Advocacy in Action

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor for claims with dates of service from March 9th through December 31, 2024, following enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (CAA, 2024).

Since the Change Healthcare Cyberattack on February 21st, physician practices, hospitals, and pharmacies continue to experience interruptions in benefits verification, claims submission, distribution of payments, utilization management functions, and other revenue cycle management capabilities.

Last year, HRS joined the Smart Heart Sports Coalition to advocate for the implementation of three best practice policies to prevent death from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

On March 20th, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce passed the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research, and Training in the Schools (HEARTS) Act (H.R. 6829).

On March 15th, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) sent its March 2024 Report to the Congress.

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an extension of the 2023 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data submission period and a reopening of the 2023 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) exception application due to the Change Healthcare cybersecurity incident.

The American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey is nearing completion, and we urgently need all selected physicians to actively engage in this effort.

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means convened a hearing on March 12th to examine opportunities for enhancing access to care at home for patients in rural and underserved communities.

A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers have introduced the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 (S. 3967/H.R. 7623), which would make permanent certain Medicare flexibilities for telehealth services that were initially authorized in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

On March 9, 2024, President Biden signed into law H.R. 4366, known as the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,” to avert a partial government shutdown. The $460 billion spending package includes a 1.68% reduction to the 3.37% cut to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor that took effect January 1, 2024. The legislation is effective as of March 9, 2024, and is not retroactive to January 1, 2024.