Participation in Physician Practice Survey Critical

The ACC, the American Medical Association and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices, the results of which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has indicated will be used to help determine physician payment. At this time, cardiology has one of the lowest responses of any specialty, and it is crucial that anyone chosen to participate in the survey do so.

The survey firm, dmrkynetec, has been retained to contact randomly selected physicians and practice managers to collect responses. All responses will remain confidential. Please alert your staff regarding your willingness to participate in this survey and the importance of accepting incoming calls, faxes or emails from dmrkynetec. A postcard was mailed to the entire physician sample on June 11. If you have been selected to participate in this important effort and have any questions about the survey, call toll-free at (877) 816-8940 and ask to speak with one of dmrkynetec’s executive interviewers about the 2008 Physician Practice Information Survey. To see whether you have been selected to participate in the survey, go to: https://doanemrwebsc.com/onlinesurveys/amas/.

Fee Schedule Hurts Echo Payments

Practices that perform in-office echocardiography services will likely be negatively affected by the 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, although the impact will vary greatly depending on the mix of services provided. New bundled codes that combine services commonly performed together for transthoracic echocardiography with spectral and color flow Doppler echocardiography and stress echocardiography have been created for 2009, which will result in significant payment cuts for these services.

The new bundled codes result from pressure by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and others to move toward combining codes for services frequently performed together. CMS has made clear its intention to unilaterally to reduce payments if specialty societies do not act to create new bundled CPT codes, which the ACC has responded to by proactively developing new codes. The January edition of Cardiology will include a special pull-out section on new CPT codes for 2009. For more information on the impact on echocardiography service, visit ACC.org.

CMS to Host Call on 2007 PQRI

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Dec. 16 will host a conference call to discuss the final 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) reporting experience, as well as the program’s results, from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. EST. The call will feature a question-and-answer period with CMS PQRI subject matter experts. Registration, which will close Dec. 15, is available here. The ACC is working to address concerns raised by members regarding the reporting mechanisms and feedback reports for the 2007 PQRI. The ACC is reaching out directly to CMS, as well as communicating with congressional offices key to the program’s authorization. The ACC will continue to work with CMS to improve the PQRI program and address concerns so that physicians can improve their performance moving forward.

Terumo Recalls Pediatric Cannulae

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems has recalled 21 lots of its Tenderflow Pediatric Arterial Cannulae, after receiving five reports of difficulty retracting the introducer from the cannula. When the introducer cannot be retracted from the cannula, the cannula must be removed and replaced, a process that may lead to aortic damage, blood loss and/or death. Health care professionals are advised to not use the product unless medically necessary. In those cases, the cannula should be used without the introducer. More information is available on the Food & Drug Administration Web site.

ACC Vice President Featured on The Lewin Report

ACC Vice President Ralph Brindis, M.D., F.A.C.C., today was featured as a guest ‘blogger’ on The Lewin Report, an online discussion forum for ACC members. In his post, “The NCDR and Coverage with Evidence Development [CED] – Friend or Foe?,” Dr. Brindis discusses the potential of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) to play a role in future applications of CED by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He discusses the tension between payers, physicians and CMS, noting that the “losers, unfortunately, in this situation are our patients and our CV science.”

Do you agree with Dr. Brindis? Continue the discussion at lewinreport.acc.org. Dr. Brindis’ column is part of a new series of guest posts by ACC leadership. Check back next month to see which ACC leader is sharing his or her thoughts on health care reform!

ACC President Discusses Industry Relationships in Column

ACC President Douglas Weaver, M.D., F.A.C.C., is featured as a columnist in the most recent issue of Cardiovascular Business magazine discussing industry relationships with the medical community. In “The ACC Corner,” Dr. Weaver writes, “We depend on industry support to help carry out our mission. Without such funding, our efforts to provide meaningful unbiased education and to improve quality would be crippled. Rather than restricting industry funding for such activities we should instead focus on actively managing relationships with industry and the potential for conflicts of interest in our relationships.” Read the article in full and view other “ACC Corner” columns by clicking here.

Obama Ask Americans to Discuss Health Care Reform

The Washington Post reported recently that President-elect Barack Obama is requesting that U.S. residents hold informal gatherings to discuss how to reform the health care system. The sessions will be held from Dec. 15 – 31 and former Sen. Tom Daschle, who Obama has selected to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, will attend at least one of these meetings. According to the Post, by “applying the high-tech tools and grass-roots activism that helped him win the White House, Obama hopes to circumvent many of the traditionally powerful special interests that have quashed previous health care reform efforts.” Obama’s transition Web site, Change.gov, is also accepting comments on health care reform. In related news, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has announced that he will no longer be part of the Senate Judiciary Committee so that he can focus on health in his role as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. To view the Washington Post article in full, click here. To sign up to host a gathering, click here. Please let us know if you plan to host a gathering by emailing qualityfirst@acc.org.

Maryland Chapter Testifies on State Self-Referral Law

The Maryland House of Delegates Health and Government Operations Committee on Dec. 3 held a briefing on the state's self-referral law, which prohibits certain kinds of in-office imaging in the state. Sriram Padmanabhan, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., testified on behalf of ACC’s Maryland Chapter and urged modifications to permit in-office MR and CT imaging. Delegate Sue Kullen (D), who critically questioned radiology witnesses, said she would reintroduce legislation similar to a 2008 bill (H.B. 1142) that would have permitted in-office MR and CT imaging and allowed radiation therapy to be performed in the same office as medical oncology services. Kullen indicated that she would be receptive to adding quality provisions to the revised bill.