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Health Care Reform - 2010 Risks and Opportunities - From the President- The ACC Wants You!
A s I speak to ACC members across the country and around the world, I hear many reactions to the changing face of cardiovascular medicine: Many are excited by the rapidly evolving science and technology that are the hallmark of our specialty. Some are concerned by the uncertainties inherent in health care reform. Others are angry about cuts to reimbursement. I have one response: Get involved with the ACC. Whether you want to advocate for payment, help shape the future of health care or harness the greatest potential of cardiovascular science, the College is the place to be. The more involved you become, the more you’ll benefit from your membership. The call for applications for ACC and ACC Foundation committee members now is open. I encourage you to get more involved by applying for an open committee position (or nominating a deserving colleague). See p. 29 for more details. This issue of Cardiology magazine illustrates the broad scope of our work at the ACC — and the many opportunities for member volunteers to make a real difference in health care. Our cover story takes a closer look at the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, telling you how reform may affect cardiovascular practice in the coming years. ACC CEO Jack Lewin, M.D., shares his perspective about how we as a College and a specialty should respond in order to thrive in an era of health care reform. Health care management consultant Alex Hunter and Piedmont Heart Institute CEO Michele Molden offer practical advice for physicians as they adapt to the changing environment.
Also in this issue, Past President and Trustee Doug Weaver, M.D., M.A.C.C., discusses the new Council of Medical Specialty Societies Code for Interactions with Companies. He tells us how the ACC helped shape the policy and addresses member concerns about the code and how it will affect relationships with industry.
Margo Minissian, A.C.N.P.-B.C., M.S.N., C.N.S., details how ACC members are working with nonprofit WomenHeart to help educate women about heart disease, and Kay Blum, Ph.D., C.R.N.P., encourages ACC members to incorporate high-quality palliative care for end-stage heart failure patients into their practices. Mary Norine Walsh, M.D., F.A.C.C., chair of our Patient-Centered Care Committee, lays out her committee’s plans for educating patients and their families through a new CardioSmart campaign.
Also in this edition, you will read about how the National Cardiovascular Data Registry is playing a key role in implementing comparative effectiveness research, and you will learn more about the College’s cutting-edge new website, CardioSource. I hope you will be involved in one or many of the exciting initiatives included in this issue, and I hope you’ll consider becoming more involved in the ACC by participating on a committee. Don’t forget to apply before July 31. Thank you for all you do to make the College — and our cardiovascular community — such a powerful force for quality health care.With the reform and reconciliation bills signed into law, there are several provisions that will have an impact on cardiovascular practice over the next several years. The following is an overview of the key provisions:
The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) The new law extends PQRI through 2014, with an incentive payment increase of 0.5 percent for 2011 to 2014. The program is improved with the addition of an appeals process and more timely feedback. In addition, Maintenance of Certification program participation was added as a participation option, including an additional 0.5 percent incentive payment. PQRI continues to serve as an opportunity for practices to receive incentive payments from Medicare.
Beginning in 2015, physicians who are not successful participants in PQRI Physician Feedback Program will receive penalties. Starting in 2012, the Department of Health percent for 2015 and 2 percent for 2016. The ACC has expressed opposition to and Human Services (HHS) will provide penalties for unsuccessful participation in reports to physicians comparing their PQRI and will continue to do so. PQRI resource use with that of other physicians has considerable administrative issues or groups of physicians caring for patients and kinks that have prohibited physicians with similar conditions. This provision is an from successfully participating. expansion of a program currently underway at CMS, in which the ACC has been actively engaged. The ACC supports confidential feedback reports that appropriately assign responsibility and allow physicians to the utilization rate assumption from the current 50 percent to 75 percent in calculating reimbursements for medical imaging services on “high cost” equipment (equipment that costs more than $1 million). This will result in lower payments for cardiac CT and MR services in 2011. Under the physician fee schedule, the utilization rate was set to rise to 90 percent in 2013. PPACA overrules the fee schedule and locks the rate at 75 percent for these services.