Health reform: Website will help patients, physicians take action
A new website will make it easier for patients and physicians to understand where the AMA stands on the health-system reform debate happening in Washington and give them tools to take part in the effort to protect health care coverage for millions of Americans.
The site, Patientsbeforepolitics.org, colorfully delineates the nine objectives that will guide the AMA in its discussions regarding ongoing efforts to improve the nation's health system. The objectives were included in the letter that AMA CEO and Executive Vice President James L. Madara, MD, wrote to Congressional leaders in January. They grow out of the AMA's comprehensive vision for health-system reform.
That vision has been refined over more than two decades by the AMA's House of Delegates, which is composed of representatives of more than 190 state and national specialty medical associations. The new site offers a convenient way for readers to understand the basis for these objectives, through links to relevant AMA Council on Medical Service reports and policy briefs.
The Patientsbeforepolitics.org website makes it easy for patients and physicians to write their elected Congressional representatives and urge them to protect Americans' access to quality care. In the weeks and months to come, the site will be updated to offer more ways to take action on this critical issue.
"Putting patients first is at the heart of everything we do as physicians," said AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, MD. "That's why we are committed to working with leadership in both parties to improve health insurance coverage and health care access so that patients receive timely, high-quality care, preventive services, medications and other necessary treatments. This new website will equip physicians and patients around the country with the information and tools they need so they can join us in urging Congress to ensure Americans have access to affordable, meaningful coverage and high-quality health care."
Read more at AMA Wire®.
House to consider medical liability reform bill
The House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 1215, the "Protecting Access to Care Act (PACA)" on Feb. 28 by a vote of 18-17. This bill is based on the California medical liability reform law and would limit noneconomic damages to a cap of $250,000, while providing unlimited economic damages.
It would also give states the flexibility to increase the cap on noneconomic damages and has language protecting existing state liability reforms. The AMA has policy in favor of limiting noneconomic damages and supports the bill. House Republican leadership considers this measure to be part of its health care reform efforts. The full House is expected to consider H.R. 1215 during the week of March 27.
CMS urged to adopt regulatory relief related to quality reporting
On March 21, the AMA and 86 state and specialty medical societies sent a letter (PDF) urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to adopt relief related to existing Medicare quality reporting programs—the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), Meaningful Use (MU), and the Value-Based Payment Modifier (VM). The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) modified and consolidated these three programs into a new Merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS), which addresses a number of problems in the current programs. However, the MACRA-related changes do not affect Medicare payments until 2019. Therefore, in 2018, physicians will still receive payment adjustments associated with MU, PQRS and the VM based on 2016 rules.
The sign-on letter calls for changes that would reduce the likelihood of physicians receiving MU, PQRS and VM penalties in 2018. The suggested changes include increasing the opportunities for hardship exemptions, and protecting physicians who successfully reported at least one PQRS measure from automatic PQRS and VM penalties. Physicians who want to compete for a VM bonus through quality tiering could still do so through an opt-in, voluntary process. These changes are also aligned with the direction CMS is taking as physicians move into MIPS.
