Welcome to The ACP Advocate,
Check out today's first article for what you need to know about ACP's work with Congress to influence a proposed new law about health information technology so it better meets the needs of physicians and patients. "We cannot accomplish interoperability in health care without a full suite of technical standards and a trusted framework for exchanging data," says an ACP official. The legislation could be considered in April.
Today's second article examines ACP's recommendations to update the Stark Self-Referral Law. The law prohibits referrals to entities in which the referring doctor or other health care provider has a financial interest, whether that's ownership, investment or a compensation arrangement. While ACP continues to support the Stark law's goals, we believe that updates are needed to allow physicians and hospitals to collaborate in the development and implementation of Accountable Care Organizations, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, and other Alternative Payment Models.
In our final article, a new report from the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative is examined. It finds that patient-centered medical homes DO reduce costs and unnecessary utilization.
In our March 11 issue, look for coverage of ACP's comments on CMS' proposed Quality Measurement Development Plan, which will guide the agency's selection of performance measures for the new Medicare value-based payment programs established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. (Sneak preview: we will recommend that they should NOT consider the existing quality measure sets within Medicare's current reporting programs--PQRS, Value-based Modifier, and Meaningful Use--as the starting point for its measure development plan).
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 |
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| In the news |
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ACP Weighs In on Senate's Move to Improve Health Technology
Going beyond transparency to focus more on quality and reliability of data is among College's suggestions
The American College of Physicians is working with congressional staff members to adjust a proposed new law about health information technology so it better meets the needs of physicians and patients.
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| 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. |
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| In focus |
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PQRSwizard Extends Deadline for 2015 Reporting |
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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. |
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Provider Enrollment Revalidation Call — Register Now |
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What's ahead for your next Medicare enrollment revalidation? Learn what you need to do and about the new resources available to help you stay on top of the process every step of the way. Join CMS experts as they discuss the timing, improvements, and updates for the second round of revalidations required by the Affordable Care Act. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. |
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CMS Proposes 2017 Payment Updates for Medicare Health and Drug Plans |
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CMS released proposed updates to the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs through the 2017 Advance Notice and Draft Call Letter. Through these policies, CMS is proposing updates to the program designed to improve the accuracy of payments to plans serving beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Specifically, CMS is proposing updates to the Risk Adjustment Model used to calculate payments to Medicare Advantage plans and to the Star Rating system used to evaluate plan performance. |
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