Over the past few weeks I have shared several new initiatives the AASM has undertaken to help promote and advance the sleep medicine and your clinical practice, including efforts to brand sleep medicine among the public and establish a Safe Harbor for sleep medicine.
In light of the Affordable Care Act, the AASM has been providing members with regular news items in the Weekly Update that highlight provisions within the legislation that affect patient care. I encourage you to read through the healthcare reform overview articles found in this archive in the Legislation section of the AASM website.
In addition to education, the AASM is advocating for members on areas related to the Affordable Care Act. One provision of the Affordable Care Act mandates health insurance exchanges by January 1, 2014. These state-based exchanges will have a central role in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act as millions of Americans will enter the insurance system through these programs. Currently, only 16 states and the District of Columbia have established exchanges or indicated they will establish a health insurance exchange. The AASM is working with these exchanges to determine how coverage for sleep health care can be incorporated in existing policy. As we move forward with this initiative, I look forward to sharing our progress with you.
