Advocacy & Practice Updates — Advocacy & Practice
ASRS, Alliance Warn HHS Not to Neglect Specialty Care in Efforts to Strengthen Primary Care
The ASRS and the Alliance of Specialty Medicine submitted comments in response to a recent request for information from HHS on strategies to strengthen primary care. Our comments acknowledge the key role primary care providers play in managing patients’ healthcare, but reminded HHS that specialists provide focused surgical and chronic care that primary care physicians cannot. We note that efforts to increase payment for primary care in a budget neutral system risk penalizing specialists and potentially reducing access to care. ASRS and the Alliance urge HHS to develop a strategy to improve access to all healthcare services, not solely primary care.
(Published 8.3.22)