Publications

Members only publications are marked with a lock icon:
Filter By

CMS Seeks Comments on Patients over Paperwork Initiative

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Patient Centered, Practitioners
June 14, 2019
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Patients over Paperwork initiative to eliminate outdated, duplicative, and overly burdensome regulations so clinicians and providers can focus on their primary mission: patient care...

Senators Release List of Poorly Performing Nursing Homes After Inquiry

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
June 7, 2019
Recently the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responded to an inquiry from Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) regarding underperforming nursing homes. CMS sent them a list of nursing homes with a recorded pattern of poor...

Society Urges Congress to Further Improve MACRA

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Practice Management, Practitioners
June 7, 2019
In a letter sent this week to congressional leaders, the Society joined the American Medical Association and other national medical societies in urging Congress to make further refinements to improve the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act...

The Society Submits Comments on HIT Proposed Rule

Policy Snapshot
Electronic Health Records (EHR), Health Information Technology (HIT)
June 7, 2019
This week the Society submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule on the Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Issuers of Qualified Health Plans in the Federally-Facilitated Exchanges and Health Care...

CMS Announces New RFI on Patients over Paperwork

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Medicare, Payment, Practitioners
June 7, 2019
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking new ideas from the public on how to continue the progress of the Patients over Paperwork initiative. As of January 2019, CMS estimates that through...

The Society Urges Congress to Protect Patients from Surprise Medicare Billing

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 30, 2019
During a hearing on Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills, the Society—through its membership in the National Observation Stays Coalition— recently urged members of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee to take note how surprise...

Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Final Rule

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 30, 2019
On May 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule to update and modernize the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). PACE provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain frail, elderly...

CMS Releases Final Rule on Lowering Drug Prices and Out-of-Pocket Spending

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 30, 2019
Recently the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule on Modernizing Part D and Medicare Advantage to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenses . These changes will ensure that patients have greater...

In Case You Missed It: CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Opioids, Practitioners
May 30, 2019
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is raising awareness of the risk to patient health and safety due to misapplication of the opioid guideline for chronic pain. Please read the recent commentary in the New England Journal of...

Bipartisan Workforce Legislation Introduced in House

Policy Snapshot
Practitioners
May 23, 2019
Last week, Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 2781) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill reauthorizes many workforce programs under Title VII of the...