Affinity Groups
Affinity Groups are created to facilitate networking and educational opportunities with other Practice Group members who share similar professional interests.
Please note: You must be a member of the Health Information and Technology Practice Group or a government, academician, student, or PG 15 member (all-Practice Groups access) to enroll in these Affinity Groups.
Task Forces
Task Forces are established for those health law topics that cross over several Practice Groups, and they provide collaborative, substantive resources for the benefit of the sponsoring Practice Groups' members.
Please note: You must be a member of the Health Information and Technology Practice Group or one of the other sponsoring Practice Groups to receive benefits produced by these Task Forces.
Accountable Care Organization Task Force
The mission of the ACO Task Force is to provide members with a wide array of information relating to accountable care organizations, integrated care models, and other initiatives designed to improve quality and lower costs, for better population health. The ACO Task Force analyzes the impact and trajectory of ACO and other integrated care developments nationwide, including commercial ACOs, Medicaid ACOs, and the Medicare ACO programs.
The mission of the ACO Task Force includes informing members of any new or updated regulations, waivers, and guidance relating to the main federal ACO programs, including the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer ACO program, as well as to provide information on a broader array of issues integral to ACOs, integrated care systems, population health, and payment models.
The ACO Task Force provides webinars, written material, and sponsored in-person programming pertaining to the relationship between ACOs and population health, as well as other topics germane to ACO formation and development. Since the ACO Task Force mission is so broad, it often partners with other AHLA Practice Groups to provide deeper insight into the unique legal and policy considerations for ACOs.
Behavioral Health Task Force
The Behavioral Health (BH) Task Force is committed to advancing the understanding of laws impacting behavioral health, including the delivery of services to those living with mental illness, certain neurological conditions, substance use disorders or developmental disabilities, and reimbursement for such services. A complex framework of federal and state laws concerning privacy, information sharing and exchange, reimbursement, involuntary commitment, and other subjects provides unique challenges to health care providers and payers of behavioral health services. Scientific, legislative, and other developments, including health care reform, have presented new issues and opportunities in this area, including primary and behavioral health care integration initiatives, insurance coverage parity mandates, changes to Medicaid, and evolving public policy, to name a few. The BH Task Force monitors and evaluates these laws and developments through written materials, webinars, and in-person educational activities so that AHLA members are better equipped to advise clients on behavioral health topics. In addition, the work of the BH Task Force serves to raise awareness about how behavioral health laws influence health improvement efforts, and will include collaborative efforts with AHLA's Public Interest activities.
