WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Medical Association (AMA) presented former U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service for his work on issues critical to patients and physicians, alike, particularly his leadership on surprise medical bills and prior authorization reform.

Whether as chairman or ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Brady found bipartisan solutions to challenging health care issues. Not only did Rep. Brady ensure that the final No Surprises Act legislation contained critical patient protections, but he also helped established a fair process for resolving payment disputes between health plans and physicians, ensuring physicians can present all relevant factors to the independent dispute resolution process.

A Congressman for more than a quarter century, Rep. Brady played a key role in achieving results for patients and physicians for a generation. He was a leader in the successful effort to eliminate the deeply flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, has sought solutions to reverse the rise in maternal mortality, and is working to fix prior authorization, which is a key plank of the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians.    

“In this era of intense partisanship in Washington, time and again, Rep. Brady has found common ground to tackle some of the biggest issues in health care, working diligently to increase the quality of health care while keeping costs low,” said AMA Board Chair Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, M.D. “On issues that confounded Washington and medicine for years, Rep. Brady sought and found solutions. It is truly an honor to present him with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service.”   

Rep. Brady is one of six honorees chosen this year to receive the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service. Award winners come from every branch of government service and are a testament to the important role public officials play in creating and implementing health policy that benefits Americans.