LAFP Members Participate in AAFP State Legislative Conference

LAFP Lobbyist Mapes and Mapes along with LAFP member Charles Humphries, MD, represented the LAFP at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) State Legislative Conference held Nov. 14-15 in St. Louis.

This annual conference provides representatives from AAFP constituent chapters with an opportunity to learn and discuss important state health policy issues. The program is planned based on the responses of constituent chapters to their top legislative issues, concerns and activities. This year, primary care physician workforce issues were the highest priority from a legislative and advocacy perspective. The conference provided several presentations and panel discussions about physician workforce.

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) remains a front and center policy priority as well so two of the conference sessions focused on PCMH. One speaker, Dr. Deborah Peikes from Mathematica Policy Research, discussed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medical Home Demonstration Project, its design and timeline.

Keynote speaker Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report, recapped the recent election results and predicted what we might see in the first 100 days of the Obama Administration in terms of healthcare reform.

Next year’s AAFP State Legislative Conference is tentatively scheduled for Friday-Saturday, Nov. 20-21, in a location to be determined.