Activities Supported by STATPAC

NJ-ACEP ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED BY NJ STATPAC

NJ-ACEP is on the front lines in Trenton every day advocating for emergency medicine and our patients.  Emergency physicians are uniquely trained to manage challenges, but we would not be as effective in Trenton without the financial support our members provide through participation in STATPAC, our state political action committee.

We are not alone, however:

The well-funded insurance industry in New Jersey is working hard to influence state policymakers that:

• the rising health insurance premiums are directly related to physician (and hospital) billing
• physicians (and hospitals) need to be forced into insurance networks to reign in insurance costs
• hospital-based specialties are the root cause of “surprise billing”

Well-funded associations representing physician extenders are trying to convince legislators that:

• expanding their scope of practice will improve access to care
• physicians are preventing them from providing care at the fullest extent of their license
• they are more likely to practice in underserved communities than physicians if they were permitted to work independent of physicians
• care provided by extenders is equal to and more cost-effective than care provided by physicians

State policy makers are susceptible to knee jerk reactions to the disease or issue du jour and seek to:

• mandate additional CME and training for physicians
• legislate the practice of medicine, including in the emergency department

NJ-ACEP’s Advocacy Agenda and Successes

Truth in Advertising – Healthcare transparency

• NJ-ACEP is promoting legislation with our physician colleagues in Trenton imposing universal standards on how healthcare providers hold themselves out to the public and during patient care. With an increasing number of providers using the title “doctor,” referencing board certifications, and many confusing degree abbreviations this legislation will ensure patients know if they are being treated by a physician or another healthcare professional whether in an emergency department, hospital or in an office practice setting.

Surprise Coverage (aka “surprise billing” or “out of network”) legislation

• While the law was ultimately signed, it took 10 years to pass as a result of the work of NJ-ACEP and our coalition of 20 plus other physician specialties shining light on the issue and incorporating favorable amendments over the years
• Our work is far from over on this topic as NJ-ACEP continues to be a key stakeholder in the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Improvements

• NJ-ACEP actively worked with the NJPDMP to push the integrate with EHRs
• NJ-ACEP initiated the law to allow ED scribes to access the NJDPMP as a delegate
• NJ-ACEP promoted the law that allowed the NJDMP to integrate with Emergency Department Information Exchange (“EDIE”)/Pre-Managed ED system

Opioid Prescribing/Naloxone Registry

• NJ-ACEP successfully worked with the Attorney General’s office to clarify that there is no requirement to enter into a pain management agreement with an ED patient being treated for chronic pain
• NJ-ACEP successfully educated legislators that naloxone may be administered to unresponsive patients and not exclusively for overdose patients skirting another proposed requirement to report naloxone administrations to a state registry

Statewide Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs

• NJ-ACEP supported 5-bills to help end recidivism and retaliation among gun violence victims and support grants to assist Level One or Level Tow trauma centers provide hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention programs for firearm or stabbing related injuries

Scope of Practice and ED Training Mandates

• NJ-ACEP has successfully opposed efforts to expand the scope of practice of APNs and allow independent practice
• NJ-ACEP worked with physician assistants to improve team-based care, including delegation of health care services and custom-tailored timelines for chart review to be determined at the supervising physician’s discretion
• NJ-ACEP has halted efforts in the Legislature seeking unreasonable mandated training for coverage of ED’s in designated children’s’ hospitals

Appointments to New Jersey Boards, Commissions and Task Forces

• Al Sacchetti, MD, FACEP  – Chair, NJ Department of Health’s Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Council (EMSC)
• Marjory Langer, MD, FACEP – Member, NJ Department of Health’s Healthcare and Public Health Coalition Advisory Panel
• Jenice Forde-Baker, MD, FACEP – Working Group on Nurture NJ Campaign, Reinforcing New Jersey’s Commitment to Maternal and Infant Health
• Otto Sabando, DO, FACOEP FACEP – Member, New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners

NJ-ACEP accomplishes this through the hard work of our leadership, members, government affairs counsel and STATPAC. Your NJ-ACEP Board of Directors is overseeing our efforts and has a strong voice at the table. STATPAC is soliciting to help fund the work of our ever-important advocacy agenda. Please consider a donation https://www.njstatpac.org/.  Please contribute whatever you are comfortable.  Every dollar counts!

Your contribution to STATPAC is an investment in your future and the future of emergency medicine. Help us help you — 24/7.

Michael Ruzek, DO, FACEP Chairman, STATPAC