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MAG’s 2017 Legislative Priorities
Out-of- Network Billing & Network Adequacy: MAG will 1) support reforms that will require appropriate
network adequacy standards for health insurers and 2) call for health insurers to be more transparent in
their contracts with physicians’ practices and 3) support legislation that will result in physician payment
methodologies that are adequate and sustainable for out-of- network emergency care.
Medicaid Payment Parity: MAG will be an advocate for the General Assembly to continue to fund the
Medicaid parity payment program for all areas of primary care.
Maintenance of Certification: MAG will 1) work to ensure that MOC is not a condition of licensure or a
condition of hospital credentialing and 2) support efforts that will alleviate the costly and burdensome
aspects of MOC for physicians.
Patient Safety: MAG will be an advocate for legislation that improves patient safety.
Opioid Abuse
One of the MAG Foundation’s key programs is the ‘Think About It’ campaign to reduce prescription drug
abuse. The MAG Foundation has 1) funded 18 prescription drug disposal boxes, which allows Georgians to
dispose of their unneeded or expired prescription drugs in safe and anonymous and secure manner and 2)
distributed more than one million educational leaflets in the state and 3) given presentations at more than
50 town halls and 20 physician education events and 4) established social media and/or other educational
campaigns on 10 college campuses as part of its ‘Higher Education TAKE-BACK Initiative.’ The MAG
Foundation is also managing ‘Project DAN’ (Deaths Avoided by Naloxone), which has provided first
responders in 13 counties in Northeast Georgia with more than 1,300 doses of naloxone – which can be
used to save patients who are suffering from a drug overdose. This effort has already been credited with
saving 18 lives in northeast Georgia. It’s also worth noting that Georgia DPH Commissioner Dr. Brenda
Fitzgerald recently issued a standing order that authorizes pharmacies to dispense naloxone.
www.rxdrugabuse.org
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