|
Ana Fullmer, 202-375-6229; afullmer@acc.org
October
30, 2009
ACC Decries CMS Medicare Rule
Cuts Threaten Access to Critical Cardiovascular Care
Washington, DC – The American College
of Cardiology (ACC) is deeply frustrated that the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ignored the call
from Congress to step back and assess the data upon which
it based the 2010 physician payment rule. Instead CMS announced
that the rule will proceed using unvalidated data risking
devastating patient access to care. The rule puts into effect
policy proposals that will unacceptably reduce payments for
cardiovascular-related services averaging 27 percent for cardiology
private practices. While phased in over four years, cardiologists
can see the handwriting on the wall, and most are already
looking for employment options as they plan to close their
community based practices.
“While CMS has attempted to mitigate the impacts of
these cuts by spreading them out over a four-year period,
the bottom line is these cuts will cripple the nation’s
ability to treat cardiovascular disease,” said ACC’s
CEO Jack Lewin, MD. “This is a short-sighted rule based
on flawed data that was not validated or reviewed. People
will needlessly suffer and patients will die as a result of
what CMS did today. While we are encouraged that CMS has recognized,
at least to some degree, our concerns about the impact on
access to care and tried to mitigate the effects of the cuts,
we nonetheless have to challenge the decision. It simply prescribes
a slow death rather than euthanasia. We will continue to fight
for some solution to this nightmare situation. CMS can still
undertake a full data review and readjust the policies where
necessary.”
Approximately two-thirds of cardiovascular patient care access
will be affected as practices close. The worst effects will
be in rural states, suburbs and places away from large academic
centers and integrated systems. Hospital based practices are
largely insulated. However, the cuts will increase Medicare
costs as hospital-based cardiology and clinical and diagnostic
services cost an average of two to four times as much as the
equivalent private practice cost.
“While the need for cardiovascular care is on a rapid
rise, with the aging of the boomers, and the pandemic of diabetes
and obesity, the cuts may make cardiovascular care nearly
unavailable to those who need it the most, other than through
emergency rooms and hospitals,” said ACC President Fred
Bove, MD. “Over the past decade there has been a 27
percent reduction in morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular
disease in this country, yet these cuts will effectively destroy
the very system that achieved that amazing success.”
For the past four months, the nation’s 37,000 cardiovascular
specialists have worked diligently to inform members of Congress
and the administration about the dangers of this proposed
rule. To date, approximately 120 members of Congress have
written letters to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius on behalf of the ACC asking for clarification and
intervention. And since January July1, 2009 ACC members have
sent more than 19,000 communications to Members of Congress
and have attended more than 400 meetings on Capitol Hill.
On Thursday, the ACC launched a national ad campaign which
featured advertisements appealing to President Obama in the
nation’s leading newspapers.
###
About the ACC:
The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal
cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is
a 37,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the
credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon
physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College
is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards
and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular
research. The ACC provides professional education and operates
national registries for the measurement and improvement of
quality care. More information about the association is available
online at www.acc.org .
|
