Over the past few years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has increased its advocacy efforts in response to the membership's growing frustration with inequities in both the public and private sectors. Initially, work focused primarily on Medicaid issues. That work continues and more recently the Private Payer Advocacy Advisory Committee was formed to more aggressively address pediatric issues in the private health plan market.

The Private Payer Advocacy Advisory Committee is a group of pediatricians that oversee the Academy's private sector advocacy initiatives by developing policy and programs to assist pediatricians with their economic and organizational position in the private health care system. The committee also will enhance systems for AAP members and chapters to identify and respond to issues with private carriers and guide AAP efforts to proactively address private payer carrier policies and operations that impact access, quality, coverage and value for pediatric services.

For additional information on the Academy's private payer advocacy initiatives, contact Lou Terranova, Senior Health Policy Analyst in the Department of Practice at lterranova@aap.org or 847/434-7633.