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 Accountable Care
Organization (ACO) Task Force monitors and evaluates the implementing
statutes, regulations, cases, and secondary materials concerning ACOs. It
provides written materials, webinars, and in-person educational activities
to assist AHLA's members to implement ACOs and comply with ACO laws and
rules. Since the ACO subject matter is so broad, and impacts the missions
and interests of so many Practice Groups, the ACO Task Force is a
multi-disciplinary/multi-group entity, and focuses its efforts on the
production of a coherent and effective line of ACO-related educational
materials using a variety of media and employing AHLA’s vast resources.
Behavioral Health Task ForceThe 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.
