Advocacy in Action

On October 4th, the GOP Doctors Caucus released a discussion draft of legislation seeking to reform budget neutrality policies applied to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

On October 19th, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health convened a hearing titled "What’s the Prognosis? Examining Proposals to Improve Patient Access to Care & Minimize Red Tape for Doctors." During the hearing, the panel considered 23 pieces of legislation, ranging from proposals to stabilize and improve the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and MIPS, to laboratory payments.

On November 8th, the Committee will hold a markup on a legislative package to extend essential Medicaid and Medicare provisions that will expire this year, increase Medicare payments to support physicians and other providers, expand mental health care and substance use disorder services under Medicaid and Medicare, and reduce prescription drug costs for seniors.

On November 2nd, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule without comment period for calendar year (CY) 2024.

On October 3, 2023, Palmetto GBA, the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for Part A Jurisdictions J and M, will host a webinar on LAAC and ICD focused on Medicare coverage and documentation requirements, top errors, and how to avoid claim denials. 

On October 2, 2023, the Heart Rhythm Society and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a webinar on the agency’s role in regulating medical devices.

On September 20th, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury ("the Departments") issued a proposed rule setting forth an updated fee methodology and new fee rates, established by the No Surprises Act, for participation in the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process for certain IDR-eligible services that are provided to commercially-insured patients when the provider is out-of-network. 

On September 7th and 8th, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held its first meeting of its 2023-2024 policy making cycle.

CMS recently announced that the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) policy will apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in certain counties in the state of Hawaii impacted by recent wildfires.

In late August, HRS submitted comments to CMS voicing support for the creation of an alternative, expedited pathway for Medicare coverage of emerging devices and diagnostics in order to improve access to new technologies for Medicare beneficiaries.