1. Our AMA, working with interested state medical and national specialty societies, will develop model legislation and/or regulations to require that commercial insurance companies, state Medicaid agencies, or other third party payers utilize transparent and accountable processes for developing and implementing coverage decisions and policies, and will actively seek the implementation of such model legislation and/or regulations at the national and state levels.

2. Our AMA will work with specialty and service organizations to advocate that private insurance plans and benefit management companies develop transparent clinical protocols as well as formal processes to write / revise them; that those processes should seek input from the relevant national physician organizations; and that such clinical coverage protocols should be easily and publicly accessible on their websites, just as Medicare national and local coverage determinations are publically available.

3. Our AMA will advocate that when private insurance plans and benefit management companies make changes to or revise clinical coverage protocols, said companies must inform all insured individuals and participating providers in writing no less than 90 days prior to said change(s) going into effect.

Policy Timeline

Res. 820, I-11 Appended: Res. 807, I-12 Reaffirmed: BOT Rep. 9, A-22