American College of Cardiology

ACC Enters Next Phase of Campaign to Protect Patient Access
The ACC has launched the next phase of its campaign to protect patient access to quality CV care by fighting the final 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Go to acc.org to get involved with this campaign. The site features links to issue briefs with details about the negative consequences of the rule, including a recording of the Nov. 12 all-member call, and a practice expense calculator to specifically define the effects on your practice. The page also has patient materials to get them involved in the effort and complete information about how to contact your lawmakers. The odds against completely stopping the cuts are high, but the College needs ACC members in the effort to fight the cuts more than ever. Visit: http://www.campaignforpatientaccess.org

Coding, Consultation All-Member Call
The ACC will hold an ACC member-only call on "Consultations and other Cardiology Coding Changes" on Dec. 8 at noon ET. The call will discuss how to report a hospital admission, rules for new patients and whether there is a crosswalk from consults to visits. It will also address the new CPT codes. Click here to register.

New! Practice Survival Toolkit
The ACC has created a practice survival toolkit in response to the unjustified and unprecedented cuts to cardiology in the 2010 Physician Fee Schedule. The toolkit includes an expansive array of information and resources. Topics range from simple advice such as collecting co-payments at the time of service to options for future business plans. The toolkit aims to allow the survival of the practice of cardiology in the U.S. so that cardiovascular professionals can continue to deliver the reductions in mortality and the improved quality of life unique to the specialty. View the Practice Survival Toolkit.