IPSIS Members Represented at AMA HOD Annual Meeting

The American Medical Association held their Annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting June 8-12, 2019 in Chicago, IL. Drs. W. David Mauck and Kate Sully represented the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society during the meeting, speaking in support of interventional pain procedures as non-opioid modalities for the treatment of pain. Additional topics discussed relevant to IPSIS included the inappropriate use of the CDC guidelines for prescribing opioids, protection of physician freedom of speech, the term ‘physician,’ compounding, and scope of practice.

The AMA HOD is a policy setting body for the AMA. State and specialty societies who are allowed to maintain a seat in the House of Delegates have the ability to participate and influence AMA policy, and most importantly, are allowed to participate in the CPT® process and the valuation process through the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC).

IPSIS must prove that a high percentage of our members belong to the AMA in order to retain representation at these important forums. All members are urged to assure that their AMA membership is current to assure that the voice of interventional pain specialists continues to be heard.