ACC Joins Congressional Roundtable on Payment Reform
Lowering costs and promoting value in health care was the topic of a Congressional roundtable in Washington, DC, on July 14. The ACC, along with groups like the American Medical Association, American Medical Group Association, Value Based Care Coalition, and others, participated in the event and shared first-hand insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with payment reform and the continued shift to value-based care.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) kicked off the discussion and highlighted payment reform as an issue with high potential for bipartisan support. The ACC, as part of its comments, shared the importance of working with lawmakers to implement Medicare payment reforms, reduce administrative burden and leverage innovations like telehealth to truly move the needle in the quest to lower costs, improve access to care and promote value. Overall, top requests from the ACC and other participating societies included:
- Developing payment policies to address the significant lack of inflationary updates.
- Creating pathways for alternative payment model participation for specialists.
- Incorporating health equity and prescriptive lifestyle medicine into payment models.
- Providing access to Medicare and insurer claims data.
- Reinvigorating the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technically Advisory Committee to consider new, innovative proposals to address Medicare reimbursement.
The Seniors Chronic Care Management Improvement Act (H.R. 4775), the Meaningful Access to Federal Health Plan Claims Data Act (H.R. 5394), and the Value in Health Care Act (H.R. 4587) were also mentioned as opportunities during the conversation. In his closing remarks, Blumenauer suggested additional roundtables and interactive opportunities with members that have championed value-based care and to continue educational efforts amongst more junior members. Payment reform remains an important strategic priority for ACC Advocacy Staff, and the College is committed to continuing to work with lawmakers to advance solutions.
Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team
Keywords: Policy, Telemedicine, Life Style, Physicians, Insurance Carriers, Health Equity, American Medical Association, Advisory Committees, Medicare, ACC Advocacy
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