EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, July 02, 2009
Academy Sends Congress a Solution to Fix Broken Physician Payment System
ST. PAUL, Minn. -
The 好色先生 Professional Association has sent a letter to Congress offering a solution to fix the way physicians are reimbursed under Medicare for treating patients with severe or disabling chronic conditions, such as dementia, Parkinson鈥檚 disease, ALS, epilepsy and stroke. Several other physician and patient groups have signed onto the letter. 鈥淐ongress must take action now to fix this broken physician payment system,鈥 said Robert C. Griggs, MD, FAAN, President of the Academy. 鈥淲ithout fair reimbursement, we鈥檒l likely face a shortage of neurologists through fewer medical students entering neurology at a time when one out of six people are affected by neurologic disease; and that number is expected to increase as baby boomers age.鈥 The letter, addressed to Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and sent to several other high-ranking Congressional leaders, called for Congress to modify Medicare鈥檚 physician payment formula to encourage higher quality, lower cost care for Medicare beneficiaries with severe or disabling chronic conditions. The proposal calls for the institution of a bonus payment over the fee schedule amount for evaluation and management (E/M) services provided to patients suffering from the chronic conditions identified by the Medicare Special Needs Plan Chronic Condition Panel (SNCCP). The bonus payment would be in effect for a period of three to five years as a temporary solution until further analyses of comprehensive alternatives to the payment system are completed and new payment models are implemented. By using a patient-centered approach to determine eligibility, all physicians treating patients with these chronic conditions would be rewarded for the provision of focused, ongoing care. 鈥淎doption of this bonus payment would reward time spent with patients instead of strictly procedure-based care,鈥 Griggs said. 鈥淭his shift will begin to realign incentives to enhance patient access, improve quality, and immediately lower costs.鈥 Several physician and patient groups signed onto the letter written by the Academy, including the Epilepsy Foundation, the ALS Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Parkinson鈥檚 Action Network, the American College of Rheumatology, the American Society of Hematology and the American Gastroenterological Association.