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Welcome

Celebrating Over 80 Years Of Service!

The American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) represents over 2,700 Board-certified otolaryngologists and health care providers. Otolaryngology, frequently referred to as Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), uniquely combines medical and surgical expertise to care for patients with a variety of conditions affecting the ears, nose, and throat, as well as commonly related conditions. AAOA members devote part of their practice to the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease. The AAOA actively supports its membership through education, research, and advocacy in the care of allergic patients.

"Advance the comprehensive management of allergy and inflammatory disease in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery through training, education, and advocacy."

AAOA Member Benefits

  • Up to 60% discount for CME programs and free Annual Meeting. All AAOA’s CME programs meet ABOTOHNS Continuing Certification.
  • AAOA US ENT Affinity program, where AAOA members can gain savings on antigen, allergy supplies, and any of the other 5 service lines US ENT offers. For more email info@usentpartners.com.
  • Tools and resources to comply with US General Chapter 797 and practice management tools.
  • Advocacy support.
  • And much more! Learn More

ADVOCACY UPDATES

CMS to Provide Advanced Payments to Those Affected by the Change Healthcare Cyberattack

On Saturday, March 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a statement…

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Policy Update: State of the Union Address, Budget Updates

President Biden’s State of the Union Address State of the Union Transcript State of the Union Video…

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Medicare Physician Payment

AMA Advocacy Update The House of Representatives voted 339-85 on March 6 to pass the…

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Upcoming Dates

04/01/24: Fellow Exam Application Deadline
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06/01/24: Research Grant Cycle
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06/25/24: Membership Application Deadline to be eligible for AAOA Member rate for the 2024 Basic Course

08/02/24: Scientific Abstract Submission Deadline
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12/01/24: Research Grant Cycle
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EDUCATION

AAOA Advanced Course

The recorded course content is available until April 30, 2024. This year’s Advanced Course featured Laryngology and Skull Base Surgery with Nausheen Jamal, MD and Garret Choby, MD as featured faculty.

RESIDENTS

For information about Resident membership, opportunities, DosedDaily, research grants, and other resources. Learn More

IFAR

Available Now

aaoaf-ifar

IFAR Impact Factor: 2.454

IFAR Featured Content: COVID-19 - Free Access
Endonasal instrumentation and aerosolization risk in the era of COVID‐19: simulation, literature review, and proposed mitigation strategies . Read More

Changes in Managing Practices

Working together with AAOA staff, volunteer leadership and members will enable us to have a positive impact on our members’ practices.

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Live and Online CME

2024 AAOA Advanced Course in Allergy & Immunology - Hybrid
On-Demand Content Access Deadline:
April 30, 2024
Learn More and Register

2024 AAOA Basic Course in Allergy & Immunology - Hybrid
July 25-27, 2024
The Diplomat, Hollywood, Florida
Learn More and Register

2024 AAOA Annual Meeting - Hybrid
November 8-10, 2024
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
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USP 797 Online Module
Learn More and Register

AAOA Educational Stacks
Next Availability - April 1, 2024

News and Updates

Member Perspective on AAOA Value

by Dole Baker, MD, FAAOA Having been a long-time member of the AAOA, recent upgrades…

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CEO Update, February 2024

Funny how there are so many metaphors for life in some of our day-to-day activities. …

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College Allergy Symptoms Treatment Back to Shcool

PRACTICE RESOURCES

AAOA Practice Resource Tool Kit

The American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) Practice Resource Tool Kit is intended as a guide to help AAOA members integrate allergy into their otolaryngology practice and to continually improve on this integration as new information, regulations, and resources become available.

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PARTNER RESOURCE CENTER

AAOA has launched a Partner Resource Center to bring you partner resources that can assist your practice and patient care.

Visit the New Center>

PATIENT CORNER

Congress Considers Extension of Telehealth Flexibilities Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to quickly implement flexibilities to allow providers to deliver care virtually. Now many providers and patients are eager to retain access to virtual care once the public health emergency concludes but retaining these flexibilities will require Congress to intervene in some cases. Several bills do just that; however, key members of Congress are signaling that they may take a different approach rather than just passing any single piece of legislation.

Despite its bipartisan popularity, legislation that comprehensively expands access to telehealth services never advanced prior to the pandemic because of the cost associated with it. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the group that assigns a price to legislation, has always scored telehealth as exceedingly expensive, believing telehealth services are delivered in addition to in-person services, not as a replacement.

Data collected during the latter part of the pandemic will be useful as CBO reassesses the costs of different telehealth policies. However, experts believe there will still be significant costs attached.

To get around this, some members of Congress, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), have floated the idea of extending the telehealth flexibilities temporarily for a period of one or two years to collect more data on the use of these services
outside of a public health emergency. This option is still on the table, but others want to craft a more sustainable policy which would balance expansion with concerns about fraud and abuse by addressing telehealth policy-by-policy.

Some of the policies being discussed frequently include:

  • Eliminating the originating site and geographic restrictions on telehealth: This may be the most popular telehealth policy among legislators and key stakeholders. Prior to the pandemic, Medicare beneficiaries were only eligible to receive telehealth services at qualified originating sites in certain geographic areas; in many cases, beneficiaries still had to travel to a location meeting these requirements for a telehealth visit. As we have all experienced, telehealth services when used appropriately provide benefit to patients in a variety of locations, including in their homes located in all areas—rural and urban.
  • Maintaining coverage for audio-only visits: Prior to the pandemic, providers could not provide an evaluation and management visit by telephone, but audio-only visits became a necessity during the pandemic as many Medicare beneficiaries did not have the devices or broadband required for telehealth visits with simultaneous audio and visual connections. Many providers have reported audio-only visits have been critical to providing care for patients, particularly older Medicare beneficiaries and those to which other social determinants of health apply.
  • Pay parity for telehealth visits: During the public health emergency, CMS is paying the same amount for virtual and audio-only visits as it is paying for in-person care. Congress has heard from many stakeholders about how important it is to maintain this parity post-pandemic, but Congress rarely intervenes and dictates how much CMS should pay for certain services. This issue is most likely to be left to the agency.

We will be monitoring legislative efforts to expand telehealth and keep members engaged on the latest developments.

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