American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Sep 07, 2018

Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act Bill Passes U.S. Senate

LEAWOOD, Kan. – The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act (S. 808) has successfully passed the U.S. Senate, taking another critical step forward. Introduced by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in 2017, this legislation clarifies medical liability rules for sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers and other medical professionals to ensure they're properly covered by their liability insurance while traveling with athletic teams to another state.

The bill previously passed out of the U.S. Senate HELP Committee in June and will now go back to the U.S. House of Representatives to approve language changes made by the Senate. The House approved a slightly different version of the bill in 2017. Once the House approves the changes, it will advance to the President for signature.

“The passage of S. 808 will ensure patients are able to receive quality care from their respective medical teams, no matter where they are competing,” said AMSSM President Chad Asplund, MD, MPH. “This is another decisive step benefiting everyone involved in taking care of athletic teams.”

Dr. Asplund testified in front of the US House subcommittee on health in 2015 in support of the bill, and AMSSM First Vice President Chad Carlson, MD was also instrumental in working with members of Congress to draft the original bill in 2013.

AMSSM has worked with members of Congress and multiple sports medicine organizations, including the National Athletic Trainers' Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Physical Therapy Association, to advance this important legislation.

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of more than 3,600 sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic and Paralympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org