December 11, 2006
Dear Heart Rhythm Society Member:
Congress Passes Legislation Averting 5% Medicare Physician Payment Cut
Key Provisions of the bill are:
· Freeze (0% update) in Medicare physician payment rates for 2007.
· 1.5% bonus-incentive payment to physicians who report on quality measures, from July 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007. Because reporting is only applicable to the 2nd half of 2007, the bonus payments in reality would amount to a .75% update for 2007. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary may make changes to the quality measures based on the results of a consensus-process. The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) will work to participate in this consensus process.
· Modifications or refinements such as code additions, corrections, or revisions to existing measures may be made until July 1, 2007.
· Staff is working with the newly created HRS Quality Improvement Task Force, co-chaired by Steve Hammill, MD and Sana Al-Khatib, MD, to ensure that there are measures that electrophysiologists will be able to report in 2007. Reviewing and commenting on existing measure applicability to the EP practice will be a key activity of this Task Force.
· For 2008, measures to be reported should be those adopted or endorsed by a consensus organization such as or . By August 15, 2007 the HHS Secretary must publish a proposed set of measures for 2008, allowing for a public comment period. A final set of measures for 2008 must be published by November 15, 2007.
· As part of the proposed and final rules for 2008 reporting, the HHS Secretary must address a mechanism through which providers may report data on quality measures through an appropriate medical registry. HRS will work with the HHS Secretary to obtain approval of the ICD Registry as a mechanism for reporting quality measures.
Please note that this legislation provides only temporary relief for physicians. Physicians will still face a negative payment update in 2008, unless Congress enacts legislation replacing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) with a stable reimbursement system that provides positive updates, which reflect the increases in medical practice expenses. The Heart Rhythm Society will continue to work on your behalf in Washington DC to create a long term solution to physician payment. Thank you to those Heart Rhythm Society members who have responded to our action alerts and contacted your elected representatives over the past year. Your efforts were successful and effective in convincing Congress to act on this important issue. Thank you!
In the coming weeks, please look for a more detailed analysis of this bill and how it will impact your practice.
Sincerely,
Dwight Reynolds, MD, FHRS
President, Heart Rhythm Society
