ACEP responded to a letter from the Texas insurance commissioner, Kent Sullivan, to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas that expressed his concern with their ED denials program for their out-of-network HMO policyholders. ACEP’s letter urged Mr. Sullivan to avoid such policy features.

ACEP recently joined with 80 national medical, public health, and research organizations to send a joint letter to House and Senate leaders asking for $50 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct public health research on firearms injury prevention.

Two more ACEP emergency physicians testified on opioids in front of congressional committees. Tim Westlake, MD, FACEP, testified before the House Committee on the Judiciary in a hearing titled “Challenges and Solutions in the Opioid Abuse Crisis.” Charles Pattavina, MD, FACEP, testified in front of the Senate Special Committee on Aging on the issue of seniors and opioids.

ACEP was invited by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to advise its efforts on developing new payment models for rural health. ACEP President-Elect John Rogers, MD, FACEP, attended.

ACEP member Scott Zeller, MD, visited the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to propose that it consider developing a demonstration project to test a wider implementation of the Alameda Model, a regional dedicated psychiatric emergency service.

ACEP is planning an opioid initiative under its Emergency Quality Network (E-QUAL) program, which will focus on building toolkits, as well as education and training webinars and podcasts. The American Hospital Association (AHA) has keen interest in participating, and ACEP leadership is committed to collaboration with AHA on opioids.