Brooks-Lasure, Cohen, Kahn, Featured In AMA’s All-Star Lineup For National Advocacy Conference

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., MPH, and Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Kahn are talking to the nation’s physicians next week at the American Medical Association’s National Advocacy Conference. 

This annual event brings together physicians from around the country and policymakers from inside the Beltway at a pivotal time. Patients and physicians are concerned that cuts in Medicare payments for physician services threaten access to care, especially in rural and underserved areas. The continuing resolution did not address a 3.4 percent cut that took effect January 1, and the final version is still being negotiated on Capitol Hill. At the same time, Medicare reform is bubbling up on the Hill.  These visiting physicians look forward to hearing what lawmakers plan to do and what the administration has in store for health care in the coming year.  

As part of the conference, physicians will go to Capitol Hill to talk about issues relevant to their patients and practices. Physicians are eager to talk about how Congress can still avert Medicare payment cuts and work on making a more rational Medicare payment system that doesn’t jeopardize patient care. Physicians will remind members that physicians are the only health care providers without a built-in annual inflationary increase and have absorbed a 30 percent cut in Medicare payments over the last decade (adjusted for inflation).   

WHO: American Medical Association 

WHAT: 2024 National Advocacy Conference 

WHEN: Tuesday, February 13 - Wednesday, February 14 

WHERE:  Grand Hyatt Washington, 1000 H St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 

MEDIA CONTACT & REGISTRATION: Admission to the National Advocacy Conference requires pre-registration. To register, please contact AMA Media & Editorial at: media@ama-assn.org 

CONNECT: Join the AMA on social media. 

MEETING HIGHLIGHTS*: 

Tuesday, February 13 

Medicare Payment: In the Field

9:30 – 10:00 a.m. 

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. 

Augmented Intelligence in Medicine

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. 

Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN)

11 - 11:30 a.m. 

The Awards for Outstanding Government Service

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

AMA salutes officials from every branch of government who made notable contributions to improve public health in the past year. The awards are present annually to elected and career public servants in national, state, and local governments for outstanding government service. The awards are recognized nationally as one of the most prestigious honors extended to elected officials and career government employees for outstanding endeavors that advance public health. 

Wednesday, Feb. 14 

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL)

8 – 8:30 a.m. 

CDC Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., MPH

8:30 - 9 a.m. 

FTC Chair Lina Kahn

10 - 10:45 a.m. 

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)

11 - 11:30 

Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA)

11:30 - noon 

Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA)

Noon - 12:30 p.m. 

(*Speakers and times are subject to change without notice).