ASA LEGCON

On May 6 and 7, 2025, Drs. Dan Campos and Lucine Papazian met with Senator Collins, Senator King, and representatives for Congress Golden to discuss the ASA’s Key Issues:

• Preserve the Highest Standard of Care for Veterans: As part of U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Standards of Practice initiative, the Office of Nursing Services’ (ONS) is proposing a new policy that would move away from a physician-led, team-based model of care and deference to state law, to a certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) only model of anesthesia care. The anesthesia team model - comprised of a physician providing clinical oversight to CRNAs - is widely recognized as the gold standard of care used by the nation’s top hospitals. VA is urged to halt ONS’ proposal to lower existing surgical anesthesia standard of practice in VA medical facilities. There is no rationale for a change to this important patient safety standard.

• Hold Big Health Insurance Accountable: Consolidation and vertical integration have enabled health insurance companies’ unchecked expansion in size and influence. Many of these companies have leveraged their clout to implement self-serving policies. Recent years have seen a troubling pattern of aggressive practices by commercial health insurers in both private and public sectors, prioritizing profits over the well-being of patients and physicians delivering essential care.

• Support a Permanent “Doc Fix” in Reconciliation Package: The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is broken and threatens the viability of physician practices.