Reimbursement and Practice Management
On April 14, 2015, Congress repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) permanently eliminates SGR and provides positive annual payment updates lasting through 2019. Since MACRA significantly changes the way Medicare pays physicians, we have developed a MACRA Resource Page to help educate neurosurgeons about this topic. In addition to our efforts on MACRA, the Coding and Reimbursement Committee is actively involved in bringing or reviewing new or revised CPT codes, is a strong advocate for appropriate valuation of neurosurgical services and neurosurgery’s Rapid Response Team works tirelessly to ensure that third party payors cover necessary neurosurgical services.
Key Resources
Letters
Published: November 1, 2017
Dear Senators Portman and Bennet: We are writing to convey our strong support for S. 2051, “The Medicare Care CoordinationImprovement Act of 2017.” Your legislation would substantially improve care coordinationfor […]
Letters
Published: November 1, 2017
Dear Representatives Bucshon, Ruiz, Marchant and Kind: We are writing to convey our strong support for H.R. 4206, “The Medicare Care CoordinationImprovement Act of 2017.” Your legislation would substantially improve […]
Letters
Published: October 16, 2017
SUBJECT: Medicare Program; Cancellation of Advancing Care Coordination ThroughEpisode Payment and Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Models;Changes to Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Payment Model (CMS5524-P) Dear Ms. Verma, On behalf […]
Article
Published: October 15, 2017
Revisions to Payment Policiesunder the Physician Fee Scheduleand Other Revisions to Part B forCY 2018 A SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON OF KEY PROVISIONS FROM THE PROPOSED AND FINAL RULESFOR CY 2018 Table […]
Letters
Published: October 4, 2017
RE: Recommended changes to MACRA Dear Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Neal, Chairman Walden, Ranking Member Pallone, ChairmanHatch, and Ranking Member Wyden: As the Alliance of Specialty Medicine (Alliance), our mission […]
Letters
Published: October 2, 2017
Dear Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone: The undersigned state and national specialty medical organizations share a common interest in ensuringsuccessful implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act […]
Letters
Published: September 28, 2017
Dear Secretary Price and Administrator Verma: On behalf of the 21 undersigned medical organizations, we are writing to express our deepconcerns with the new methodology for updating malpractice (MP) relative […]
Letters
Published: September 11, 2017
RE: Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician FeeSchedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2018; Medicare Shared Savings ProgramRequirements; and Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (CMS-1676-P) […]
Letters
Published: September 11, 2017
Subject: CMS-1676-P Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under thePhysician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2018 Dear Administrator Verma: On behalf of the American […]
Article
Published: August 25, 2017
Please describe the submitting organization’s interaction with the Medicare program: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), founded in 1931, and the Congress ofNeurological Surgeons (CNS), founded in 1951, are […]
Article
Published: August 25, 2017
Please describe the submitting organization’s interaction with the Medicare program: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), founded in 1931, and the Congress ofNeurological Surgeons (CNS), founded in 1951, are […]
Article
Published: August 25, 2017
Please describe the submitting organization’s interaction with the Medicare program: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), founded in 1931, and the Congress ofNeurological Surgeons (CNS), founded in 1951, are […]
Article
Published: August 24, 2017
The following tables provide information on exemptions and “special status” determinations under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). This guide does not provide details regarding treatment under the Advanced Alternative […]
Letters
Published: August 21, 2017
SUBJECT: Medicare Program; CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment ProgramProposed Rule (CMS-5522-P) Dear Administrator Verma: On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress ofNeurological […]
Letters
Published: August 21, 2017
RE: CMS-5522-P, Medicare Program, CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment Program, 42 CFR Part414 Dear Ms. Verma, The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (the “Alliance”) represents more than 100,000 specialty […]
Letters
Published: August 21, 2017
Re: CMS-5522-P – Medicare Program; CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment Program Dear Ms. Verma: The undersigned members of the Physician Clinical Registry Coalition (the Coalition) appreciatethe opportunity to […]
Article
Published: August 18, 2017
Starting on July 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is requiring that certainneurosurgeons in the nine states listed above to report the number of post-operative visits […]
Article
Published: August 11, 2017
CMS proposes to implement a FY 2018 +0.4588 percent adjustmentfor the Documentation and Coding Adjustment as required by the21st Century Cures Act. …. Read full article here
Letters
Published: August 8, 2017
SUBJECT: LCD DL34555-Draft LCD for Non-Covered Category III CPT Code 0398T:MRgFUS stereotactic lesion ablation Dear Dr. Garrett, The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)and the […]
Article
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Article
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Article
BackgroundOn Oct. 14, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final ruleimplementing the new Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP). Mandated by the Medicare Accessand CHIP Reauthorization […]
Letters
Dear Senator: As leading organizations representing the interests of patients, providers and manufacturers, wewrite to ask that you cosponsor S.794, the Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act of 2017. Medicare coverage […]
Article
Table of Contents Executive Summary/Background………………………………………………………………………………………….6Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6QPP Strategic Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6One QPP………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6Summary of the Major Provisions…………………………………………………………………………………………………7QPP Year 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7Small Practices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7Summary of Major Provisions for Advanced APMs……………………………………………………………………………….7Summary of Major Provisions for MIPS……………………………………………………………………………………………….8Payment Adjustments………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10Benefits and Costs […]
Letters
Subject: Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System(IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment SystemProposed Rule, and Request for Information CMS-1677-P Dear Ms. Verma, […]