August 28, 2023 - On August 28th, HRS submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed pathway to make medical technologies more accessible and available to Medicare beneficiaries. View Comment Letter
June 28, 2023 - On June 28th, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions, and the American College of Cardiology sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding misinterpretation of the National Coverage Determination shared decision-making requirement for percutaneous left atrial appendage closure. View Comment Letter
June 27, 2023 - HRS joins the American College of Cardiology, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions, the Society of Interventional Radiology, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the agency to work with the FDA and public stakeholders to implement updated national standards for device sterilization facilities. View Comment Letter
May 22, 2023 - The Heart Rhythm Society, and nearly 80 organizations, sent letters to the House and Senate leaders in support of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 1302). The need for physicians continues to grow, and this bipartisan legislation is crucial to expanding the physician workforce. If passed, the legislation will gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 per year for seven years, for a total of 14,000 new slots.
May 11, 2023 - The date May 11, 2023, marks the end of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act. This comprehensive resource document Unwinding of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, explains how the coverage waivers and flexibilities enabled by the PHE will be impacted.
April 24, 2023 - HRS and more than 100 national and state medical societies commended House of Representatives Raul Ruiz, Larry Bucshon, Ami Bera, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks for introducing the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474 ). If passed, the bill will stabilize Medicare physician payment by providing an annual inflation update based on the Medicare Economic Index. View Submitted Letter
March 15, 2023 - The Heart Rhythm Society, along with more than 100 national and state medical societies, sent a letter to Congress calling for legislation to provide physicians with an annual inflation-based payment update tied to the full Medicare Economic Index (MEI). Unlike nearly all other Medicare providers and suppliers, physicians do not receive an annual inflationary payment update. If enacted, an annual inflation update would provide much needed fiscal stability for physician services. View Submitted Letter
On January 1, 2022, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented drastic payment cuts for commonly performed electrophysiology ablation procedures, including ablations for atrial fibrillation (AF) and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), despite objections from the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) and others. To understand the real-world impact of the payment cuts on physician practices, a survey was conducted. Download the survey results.
May 27, 2022 - The Heart Rhythm Society, along with the American Medical Association, and more than 100 other national and state medical societies have endorsed a set of guiding principles for payment reform, Characteristics of a Rational Medicare Physician Payment System. The principals provide a framework to develop policy proposals that will stabilize payment for physician services. Work to develop concrete proposals to meet these goals will continue.
April 14, 2021 - On April 13, HRS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the Agency to move forward with plans to allow for Medicare coverage of procedures that the FDA identifies as breakthrough technology. The Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology program is intended to establish a pathway to provide Medicare beneficiaries access to new, innovative devices.