About ASDSA
ASDSA advocates for patient safety, access to specialty care, skin cancer prevention and education and fair and appropriate reimbursement. By providing a strong voice to advance the organization’s public policy agenda, ASDSA is a trusted resource to both state and federal policymakers.
State Focus
The Association’s efforts positively influence dermatologic surgery patients across the country. ASDSA tracks legislations and regulations across the country and alerts members to actions that may impact the practice of dermatologic surgery.
Model legislation enables ASDSA and states to present a uniformed position on policy issues. Providing a framework can potentially move policy forward quickly and supports more consistency in laws state to state.
Model Bills:
PULSE
Patients/Physicians United for Laser Safety and Efficacy (PULSE) is model legislation addressing the issue of non-physicians performing laser and energy-based device procedures without proper training and/or physician oversight. The model legislation allows for the delegation of non-ablative laser or energy-based procedures to non-physicians, but any procedures that remove, burn or vaporize the live epidermal surface of the skin can only be performed by physicians. Support for this legislation comes from the PULSE Coalition, which is championed by over 15 different organizations including the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS).
SUNucate
SUNucate model legislation allows students to possess and utilize sunscreen at school and day camps without a prescription or physician’s note and includes optional enabling clauses that permit the use of sun-safe clothing and incorporating sun-safe behavior into school curriculum.
Medical Spa Safety Act
ASDSA’s newest model legislation defines both “medical spa” and “medical director” and provides language requiring on-site supervision of any non-physician providers. Optional enabling clauses include additional education requirements; notification of patients if a physician is not on-site; and mandatory adverse event reporting to the FDA.
Federal Focus
Members are encouraged to meet with the legislators during ASDSA’s Federal Virtual Fly-in. Participants ask their Members of Congress to support specific legislation and inform their legislators about regulatory burdens that negatively impact patient care.
Collaboration
ASDSA maintains successful partnerships with state dermatologic and medical societies, the American Medical Association, the Alliance of Specialty Medicine and numerous other organizations.
The ASDSA Board of Directors