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On April 14, 2015, Congress repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.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.

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Article

Summary of the CY 2018 Proposed Updates to the Quality Payment Program (prepared by Hart Health Strategies)

Published: July 9, 2017
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 […]
  • Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Article

Neurosurgery Position Statement on Telemedicine

Published: May 20, 2017
Background In 1996, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published the report “Telemedicine: A Guide to AssessingTelecommunications for Health Care,” where telemedicine was defined as “the use of electronicinformation and communications […]
  • Medical Liability Reform
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letters

Neurosurgery Comments on ICER Non-pharmacologic Spine Care Assessment 4.28.17

Published: April 28, 2017
SUBJECT: ICER Scoping Document on Certain Non-pharmacologic Interventions forChronic Low Back and Neck Pain Dear Colleagues: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)and the AANS/CNS […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letters

Neurosurgery Joins AMA in Sending Letter to CMS Regarding PQRS, MU and VBM

Published: March 21, 2017
Dear Administrator Verma: The undersigned physician organizations welcome the Trump Administration’s emphasis onreducing regulatory burdens. Congress recognized when it passed the Medicare Access andCHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in an overwhelming […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letters

AANS and CNS Send Comments to CMS Regarding Medicare’s Quality Payment Program (QPP)

Published: December 19, 2016
Subject: Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM)Incentive under the Physician Fee Schedule, and Criteria for Physician-FocusedPayment Models: Final Rule with Comment Period (CMS-5517-FC) Dear Administrator Slavitt: […]
  • Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letters

AANS and CNS Send Letter to CMS Regarding PILD Procedure

Published: October 6, 2016
Subject: Proposed National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Percutaneous Image guided Lumbar Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (CAG-00433R) Dear Ms. Jensen, On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letters

The Honorable Rand Paul Sends Letter to CMS regarding MACRA

Published: September 30, 2016
Dear Secretary Burwell: In April 2015, Congress passed, and the president signed into law, the Medicare Accessand CHIP Reauthorization Act (P.L. 114-10). MACRA replaced the flawed sustainablegrowth rate (SGR) formula […]
  • Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Article

Lawmakers Ask CMS to Ditch Medicare’s Proposed Global Surgery Reporting Requirements

Published: September 20, 2016
Lawmakers Ask CMS to Ditch Medicare’s Proposed Global Surgery Reporting RequirementsNeurosurgeons Applaud Congressional Effort to Discourage Burdensome Plan Washington, DC—Today, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress ofNeurological […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letters

Congressional Letter to CMS Opposing Global Surgery G-Code Mandate

Published: September 16, 2016
Dear Secretary Burwell and Acting Administrator Slavitt: We are writing to express our opposition to the provision in the Centers for Medicare and MedicaidServices’ (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management