Problems With Open Payments Program Abound
Guest Post from Maya A. Babu, MD Neurosurgical Resident, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN Representing the American Medical Association (and neurosurgery) I participated in an important panel session on the Sunshine Act (specifically on the Open Payments Database) during the 15th Annual Pharmaceutical Regulatory and Compliance Congress and Best Practices Forum sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Compliance Forum […]
CMS Releases 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
It’s highly unlikely that you have read through the thousand-plus pages of the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule, but have no fear because we have you covered. Listed below are the top items of particular concern to neurosurgeons. Reimbursement-related Provisions: The Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). Absent congressional action, the SGR formula calls […]
5 Things Neurosurgeons Need to Know about the Sunshine Act
Despite the problems associated with the Physician Sunshine Open Payments system, including inaccurate data and computer system problems, on Sept. 30, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released physician-industry data on the Open Payments public website. Now that the Open Payments data is publicly available, here are 5 things neurosurgeons need to […]
Neurosurgery Meets with Congress during Alliance of Specialty Medicine’s Legislative Conference
Guest Post from Alliance of Specialty Medicine spokesperson, Alex B. Valadka, MD Chief Executive Officer, Seton Brain and Spine Institute Austin, Texas Dr. Valadka (left) visiting Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas). This week, I attended the Alliance of Specialty Medicine’s annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Conference. More than 100 participants from 13 medical societies – including the […]
How Should Congress Pay for Repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate?
Guest post from Harold D. Miller President and CEO, Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform Pittsburgh, PA A bipartisan, bicameral bill was announced earlier this month as the result of a joint effort by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, and Senate Finance Committee to repeal and replace […]
Congress Makes Significant Progress on Physician Payment Reform
On Feb. 6, 2014, the Senate Finance, House Energy and Commerce and House Ways and Means Committees released bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment system. The “SGR Repeal and Medicare Payment Modernization Act ” (S. 2000/H.R. 4015), establishes a new streamlined value-based incentive payment system called the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, or […]
Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh Talks Sunshine Act
Recently, neurosurgery’s very own Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh, participated in the 7th Annual Forum on Sunshine and Aggregated Spend conference, where he was a distinguished panelist during the “Creating Awareness of Sunshine Disclosure Among Physicians and Patients” session. In his remarks, Dr. Harbaugh said, “Diseases commonly treated by neurosurgeons – stroke, brain tumors, head and […]
Neurosurgeons Respond to CMS on Proposed 2014 Medicare Payment Policies
Earlier this month, the AANS and CNS submitted several comment letters to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a number of issues contained in the proposed 2014 Medicare physician fee schedule and hospital outpatient department rules, which affect neurosurgeons and their patients. Of particular concern to neurosurgeons, are the proposals related to […]
Implementation of Physician Payments Sunshine Act Begins
Starting on Aug. 1, 2013, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which was part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will require manufacturers of drugs, medical devices and biologics to report certain payments and items of value given to physicians and teaching hospitals. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also will make […]
Alliance of Specialty Medicine Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Advocacy Conference
Guest Post from Alliance’s spokesperson Alex Valadka, MD Chief Executive Officer of the Seton Brain and Spine Institute Austin, Texas Earlier this month, I attended the Alliance of Specialty Medicine annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Conference. More than 100 participants from 13 medical societies – including the AANS and CNS – attended the three-day event in […]