Foster Care Transformation and Optimization

Ensuring patients receive high-quality and continuous care that keeps up with new technologies is essential for better health outcomes. The ACC suggests several actions to help achieve this goal:

  • Simplify electronic prior authorization processes to reduce patient care delays.
  • Make telehealth services more accessible by maintaining flexibilities made available during the pandemic.
  • Create incentives that work across different specialties and health care providers.
  • Encourage innovative approaches to care delivery through effective ambulatory and virtual specialty care and support the balanced regulation of artificial intelligence technologies.

ACC in Action

  • Thanks to ACC grassroots engagement, Congress included a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities and restored in-home cardiac rehabilitation services delivered virtually through 2027 in a funding bill passed in February.
  • The Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514/S. 1816) was also featured as a key talking point at Legislative Conference, garnering majority bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
  • The College is an active member of the Regulatory Relief Coalition, working with partner cardiovascular societies and other stakeholders to advance solutions to prior authorization and other administrative burdens.
  • Sweeping grassroots support from ACC members ushered in a significant victory when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule in early 2024, tightening timelines, increasing transparency and streamlining electronic prior authorization requests.
  • The ACC shared feedback regarding obstacles, solutions and standards for diagnostic imaging interoperability in comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Policy Progress

  • The ACC continues its push to make Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent through the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 4206/S. 1261) and the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act (H.R. 783/S. 248).
  • Congress has reintroduced two bills aimed at prior authorization reform – the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514/S. 1816), which has garnered majority bipartisan support, and Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act (H.R. 2433). Meanwhile, prior authorization bills continue to make headway in several states like Oregon and have passed in Virginia, Hawaii, Indiana and North Dakota.
  • As CMS revisits its National Coverage Determination for TAVR, the ACC and other societies submitted initial feedback to the agency.

Get Involved

Tell Congress to Make Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent

Support Prior Authorization Reform Legislation

Resources

News