Courage May Be The Solution February 18, 2012
Posted by Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH, FHRS in Health Policy.Tags: Congressional hearing, Healthcare, Medicare, Physician Payment System, Quality & outcomes
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Last week, the Ways and Means Committee of the House of the Representatives held a congressional hearing to examine programs that reward physicians for delivering high quality and efficient care. Health insurers and physicians spoke about their individual efforts to improve quality and efficiency: insurers through new payment models and financial incentives, and physicians through practice transformations. (more…)
GAO Report Finds Lack of Transparency in Implantable Medical Device Prices February 14, 2012
Posted by Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH, FHRS in Health Policy, Industry.Tags: GAO, Government Accountability Office, ICD, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, Medicare
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In response to a request from Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the powerful U.S. Senate Finance Committee, on February 3 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report outlining the difference in prices that hospitals pay for implantable medical devices (e.g. defibrillators and hip replacements). (more…)
Five Reasons Why Physicians Will Love mHealth January 18, 2012
Posted by David Scher, MD, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals, Education, EP Physicians, Health Policy.Tags: Electronic Health Records, Healthcare reform, Medicare, mHealth, mobile health technology, Practice management, Remote monitoring
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1. Mobile health technology will increase patient engagement. Most patients do not take the responsibility they should for their own health. They are likely preoccupied with all the stresses of everyday life and might therefore take the ‘I feel good, so I must be’ approach. They possibly mutter these words after wiping their faces, hurriedly walking out of McDonald’s for lunch. Or is it because of mistrust of their physician who they get to see for a big 15 minutes that the electronic record time slot permits? Or that they are caregivers to others and sacrifice their own well-being for that higher purpose? (more…)
Business Models of Mobile mHealth January 12, 2012
Posted by David Scher, MD, FHRS in Allied Health Professionals, Education, EP Physicians, Health Policy.Tags: CMS, Electronic medical records, Healthcare reform, Medicare, mHealth, mobile health technology, Practice management, Remote monitoring
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PriceWaterhouse Coopers’ Health Research Institute released a comprehensive report (free registration required) describing business models and opportunities for the mobile health industry.
In the operational/business model, providers see mHealth as more efficient and beneficial to the patient. According to the study, one-third of physicians make decisions based on incomplete information and mHealth can result in better care by providing more robust and timely information from the patient or device. (more…)
“Doc Fix” – Not Fixed Yet November 3, 2011
Posted by Christopher Clyne, MD, FHRS in Health Policy.Tags: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, Medicare, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, MedPAC, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate
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The “Doc Fix” continues to be a problem for primary doctors, specialists, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recently voted 15-2, recommending a permanent “doc fix” for the Medicare reimbursement debacle, which has been temporarily patched the last several years. The proposal will be reviewed by the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction – the “super-committee”- as part of their negotiations to cut $1.2 trillion from the U.S. deficit. (more…)
Accuracy and Integrity of ICD Registry Data December 29, 2010
Posted by MSKremers MD,FHRS in Health Policy.Tags: Data quality reporting, DQR, ICD Registry, Medicare, NCDR, Quality & outcomes
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Hospital participation in the NCDR® ICD Registry™ is mandatory for payment when Medicare patients receive primary prevention implants. Version 2 of the ICD Registry includes 298 demographic, clinical and device data elements and as such, is a rich source of information about this patient population. Quality metrics derived from the data have been submitted for endorsement to the National Quality Forum. (more…)
The New Rules of Engagement Part I: A Call to Action July 14, 2010
Posted by Amit J. Shanker, MD, FHRS, FACC in Health Policy.Tags: Healthcare reform, Medicare
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When Medicare was enacted in 1965, it promised not to interfere in the practice of medicine:
“Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize any federal officer or employee to exercise any supervision or control over the practice of medicine, or the manner in which medical services are provided, or over the selection, tenure, or compensation of any officer, or employee, or any institution, agency or person providing health care services….” Section 1801, Medicare Act, 1965
Unfortunately, times have changed… (more…)
What are Your Thoughts on Medicare Physician Payment Cuts? June 8, 2010
Posted by Heart Rhythm Society in Health Policy.Tags: Medicare, Sustainable Growth Rate
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Once again, the U.S. Congress failed to address the Medicare physician cuts mandated by the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) before its June 1, 2010 deadline.
The House of Representatives passed a 19 month “patch” last Friday and the Senate is scheduled to vote on the measure this week. If passed by the Senate, the patch will kick the can down the road one more time; as a consequence, physicians treating Medicare patients will face an estimated 33 percent payment cut in 2012. (more…)
Independent Payment Advisory Board: Not time to panic…yet. May 20, 2010
Posted by Amit J. Shanker, MD, FHRS, FACC in Health Policy.Tags: Healthcare reform, Medicare, Practice management, Reimbursement
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The recent passage of HR 3590 has commissioned the establishment of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) in 2014. This independent and unelected presidential commission of appointed officials will have unchecked power to unilaterally cut reimbursements paid to medical-service providers —though, hospitals are ostensibly exempted. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that IPAB mandates would result in a total savings of $13 billion over 10 years. The director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag, told the Financial Times, “The commission would have the power to propose changes to hit the growth targets for healthcare spending, which would take effect unless Congress enacts alternative proposals with equivalent savings. I don’t think people have appreciated just how big a game changer this could be.” So let’s explore some of the concerns and misconceptions surrounding the establishment of the IPAB: (more…)
“Ouch, quit it!” March 24, 2010
Posted by Amit J. Shanker, MD, FHRS, FACC in Health Policy.Tags: Healthcare reform, Medicare
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On March 2, the U.S. Senate approved a House-passed bill, H.R. 4691, that provides a 30-day extension for the Medicare physician payment rate. This bill temporarily reversed a 21.2 percent payment reduction that took effect based on the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula on March 1. Year-to-date, this was the second extension granted by Congress (the first extension was tucked into a defense appropriations bill).
Congress is still discussing the next steps that will be taken to address the pending reduction. The proposals that are being considered would implement yet another short-term patch to the SGR formula including postponement of the cut for 90 days, seven months, or through the end of the year.
It is often said that military forces are trained to fight the last war, not the next one. Unfortunately, over the past few years it appears the medical community has had to continually prepare for the next war. Given the recent proposed pace of healthcare overhaul, we can no longer afford to be constrained by the past, incremental short-term fixes. (more…)
Heart Rhythm Society
Laurie Racenet, RN, MSN, ANP
Michael Giudici, MD, FACC, FACP, FHRS
Heather M. Ross, DNP, ANP-BC, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS
Anne Dubin, MD, FHRS
John D. Day, MD, FHRS
Andrea M. Russo, MD, FACC, FHRS
Joshua M. Cooper, MD, FACC
Amit J. Shanker, MD, FHRS, FACC
Bruce Stambler, MD
David Wiggins, RN, BS BME, CEPS
Fred M. Kusumoto, MD, FHRS
Leonard Ganz, MD, FHRS
christinechiuman
Craig Delaughter, MD, PhD
Ariana Del Negro, Heart Rhythm 2010 Quality
Peng-Sheng Chen, MD, FHRS
MSKremers MD,FHRS
Ann C. Garlitski, MD, FACC, FHRS
Alan Cheng, MD, FHRS
Ulrika Birgersdotter-Green, MD
Christopher Clyne, MD, FHRS
Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH, FHRS
David Scher, MD, FHRS
Sanjay Deshpande, MD, FHRS
Thomas F. Deering, MD, FHRS
