Powers principal Peggy Tighe and the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC) recently shepherded the introduction of new legislation in the House of Representatives to reform the use of prior authorization in the Medicare Advantage program.
The bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2019 (H.R. 3107) would protect Medicare Advantage patients from unnecessary delays in care by streamlining and standardizing prior authorization in the program. Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Ami Bera (D-CA) introduced the bill last week with the support of the RRC and several other leading provider organizations.
“We are asking Congress to say, ‘no more unnecessary delays in care,’” said Peggy Tighe on behalf of the Coalition. Tighe was quoted in Politico Pulse on June 7, 2019 in an article entitled, “Bipartisan Bill Targets Changes to Prior Authorization.” The bill would facilitate electronic prior authorization, improve transparency for beneficiaries and providers, and increase CMS oversight over the use of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage. Protecting patients from unnecessary prior authorization is the top priority for Coalition members.
Peggy serves as the lead legislative counsel for the RRC and was instrumental in developing and advancing this legislation. Tighe worked with Powers Partner Diane Millman, who served as regulatory counsel for the coalition. Members of the coalition are eight national physician specialty organizations: the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Rheumatology, the American College of Surgeons, the American Urological Association, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Peggy Tighe works closely with both the Healthcare and Government Relations & Public Policy teams at Powers. She teams with health systems, patient groups, and provider organizations to develop persuasive policy arguments and strategies to influence Congress and relevant agencies, creating change to protect and support providers and the patients they serve. She focuses her practice on lobbying, coalition building, crafting and implementing grassroots campaigns, and coordinating media relations. She has experience strategizing and implementing federal grassroots activities, including grasstops (high-level grassroots), coalition building, letter writing, and database building.
Read the full text of H.R. 3017 here. To learn more about the Regulatory Relief Coalition, or for more information about healthcare policy and advocacy, Peggy Tighe can be reached at Peggy.Tighe@PowersLaw.com or 202-875-6752.