The Medicare physician payment formula is a case-study in failed policy. Physicians have long known that it is not working. Polls show that an overwhelming 94 percent of Americans believe the massive cuts it schedules are a serious problem for seniors. Even members of Congress from both parties agree – and that is no small accomplishment – that it is …
AMA: Moving past a failed Medicare formula to focus on quality care
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Continuing our efforts to move medicine forward while prioritizing patient care and minimizing administrative and financial burdens for physician practices, the American Medical Association (AMA) along with 100 state and specialty medical societies submitted a detailed comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). We urged CMS to …
AMA: Changes are needed in the stage 2 meaningful use EHR proposal
Physicians from all corners of the country will be receiving refund checks by mid-April totaling nearly $200 million. The checks are not a tax season windfall courtesy of the IRS. The payments resulted from a record-breaking settlement that concluded a historic court challenge led by the American Medical Association against UnitedHealth Group.
Under the terms of this landmark settlement, UnitedHealth agreed …
AMA: Physicians’ day in court has a lasting legacy
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
It will come as no surprise to many of you that it can take a very long time to get things accomplished in Washington, D.C. However, a recent policy change from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that when physicians join together for a common cause we can …
AMA: Delaying the implementation of ICD-10 is a win for doctors
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
This week, I’m joining hundreds of physicians and medical students in Washington, DC during the American Medical Association’s National Advocacy Conference to talk to our federal lawmakers about an end to what has become an annual chore of stopping drastic scheduled Medicare physician payment cuts to preserve access to health care …
AMA: Advocating for Medicare, military and fiscal responsibility
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Let me start by wishing you and your families a very happy and healthy new year. This is my first column of 2012 for this blog, and I am excited to talk about a new initiative that is beginning this year. Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) have been discussed at length …
AMA: A new model of patient care
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Last month, physicians from all states and specialties came together for the American Medical Association’s (AMA) semi-annual policy-making meeting to adopt new policies that will impact the future of medicine. Of the new policies, some of the many noteworthy topics include national drug shortages, health insurance exchanges, private contracting and the …
AMA: New policies that will impact the future of medicine
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Anyone making a major purchase wants to maximize value by exploring their options. Shopping for the best option drives market competition and promotes innovation and efficiency. Shopping for competitive health insurance options can be difficult when a market is controlled by one or two large commercial insurers. The lack a competitive …
AMA: Health insurance monopolies hurt patients and physicians
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
There are several upcoming deadlines that are critical to physicians who care for Medicare patients. November 1, November 23 and January 1 are dates that should be marked on all of our calendars.
The deadline for physicians to apply for a hardship exemption in order to avoid the 2012 Medicare ePrescribing penalty …
AMA: Act quickly on Medicare deadlines
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Every year since 2001 the threat of severe physician payment cuts, imposed by Medicare’s failed sustainable growth rate formula (SGR), have jeopardized the stability of the Medicare system and compromised access to care for patients. And every year – sometimes several times a year – Congress has put in place short-term …
AMA: A new opportunity to fix the SGR
A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.
Billions of dollars in administrative waste would be eliminated each year if health insurers sent a timely, accurate and specific response to each physician claim, and while this year’s AMA National Health Insurer Report Card shows promising improvements in denial rates, more work needs to be done.
The AMA’s fourth annual check-up …
AMA: Health insurers’ denial rates are down, but error rates are up
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