Heard on the Hill... The ACC's 20th Annual Legislative Conference ended yesterday with more than 350 participants descending on Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers on repealing the flawed sustainable growth rate formula, preventing further cuts to medical imaging services and including medical liability reform provisions in recommendations to the "Budget Super Committee." By all accounts, members of Congress were receptive to these meetings and these issues will continue to be top priorities for ACC Advocacy moving into the fall. For those who weren't able to attend the conference, highlights including video, photos, ACC in Touch Blog coverage and slides, are posted on the Legislative Conference website. In addition, an easy way to help ensure the voice of cardiology is heard on Capitol Hill is to get involved with the ACC Political Action Committee. To learn more about the ACC PAC visit the website, or email Lucas Sanders at lsanders@acc.org.
A "FOCUSed" model for success? In what is hoped to be a model for other states when it comes to ensuring appropriate use of medical imaging, the Delaware Insurance Commissioner announced on Sept. 13 that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSD) will support physician use of the ACC's FOCUS: Cardiovascular Imaging Strategies tool to make decisions about certain diagnostic imaging tests. Under the agreement, BCBSD will pay for Delaware physicians to use the online tool, which allows local physicians to consistently apply appropriate use criteria to determine when patient tests are needed. Importantly, the program also provides feedback reports on the patterns of appropriate use to physician practices and health plans. FOCUS participants then use the reports to complete action plans and share best practices. Get the details!
Let's save one million hearts! ACC leaders this week attended the launch of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) exciting new Million Hearts initiative aimed at preventing one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. The public/private program is focused on empowering Americans to make healthy choices such as preventing tobacco use and reducing sodium and trans fat consumption, as well as improving care by encouraging a targeted focus on aspirin, blood pressure control, cholesterol management and smoking cessation. Your ACC has been a long-time supporter of the very issues being addressed by this program and is excited about the opportunity to support this effort through the CardioSmart National Care Initiative, as well as through continued efforts to encourage the adoption and use of point-of-care tools and data registries. Read more.
An innovative new community! In the current debate over how to achieve the "triple aim" of better health care quality, better health, and lower costs, payment system reform emerges as one of the central issues that must be addressed. While most would agree that any new payment system (or systems) needs to move away from rewarding volume and instead reward value; how best to do this remains the question. The ACC's new online Community on Payment Innovations -- a partnership with the American Journal of Managed Care, with funding from Johnson & Johnson -- aims to provide a forum where key stakeholders can come together to answer this question and advance the payment reform debate. Learn more about the community at CardioSource.org/PaymentInnovations.
Get out your party hat! This week is National Health Information Technology (IT) Week, and the ACC is ready to celebrate. The ACC is partnering with HIMSS on this event to highlight the importance of efficient information systems that protect personal health information while improving the delivery of health care in the U.S. Its purpose is to raise national awareness regarding the consistent breakthroughs and hard work industry professionals, providers, and consumers put forward on a daily basis to ensure they are moving toward the common goal of advancing the future of health care through health IT. ACC's health IT efforts support the use and adoption of technology to promote quality in cardiovascular care. Learn more about selecting an electronic health record (EHR), federal incentive programs for e-prescribing and meaningful use of EHRs, and ACC policy and activities related to health IT.
2010 PQRS payments are in the mail. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that distribution of payments for the 2010 Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRs) is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30. Learn more about the 2010 PQRI Incentive Payments on the CMS website.
Questions/Comments contact advocate@acc.org.