On April 26, during the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Annual Chapter Leadership Forum, the AAFP released a primer on its approach to future health care reform efforts.
Over the past few years, the AAFP has been engaged in a policy development process aimed at identifying and evaluating potential reforms of the U.S. health care system. This work initially included the submission of Board Report F to the 2017 AAFP Congress of Delegates, a comprehensive analysis of international models of health care coverage and financing systems which did not render an opinion or recommendation on which systems were most appropriate.
Last year, the AAFP Board of Directors engaged in further discussions for amending and creating new policy regarding health care coverage for all based on foundational family medicine and primary care to reflect the opportunities and challenges outlined in Board Report F. The AAFP presented the revised policy to the 2018 Congress of Delegates via Board Report G. The report was very well received and was approved during its meeting in New Orleans.
The 2018 Congress of Delegates also adopted a substitute resolution that calls on the AAFP to make available both Board Report F and Board Report G to increase awareness and understanding among family physicians about potential health care reform options.
In response, the AAFP commissioned the production of a document that serves as a “primer” on the two AAFP-produced Board Reports and provides a summary of the AAFP’s approach to future health care reform efforts. The AAFP also has planned a series of educational sessions at AAFP conferences in 2019.