Advocacy in Action

On September 11th, HRS submitted its comments in response to the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule.

To help reduce the administrative burden on health care professionals and their staff, UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Cigna Healthcare announced removing prior authorization on specific medical services. 

On August 11, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra determined that a public health emergency (PHE) exists in the state of Hawaii due to the wildfires beginning on August 8, 2023.

CMS recently released MIPS performance feedback and final scores for the 2022 performance year, and associated MIPS payment adjustment information for the 2024 payment year.

On August 1st, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule.

July 18, 2023 - The House of Representatives committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health convened a hearing titled, Innovation Saves Lives: Evaluating Medicare Coverage Pathways for Innovative Drugs, Medical Devices, and Technology.

July 13, 2023 - CMS also released the CY 2024 hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) payment system proposed rule. 

July 13, 2023 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule and updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for calendar year (CY) 2024. Most notable for CY 2024 are CMS’ proposals to adopt HRS and RUC-recommended relative value units (RVUs) for implantation and programming of a phrenic nerve stimulation system, and remote monitoring of implantable cardiac rhythm devices. HRS will prepare comments in support of these and other proposals by the September 11, 2023, submission deadline.

June 29, 2023 - The Heart Rhythm Society, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding misinterpretation of the National Coverage Determination (NCD) shared decision-making requirement for percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC).

June 15, 2023 - On June 15^th, the HRS Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs Committee, in collaboration with the Digital Education Committee, presented a live webinar (Episode 9) of The Beat, Understanding the Evolution of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The episode, moderated by Sandeep A Saha, MD, MS, FHRS and David J. Slotwiner, MD, FHRS, examines the expanding federal health insurance benefits, beginning with the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, and the federal structure for administering these programs and their associated policies.