ACP's Election 2016 Guide, Improving Chronic Care, and Urging Changes to eMeasures

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February 12, 2016

Welcome to The ACP Advocate,

Check out today’s first article for what you need to know about ACP’s new section on its website. It’s intended to provide physicians with information to consider when comparing presidential candidates' positions on various health care topics along with questions to keep in mind when evaluating candidates' positions. 

We hope you’ll see it as a useful "ACP Voter’s Guide" to health care issues! 

Today's second article examines ACP's response to a bipartisan effort by the Senate Finance Committee to enact policies to improve chronic care. You'll want to check out the ACP recommendations, policy applications, and their implications for physicians.

In our final article, ACP tells CMS that it should overhaul the electronic measurements (eMeasures) system, so that "Everything that's measured needs to matter, and everything that's measured should be easily monitored because it matters." ACP offers recommendations to reduce the burden of documentation and work flow interruptions associated with eMeasures.


In our February 26 issue, look for coverage of a new report that finds that Medical Homes improve health care quality, costs and utilization. For more coverage of what's happening in Washington, take a look at my award-winning blog, The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty. You can also follow me on Twitter @BobDohertyACP.

As always, please send your feedback and suggestions on this newsletter to: TheACPAdvocate@acponline.org.

Yours truly,

Bob Doherty
Senior Vice President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
American College of Physicians

In the news
» ACP Offers a 'Voter's Guide' to Health Care Issues

New web page provides background on key topics, questions to ask candidates and more

With the presidential election looming ever closer, the American College of Physicians is taking steps to keep members informed about health care issues that could come up during the campaign, whether that'... (read more)

» Congressional Panel Offers Options for Improving Chronic Care

ACP responds with a mix of support and suggestions for a more expansive overhaul

After thrilling the nation's physicians last year with its overhaul of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate system, Congress is once again poised to take action on an issue of importance to internists: impr... (read more)

» CMS Should Overhaul Its Electronic Measuring System, ACP Suggests

College tells agency that the process should not involve burdensome steps for doctors

As the federal government fine-tunes its policies on electronic measuring of health care quality, the American College of Physicians is emphasizing a crucial message: Everything that's measured needs to mat... (read more)

About this newsletter
The ACP Advocate is an e-newsletter, edited by the College's Washington, DC governmental affairs division, created to provide you, our members, with succinct news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care. To learn more about ACP's Advocacy and to access the ACP Advocate archives, go to www.acponline.org/advocacy.
In this issue
» ACP Offers a 'Voter's Guide' to Health Care Issues
» Congressional Panel Offers Options for Improving Chronic Care
» CMS Should Overhaul Its Electronic Measuring System, ACP Suggests

In focus
» PQRSwizard Extends Deadline for 2015 Reporting
The data submission deadline for quality reporting using PQRSwizard has been extended from February 26th to March 18th at 5:00 pm EST. Prevent a pay cut in 2017 by reporting 2015 quality measures today. As few as 20 patients are needed to report.
» New ACP Competition Focuses on Transforming Clinical Practice
ACP is accepting applications for the first ever "Dragon's Lair: Breathing Fire into Health Care Transformation" event at the 2016 Internal Medicine Meeting in Washington, DC, on May 5. The session gives physicians and medical students an opportunity to showcase ideas with the potential to transform clinical practice on a national level. The "Shark Tank"-like competition allows finalists to present their project to a panel of judges in front of a live audience for a chance to win $5,000 towards project development. All finalists are eligible to receive mentorship and travel funds. The deadline for submission is February 15. For additional information or to submit an application, please click the link above!




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