In late February, a group of Senators led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-LA), released a letter calling for stakeholder feedback in conjunction with the launch of a bipartisan effort to increase health care cost transparency with the goal of empowering patients, improving the quality of health care delivery and lowering health care costs. The ACC submitted comments addressing questions from the legislators regarding the reduction of unnecessary administrative burdens that contribute to clinician burnout; burdensome regulatory barriers that inhibit higher-quality and cost-efficient care; methods to better utilize Medicare and Medicaid data to improve quality outcomes, and more.

The College provided further guidance on these issues, emphasizing existing ACC policy priorities such as collecting data to improve processes around the payer-directed prior authorization of diagnostic imaging and medications; offering principles for site-neutral Medicare payment; supporting clinician-owned entities as a potential source of appropriate, high-quality medical care by repealing the moratorium on expansion and new construction of physician-owned hospitals; and encouraging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to partner with the Centers for Disease Control and trustworthy medical specialty societies, like the ACC, in the development and deployment of patient education and self-management tools to empower patients to take an active role in their treatment.

The ACC is committed to creating a more transparent and dynamic health care system that empowers patients and their providers. To further this mission, the College has joined the Regulatory Relief Coalition made up of several medical societies, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, with the aim to reduce burdens and clinical practice issues related to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. As a next step, the coalition is specifically targeting obstacles related to prior authorization with congressional members and CMS staff.

ACC Advocacy staff will continue to engage with legislators and stakeholder partners as these important efforts progress.

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Medicaid, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S., Ophthalmology, Burnout, Professional, Delivery of Health Care, Health Expenditures, Physicians, Societies, Medical, Health Care Costs, Quality of Health Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S., Medical Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging

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