Advocacy Wins
ACP Leadership Day Leads to Large Increases in Cosponsors on Number of Key Bills in Congress
Step therapy reform, improving physician payment, interest-free deferment of student loans for residents, and increasing Medicare-supported GME positions among topics discussed.
Advocacy in Action
ACP Joins Coalition of Medical Organizations Protesting UnitedHealthcare's Prior Authorization Policy for GI Endoscopies
The policy, originally set to begin June 1, was put on hold; UHC is now requiring Advanced Notification of endoscopy procedures.
Congressional News and Perspective
Debt Ceiling Deal Averts Halt in Funding for Vital Health Programs
ACP is pleased that the deal excludes work requirements from being extended to Medicaid.
ACP Backs New Bill That Would Defray Costs and Allow Internal Medicine Physicians to Offer Behavioral and Mental Health Care
As part of the BHI Collaborative, ACP works to help practices integrate behavioral and mental health care into primary care.
Quick Hits
Watch for Survey to Capture Changes in Physician Practice Expense
Watch your email for a new survey from the American Medical Association (AMA). The survey seeks to collect representative data on physician practice expenses to better understand the costs faced by today's physician practices and to support physician payment reform. Your survey response can help impact the future of physician payment.
The Medicare physician payment schedule, maintained by CMS and used by many other payers, relies on 2006 cost information to develop practice expense relative values, the Medicare Economic Index, and resulting physician payments. As the U.S. economy and health care system have undergone substantial changes since that time, including inflation and the wide-spread adoption of electronic health records and other information technology systems, practice expense payments no longer accurately reflect the resources that are typically required to provide physician services. The input from physician practices and individual physicians that are randomly selected to participate in this study is critical to its success. Participation will ensure that practice expenses and patient care hours are accurately reflected.
Starting July 2023, the survey will be emailed to a select number of physician practices. The AMA has contracted with Mathematica, an independent research company, to conduct the survey. Watch your email inbox for the Physician Practice Information (PPI) survey email from ‘Mathematica.’
If you are selected for the survey and have any questions regarding your response, contact Dejaih Johnson, JD, MPA (she/her), ACP's Senior Associate for Regulatory Affairs at djohnson@acponline.org
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