Welcome to The ACP Advocate,
With Congress back in session, initiatives on the Zika virus, opioid addiction, health research and primary care sit atop the to-do list ACP has for the country's legislative leaders.
Today’s first article notes how all of these issues are among ACP’s top priorities. We continue to advocate for them. Also, the federal budget awaits congressional action.
Our other article today provides a little different “take” on ACP advocacy than we usually present to you. It notes that the life and death of Jessica Jacobs sheds new light on how the health care system treats patients -- perhaps adding an exclamation point to the need for more patient-centered care. Check out the article and blogs in order to come to your own conclusions.
Our next ACP Advocate newsletter will be distributed on Sept. 23. It’s slated to look at ACP’s response on the proposed Physician Fee Schedule, an ACP member’s advocacy-in-action, and the controversy about the ACA markets.
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 Targets Key Issues Awaiting Congressional Action
College vows to keep pressure on legislators to fund vital health care efforts
With Congress back in session, initiatives on the Zika virus, opioid addiction, health research and primary care sit atop the to-do list that the American College of Physicians has for the country's legislati... (read more)
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Lessons from the Life and Death of Jessica Jacobs
Coordination and accountability are key in putting patients first, health care advocates reiterate
The life and death of 29-year-old Jessica Jacobs have shed new light on how the health care system treats patients -- perhaps adding an exclamation point to the need for more patient-centered care.
... (read more)
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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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September 15 deadline for practices to apply for CPC+ |
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Next Thursday, Sept. 15, is the deadline for practices to apply for CPC+, the CMS Innovation Center’s new national advanced primary care medical home model. The new multi-payer program, set to begin in January 2017, will include 5,000 primary care practices. CPC+ is an opportunity for primary care practices that have been working to implement the PCMH model to receive additional payment outside of the fee-for-service system for providing comprehensive, high-quality care.
Applications must be complete and submitted by Sept. 15.
For more information about the requirements, regions, and participating payors, and access to the application, go to www.acponline.org/cpcplus or https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/comprehensive-primary-care-plus/
For specific questions, email ACP’s Washington office at CPCplus@acponline.org.
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URGENT: ICD-10 coding update |
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Beginning in just three weeks, on Oct. 1, 2016, claims must include ICD-10-CM codes to the highest level of specificity possible based on documentation. The one-year contingency period, during which clinicians were not penalized for billing non-specific codes (when a more specific code is available), will end on the last day of September. See page 8 (#25) of the linked Q&A on ICD-10 from CMS. |
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