Administrative simplification advocacy

The AMA advocates for America's physicians before Congress and the administration in Washington, D.C. The AMA is committed to addressing the ongoing problems and burdens in the practice revenue cycle—problems that contribute to increased complexity and expense for physicians.

The AMA advocates on physicians’ behalf in a number of arenas to reduce the administrative hassles associated with securing health plan payments.

Visit the Federal and State Correspondence Finder to read the background of the AMA’s efforts in this area.

AMA testimony/presentations to NCVHS

The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) is a federal advisory body charged with making recommendations pertaining to electronic health care transaction standards and administrative simplification to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The AMA has provided extensive testimony to NCVHS to ensure physicians’ interests in fully automating their practices are represented. Elimination of the manual processes and current administrative burden can only occur if NCVHS adopts standards that meet the needs of all stakeholders, rather than just the interests of health plans. The following is a selection of pertinent AMA testimony and presentations given to NCVHS on various administrative simplification issues:

NCVHS Subcommittee on Standards: Listening session on Healthcare Standards Development, Adoption and Implementation—Aug. 25, 2021

NCVHS Subcommittee on Standards: Hearing on CAQH-CORE Proposed Operating Rules—Aug. 25-26, 2020

NCVHS Subcommittee on Standards: Hearing on Health Care Claims Operating Rules—Feb. 16, 2016

NCVHS Subcommittee on Standards: Review Committee—June 16–17, 2015

Other NCVHS advocacy

Model legislation

The AMA Advocacy Resource Center (ARC) works hand-in-hand with state and specialty medical societies on state-level efforts to alleviate practice burdens and promote efficient revenue processes. The AMA has produced several pieces of model legislation that can be used by state legislatures to achieve administrative simplification, including bills addressing prior authorization and electronic payments from health insurers. For additional information, please visit the AMA model bills page.

Other advocacy

In addition to NCVHS and state advocacy, the AMA has promoted revenue cycle improvements to other relevant industry outlets.

LinkedIn group

The AMA administrative simplification LinkedIn group is designed to provide updates and encourage dialogue on administrative issues affecting physician practices, including automation using electronic standards and operating rules, prior authorization standardization and reform, and regulatory developments. Physicians, practice staff and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to join.