Contact: Katie Glenn, kglenn@acc.org, 202-375-6472

WASHINGTON (Oct 30, 2015) -

A statement from American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams Sr., M.D., FACC, regarding the release of the 2016 physician fee schedule:

"The defeat of the flawed sustainable growth rate formula earlier this year began a transition to the new value-based payment program under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. Through today's rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) maintains stability by not making drastic changes to existing Medicare quality reporting programs. This stability will help clinicians become more familiar with the current program elements that will continue in 2016 and are likely to transition to the new payment system," said American College of Cardiology President Kim Allan Williams Sr., M.D., FACC.

"We appreciate that CMS continues to seek public input – particularly from the people attempting to implement new policies at the practice level. Clinicians must be able to focus on delivering high-quality patient care rather than navigating burdensome administrative requirements in a new payment landscape. We know that CMS is sensitive to access, delivery, quality and fairness in payment."

The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit www.acc.org.

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