This past week at the AMA meeting two proposals were adopted asking the ACCME to re-consider their fee increases to state medical societies.
At the debate on the resolutions, it was clear that the fee increases were not very popular with the AMA Delegates.
The concerns and recommendations on the changes imposed by the ACCM on CME providers in the in the state accreditation system are in the following areas:
· State Medical Society accredited CME providers have limited resources to deal with onerous new documentation requirements necessary to demonstrate compliance with the new ACCME criteria for accreditation.
· They question whether these criteria add value and are worth the additional resources that will be needed to maintain accreditation.
· The provided specific information on the number of CME providers accredited by state/territorial medical societies (SMS) recognized by the ACCME which have decreased 9.3% (166) between 2003 and February 2009; 80% of these CME providers are community hospitals and physician clinics and 9% are state specialty societies who provide education in the local setting.
· If the accreditation requirements remain as ACCME has mandated and if fees for accreditation increase, it is likely that many more SMS accredited providers will choose not be accredited and the availability of CME provided in the local setting will decrease.
· If the ACCME refuses, the resolution further asks the AMA to investigate and recommend ways by which physicians may receive appropriate, accredited continuing medical education other than through ACCME-accredited activities.
The ACCME should look closely at these concerns and work with the AMA to come up with a solution that meets the ACCME’s financial goals at the least amount of burden on state providers. Perhaps working together they can come up with a system for small providers through the state systems to enable hospitals to accredited CME with minimum amount of paperwork.
ACCME: Four States Sponsor Resolutions Against Fee Increase at AMA House of Delegates
ACCME: New Jersey State Medical Society Asks for Suspension of Fee Increases