Congressional Leaders
and Administration Officials Featured at 2005 ASA
Legislative Conference
Ronald Szabat, J.D., LL.M., Director
Governmental and Legal Affairs
n what many participants described as the most successful
ASA Legislative Conference in recent memory, more
than 400 anesthesiology leaders from across the
country gathered in Washington, D.C., in early May
for the
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| Michael O. Leavitt |
ASA Legislative Conference. This annual event,
developed by the ASA Committee on Governmental Affairs,
capped months of planning and was pumped full of
innovation. Energized by a reinvigorated committee
structure, as approved by the ASA House of Delegates
in 2004, the start of the actual conference saw
breakout sessions where component society leaders
shared intelligence and developed strategies on
key state issues. Thereafter, the three-day conference
started impressively with a keynote address by the
Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) who shared his goals for advancing the health
care of all Americans.
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| William G. Horton, M.D. |
The start of the conference also marked the public
announcement of the first recipient of the coveted
Lansdale Public Policy Fellowship for 2005-06,
William G. Horton, M.D.,
who has pursued lifelong political involvement while
practicing anesthesiology. Dr. Horton will report
to Washington, D.C., in September to begin a yearlong
internship working on Capitol Hill, following a
brief orientation by the ASA Washington Office.
The remainder of the first day was packed with
important information and training on ASA’s
major legislative and regulatory issues for 2005,
concentrating on the Medicare sustainable growth
rate update issue, the Medicare anesthesia conversion
factor problem and ongoing efforts to advance pain
legislation and patient safety bills as well as
to advance medical litigation reform. Through highly
interactive sessions, conference attendees were
trained or refreshed in the art of getting their
message across to members of Congress, thanks to
the help and involvement of Patricia Clark,
a veteran political messaging consultant. Conference
attendees also were educated on the range of successful
political action committee (PAC) models being advanced
by component members in their states, thanks to
enlightening remarks by component society leaders
from Alabama, Missouri and North Carolina.
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| Ervin Moss, M.D. |
The jam-packed opening day also saw the moving
recognition of Ervin Moss, M.D.,
Executive Medical Director of the New Jersey State
Society of Anesthesiologists, who received one of
two ASA Excellence in Government Awards. Monday
night’s reception gave conference attendees
the opportunity to meet and speak with several of
our young anesthesiology leaders in state legislatures,
including Senators Tom M. George, M.D.
(MI), Andrew P. Harris, M.D. (MD)
and Representative Sam L. Page, M.D.
(MO).
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| Doug Badger |
Tuesday’s program was no less impressive
as conference attendees were treated to a wide range
of outstanding speakers from the Administration
and Congress. Health policy expert and now one of
President Bush’s “lobbyists” on
Capitol Hill, Doug Badger, opened
the day with insightful comments on the major issues
moving through the legislative process. Despite
the one-week recess in the Senate, conference attendees
warmly welcomed freshman Senator Jim DeMint
(R-SC), who traveled back to Washington from his
home state to address our anesthesiologists with
a rousing call to arms for involvement and focus
on crucial health care issues facing this nation.
His remarks were a perfect segue to an important
talk by Kelly Cronin, then HHS
Senior Advisor to the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology.
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| Sen. Jim DeMint |
Rounding out Tuesday morning’s program were
engaging remarks from Congressman Richard
E. Neal (D-MA) on the federal budget process
and health care and newly elected Representative
Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA), another
good friend of anesthesiology.
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| Rep. Richard Neal |
Following a working lunch with remarks on the
progress of the ASAPAC in the last election cycle,
as well as music and satire by the “Capitol
Steps,” conference participants heard from
a host of important congressional leaders, including
Representatives Nancy L. Johnson
(R-CT), chairwoman of the House Ways and Means Health
Subcommittee; Frank Pallone (D-NJ),
member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee;
and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and
Jim Ramstad (R-MN), both from the
Ways and Means Committee. Speaker after speaker
exhorted anesthesiologists to get involved and help
to convince Congress to move needed reforms on important
issues such as reforming the Medicare payment system
for physician services. The second day’s afternoon
was fittingly capped off by the presentation of
the ASA “Excellence in Government Award”
for public service to Senate Majority Leader Bill
Frist, M.D. (R-TN).
On the final day of the May conference, attendees
were further briefed on legislative and regulatory
issues by ASA governmental affairs staff before heading
to the Hill to visit their legislators. As a final
send-off, they heard inspiring remarks on major health
issues from Representative
Nathan Deal
(R-GA), the new and very able chairman of the House
Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.
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| Rep. Tom Price |
Rep. Nancy Johnson |
Rep. Frank Pallone |
Rep. Jim Ramstad |
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