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On April 14, 2015, Congress repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.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: April 23, 2018
RE: Washington State Health Care Authority 2018 Health Technology Topic Selection –Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Surgery Dear Mr. Morse: On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress ofNeurological […]
Letters
Published: April 16, 2018
Dear Administrator Verma: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)to reduce the 2018 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) quality measure reporting […]
Article
Published: March 21, 2018
Chairman Roskam, Ranking Member Levin, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for theopportunity to provide feedback on implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP ReauthorizationAct of 2015 (MACRA). The […]
Letters
Published: March 21, 2018
SUBJECT: Washington State HTA Program Draft Evidence Report for Surgery for SymptomaticLumbar Radiculopathy Dear Mr. Morse: On behalf of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Association ofNeurological Surgeons […]
Article
AANS and CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN)Comments on NASS Coverage Policy Recommendations on Lumbar Interspinous Device withoutFusion and Decompression The American Association of […]
Letters
Published: January 16, 2018
Re: Medicare Program; Contract Year 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the MedicareAdvantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription DrugBenefit Program, and the PACE Program Dear Administrator Verma, […]
Letters
Published: January 10, 2018
Re: MedPAC discussion on “Rebalancing the physician fee schedule towards primary careservices” Dear Dr. Mathews: On behalf of the 20 undersigned organizations, we write to express our concern with theNovember […]
Letters
Published: January 9, 2018
RE: Chairman’s Recommendation to Eliminate the Merit-based Incentive Payment System(MIPS) and Implement a Voluntary Value Program (VVP) Dear Chairman Crosson, On behalf of more than 100,000 specialty physicians from 13 […]
Letters
Published: January 2, 2018
RE: CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment Program Dear Ms. Verma, The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (the “Alliance”) represents more than 100,000 specialty physiciansfrom 13 specialty and subspecialty societies. […]
Letters
Published: January 1, 2018
SUBJECT: CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment Program (CMS-5522-FC) Dear Administrator Verma: On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress ofNeurological Surgeons (CNS), representing […]
Letters
Published: January 1, 2018
Re: CMS-5522-FC – Medicare Programs: 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 […]
Letters
Published: December 11, 2017
Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Ryan and Leader Pelosi, The undersigned surgical organizations urge Congress not to include Medicare cuts that could threatenpatient access to quality care in […]
Letters
Published: November 27, 2017
SUBJECT: Washington State HTA Key Questions for Review of Surgery for SymptomaticLumbar Radiculopathy Dear Mr. Morse: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Association of Neurological Surgeons(AANS), AANS/CNS Joint […]
Article
Published: November 27, 2017
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Association ofNeurological Surgeons (AANS), AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine andPeripheral Nerves (DSPN), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), InternationalSociety for the […]
Letters
Published: November 20, 2017
Re: Concerns Regarding the Commercial Use of MIPS Measures Dear Dr. Yong: The undersigned members of the Physician Clinical Registry Coalition (the Coalition) arewriting to express our ongoing concerns about […]
Letters
Published: November 16, 2017
SUBJECT: LCD DL37421-Draft LCD for MRgFUS for Essential Tremor Dear Dr. Haug, The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)and the American Association of Stereotactic and […]
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 […]
