Welcome to The ACP Advocate,
The Senate returns from its recess on April 13 so you’ll want to check the ACP Newsroom to follow activity on SGR legislation. And the next issue of The Advocate is slated to come to you on April 17. By then, we should have plenty of new details to share, considering:
In a historic vote of overwhelming support, the House last week approved comprehensive SGR-repeal legislation, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2), by a bipartisan vote of 392 to 37. After years of developing the policy reforms in H.R. 2, the House leadership found a way and a will to rally their caucuses, Democrats and Republicans alike, in favor of this bill that had the support of nearly all of medicine. It was a feat to behold and ACP applauded the efforts of House leadership and all those who supported final passage.
Unfortunately, after voting through the wee hours of the morning on a budget resolution, the Senate did not act on H.R. 2 but instead left town for a two week recess, saying they would “move quickly” upon their return to pass the legislation. View the ACP letter to Senate leaders urging action here and a summary of the SGR issue here.
Today’s first two articles examine the SGR legislation and probable effects. The first article describes the clout of lobbying, including your emails and tweets, combined with compromise to make something happen. The second article looks at how doctors will deal without an SGR. For one thing, they’ll face certainty, rather than perpetual uncertainty, about how they'll be reimbursed for the treatment of Medicare patients.
Our final article today explains how ACP has created a new way to track progress on health care issues of interest to internists and others. ACP has developed a thorough online guide that promises up-to-date details on topics that affect physicians and their patients.
Until our next issue and 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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SGR Reform Nears the Finish Line, With Key Senate Vote Remaining
Adoption of a new Medicare payment system appears hopeful but not certain, ACP officials note
The annual nail-biting over whether Congress will extend or repeal the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) looked to be about over in late March, only to hit yet another delay.
Still, hope reig... (read more)
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What the Future Might Hold Without an SGR
Physicians could expect more payment certainty but less fee-for-service
If the so-called "doc fix" legislation -- or, the Great Medicare Compromise of 2015 -- gets approved by Congress this month, observers believe it'll be a blessing (mostly) for the country's physicians.
... (read more)
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| In focus |
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Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2015 Meeting? Check out Health Policy courses |
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On Fri. May 1, Hot Topics in Health Policy (8:15-9:15 Rm 153). On Sat., May 2, ACA Health Coverage Expansion: One and a Half Year Progress Report, featuring representatives from CMS and DC Health Exchange (9:30-10:30 Rm 156), History of Politics in American Medicine (4:00-5:00 Rm 157). |
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Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2015 Meeting? Check out Practice Management courses |
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On Thur., April 30: Small Practice Strategies (7-8 Rm 157), Making Practice Patient Centered (8:15-9:15 Rm 160), Inpatient Coding (11:15-12:45 Rm 156), Advanced Coding (2:15-3:45 Rm 157). On Fri., May 1: Thriving in a Value-Based Payment World (11:15-12:45 Rm 157), ICD-10 (2:15-3:45 Rm 253). On Sat., May 2: Implementing Immunizations in Practice (7-8 Rm 153), Care Coordination Btwn Primary Care and Subspecialists (8:15-9:15 Rm 157), New Payment Models (11:15-12:45 Rm 157), Coding and Billing 101 (2:15-3:45 Rm 157). |
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Heading to ACP's Internal Medicine 2015 Meeting? Check out Health IT courses |
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On Thur., April 30: Engaging the e-Patient (11:15-12:45 Rm 153), EHR Optimization (2:15-3:45 Rm 153). Fri., May 1: There's an App for That (11:15-12:45 Rm 153), Eisele Lecture: Leveraging Health IT to Improve Safety & Quality (8:15-9:15 Rm 157), Population Management: Leveraging Your EHR (2:15-3:45 Rm 153). Sate., My 2: Hot Topics in Medical Informatics (8:15-9:15 Rm 153), Choosing Quality Measure & Clinical Decision Support (11:15-12:45 Rm 153), Meaningful Use Sate 2 (2:15-3:45 Rm 153). |
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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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