Arkansans for Jobs and Justice Launches Campaign for Real Tort Reform in Arkansas
Little Rock - A coalition representing a diverse group of Arkansans has joined together to support commonsense reforms that will help make Arkansas more competitive with surrounding states and protect everyday Arkansans. Paperwork was filed today for Arkansans for Jobs and Justice to advocate for the passage of…
ASMB Proposes New and Amended Rules
On Thursday, August 3, 2017, the Arkansas State Medical Board will hold public hearings on several proposed rule amendments and new rules. Comments can be submitted to the Board until the August 3rd public hearing. Among the proposals: Amendment to Regulation 2(4), listing the prescribing of excessive amounts…
Legislation Goes into Effect: What You Need to Know
AMS actively tracked and worked 342 of the 2,069 bills filed in the 2017 legislative session. The following bills represent some of more high-profile issues AMS successfully fought for, amended and/or monitored closely that we anticipate will have more of an impact on you, your patients and your practice: Physician…
Where’s My Doctor
"Where's my doctor?" We get that question a lot. It happens often when a physician leaves a practice, usually as an employee. Under most employment contracts the practice – either under hospital or physician ownership – retains ownership of the medical records when a physician leaves. However, the departing physician has a relationship with…
Misinformation Abounds on PDMP Mandate
The AMS office has received several calls over the past couple of weeks about Act 820, which mandates checking the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program prior to prescribing certain medications. Apparently, some hospitals are incorrectly telling their medical staff that the Act is already in effect. In other cases,…
The One SURE THING in Medicine
It has been an interesting 2016, has it not? Governor Hutchinson proposed – the Arkansas Legislature passed; and HHS has issued a waiver for – a revision to Arkansas Medicaid Expansion; we have survived a campaign season and election which went very differently from what many pundits had…
Are You an Advocate for Your Patients… Your Profession?
AMS has a lot on its plate. We will be asking legislators to file numerous bills that address issues and concerns affecting your practice and your profession. We will be fighting a mountain of legislation that threaten or interfere with your practice and how you take care of…
91st Arkansas General Assembly
The Regular Session of the 91st Arkansas General Assembly will convene on Monday, January 9, 2017. If, like previous general sessions, AMS anticipates the session extending into April. Please watch for the AMS legislative alerts and be ready to contact your legislator if identified on the alert. With…
Issue 4 Disqualified from November Ballot
Thursday Oct 13, 2016 - AMS has just learned that the Arkansas Supreme Court has disqualified the AMS supported tort reform amendment (Issue 4) from the November ballot. Two separate lawsuits were filed with the Court in an effort to keep Arkansas’s voters from deciding whether there should be…
AMS Position Statement on Medical Cannabis 2016
In voting to oppose both ballot initiatives, the AMS Board of Trustees adopted the following position statement at their July 27th meeting: While there is evidence that now suggests that cannabinoids may have beneficial clinical uses, the proposed initiated act is one of the most comprehensive, including over…
AMS Board takes positions on ballot issues and approves new member benefits
Tort Reform Amendment - The Board authorized spending up to $250,000 in support of a constitutional amendment that would (a) limit plaintiff attorney fees, and (b) place a cap of no less than $250,000 per defendant on non-economic damages. The amendment is currently under review by the Arkansas…