-grandfathered private health insurance plans to cover preventative services given an "A" or "B" rating by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), especially provisions relating to comprehensive benefits for tobacco cessation services. Opposition to H.R. 1136, the "FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2017," all provisions. Comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development re: Reducing Regulatory Burden; Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda Under Executive Order 13777; Docket No. FR-6030-N-01. Support for funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) in the FY 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Comments re: Docket No. USTR-2017-0006; provisions relating to public health measures to protect citizens from the death and disease caused by tobacco products. Support for authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) oversight of tobacco products in the FY 2018 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, and opposition to any effort to limit the authority that Congress granted the FDA under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA).

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Treasury, Dept of; SENATE; Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Bills named: H.R. 1136 (115th), H.R. 564 (115th)

Health Issues HCR

Comments to HHS' Office for Human Research Protections on finalization of the rule on the Federal Policy for the Protection for Human Subjects; including: single IRB review mandate, revisions to the Common Rules informed consent requirements, and numerous other modifications. Comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Re: Docket Number FDA-2016-D-3466; Immediately in Effect Guidance Document: Conditions for Sale for Air Conduction Hearing Aids. Federal "Truth-in-Advertising" legislation; in general. Issues pertaining to scope of practice; in general. Repeal of the Affordable Care Act; in general. Comments to the Food and Drug Administration re: Docket No. FDA-2016-D-2268 for Insanitary Conditions at Compounding Facilities Comments to the Food and Drug Administration re: Docket 2014-D-1525-0358; Mixing, Diluting, or Repackaging Biological Products Outside the Scope of an Approved Biologics License Application; Revised Draft Guidance For Industry. H.R.1652/S. 670, the "Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017," all provisions. H.R. 2430, the "FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017," provisions relating to the over-the-counter sale of hearing aids. Comments to the Federal Trade Commission Re: Notice of Workshop and Requesting Public Comments; Hearing Health and Technology - Workshop, Project No. P171200.

Contacted: Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); SENATE; Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Treasury, Dept of; Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Bills named: S. 670 (115th), H.R. 2430 (115th), H.R. 1652 (115th)

Medicare/Medicaid MMM

Medicare physician payment reform and implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, in general. Comments to CMS requesting a deferment from implementing 2015 Edition certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) until such technology is widely available, and, in no event, sooner than January 2019. Comments re: Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for Calendar Year (CY) 2018 for Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates, Part C and Part D Payment Policies and 2018 Call Letter (Call Letter). H.R.1156, the "Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017," all provisions. H.R.849/S. 260, the "Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 2017," all provisions. S.251, the "Protecting Medicare from Executive Action Act of 2017," all provisions. Comments requesting relief from 2018 penalties to be imposed on physicians pursuant to the Value Modifier (VM), Meaningful Use (MU) and Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) programs. Comments Final Rule re: Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements. Topics included: 1.) Practice Expense; 2.) Potentially Misvalued Services under the Fee Schedule; 3.) Improving Valuation of the Global Surgical Package; 4.) Reducing Administrative Burden and Improving Payment Accuracy for Chronic Care Management Services; 5.) Valuation of Specific Codes; 6.) Appropriate Use Criteria for Advanced Imaging Screening; 7.) Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) Participants Who Report Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Quality Measures Separately; and 8.) Value-Based Payment Modifier and Physician Feedback Program. Issues pertaining to scope of practice; in general. Comments re: Collecting Data on Resources Used in Furnishing Global Services per the calendar year (CY) 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule. Comments re: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) planned enactment of the Social Security Number Removal Initiative (SSNRI). Comments re: relief from the administrative burdens and significant financial penalties slated to be imposed on physicians in 2018 as part of the Medicare physician fee schedule. H.R. 2276, the "Audiology Patient Choice Act," all provisions. Comments re: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Hospital Prospective Payment System and Proposed Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2018 Rate. Support for allowing eligible clinicians utilizing an electronic health record to participate in a qualified clinical data registry to qualify them as fully achieving all points for the Advancing Care Information category of the Quality Payment Programs Merit Based Incentive Payment System.

Contacted: Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Treasury, Dept of; Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)

Bills named: H.R. 2276 (115th), S. 260 (115th), H.R. 1156 (115th), H.R. 849 (115th), S. 251 (115th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Opposition to H.R. 564 and any appropriations policy riders that would exempt some cigars, including flavored cigars, from regulation under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA). H.R. 1539/S. 652, the "Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2017," all provisions. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) funding request(s) for FY2017. Support for funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) in the FY 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Support for authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) oversight of tobacco products in the FY 2018 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, and opposition to any effort to limit the authority that Congress granted the FDA under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA).

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Treasury, Dept of; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); SENATE; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Bills named: H.R. 564 (115th), S. 652 (115th), H.R. 1539 (115th)

Torts TOR

H.R. 1215, the "Protecting Access to Care Act," all provisions. H.R. 1704, the "Accessible Care by Curbing Excessive lawSuitS (ACCESS) Act," all provisions.

Contacted: Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Treasury, Dept of; Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Bills named: H.R. 1215 (115th), H.R. 1704 (115th)