Heart of Health Policy | On April 9, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released unprecedented data on the health care services delivered by individual physicians in 2012 and how much Medicare paid for these services. Medicare Part B Fee-For-Service data are now available on more than 880,000 health care professionals across all 50 states and include 6,000 types of services and procedures. While the ACC is disappointed by the decision to publicize physician payment data without risk adjustment or description of the context, it is important to realize that patients may view these data as an opportunity to raise questions about the care they receive. The College encourages physicians to engage with patients about their care and provide additional perspective so that they may gain a fuller understanding of the context in which Medicare payments are made. This is also an opportunity to educate patients about clinical practice guidelines and appropriate use criteria that contribute to careful decision-making.

Keywords: Physicians, Health Policy, Fee-for-Service Plans, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S., Risk Adjustment, Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications

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