AMA adopts ACPM policy to protect Prevention and Public Health Fund

ACPM, along with the support of 15 national medical specialty societies,introduced and successfully championed a policy resolution at the recent American Medical Association (AMA) interim House of Delegates meeting calling on the AMA to protect the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The resolution specifically called on the AMA "to support budget allocations from the Prevention and Public Health Fund at no less than the levels adopted in the Affordable Care Act” and "actively oppose policies that aim to cut, divert, or use as an offset, dollars from the Prevention and Public Health Fund for purposes other than those stipulated in the Affordable Care Act.” The ACPM resolution firmly places the house of medicine infull support of the continued viability of the Prevention and Public Health Fund and restricts the AMA from supporting measures that siphon dollars from the fund.

Earlier this year, the Prevention and Public Health Fund was reduced by roughly $6 billion from its original $15 billion, ten-year authorization to increase payment for disease treatment services under Medicare, and some in Congress continue to call for elimination of the Fund to help pay for programs that fall outside the scope of prevention and public health.