Advocacy efforts

The 2011 Legislative Conference took place Oct. 2–4 in Washington, D.C. Dermatologists, practice administrators, and patients with skin disease gathered to educate and inform legislators about developing a permanent fix to the SGR, reclassifying indoor tanning beds, including more stringent controls on the devices, and protecting the funding for both innovative medical research and physician education and training.

At the state level, the incredible work of our dedicated physicians and patient advocates led to another successful year that saw passage of a number of important laws. In California, a life-saving law was passed preventing all Californians under the age of 18 from using indoor tanning devices. The AADA has developed a model bill for members and state dermatologic societies to use in pursuing legislation on this topic.

While Connecticut adopted a 6.25 percent tax on cosmetic procedures in 2011, the first month of 2012 saw New Jersey repeal the state’s cosmetic tax. In Nebraska, the Phototherapy Practice Act, which would have allowed indoor tanning salon employees to become licensed “phototherapists,” was defeated, marking another state-level success.

2011 also saw dermatologists testify before both Congress and the Food and Drug Administration. On June 2, Sasha Kramer, MD, spoke before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology about the barriers for small physician practices adopting EHR, urging Congress to provide sufficient financial resources for physicians to implement HIT systems and consider delaying penalties associated with HIT adoption.

On Dec. 1, Andrea Zaenglein, MD, testified before the FDA, representing the AADA at the open public comment period to highlight the provider perspective on the iPLEDGE program. While the panels agreed that the overall program is effective and necessary, they acknowledged the need to streamline the process to ensure patient access and minimize provider burden while assuring safe use.

You can help with our advocacy efforts in 2012! The Academy’s State Advocacy Toolkit is a great resource to get involved and stay informed about the Academy’s most pressing state policy priorities, such as indoor tanning, medical spa standards of practice, and truth in advertising, among others.