Patients Before Paperwork
ACP Urges Senate to Pass Legislation Aimed at Improving the Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Process
Legislation will protect patients from unnecessary delays and reduce administrative burdens for physicians by streamlining prior authorization processes.
Action Alert: Urge Passage of the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act
Take Action to let your Senators know how prior authorizations can cause unnecessary delays in care and administrative burdens. You can urge your Senators to pass the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act which is focused on improving patient care by streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage program.
Visit ACP's Legislative Action Center to take action.
Regulatory news
Tales From the Frontlines: ACP Advocates for Postpandemic Coverage for Audio-Only Visits
Internal medicine physicians share their experiences with audio-only visits, explaining why access to these visits is vital for their patients.
ACP Urges Senate to Pass Legislation Aimed at Combating Workplace Violence in Health Care Settings
The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, if passed, will require OSHA to develop a standard to prevent workplace violence.
In case you missed it:
Attention: Primary Care First Cohort 1 Participants
If you are a participant in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Primary Care First (PCF) program's Cohort 1, you may recently have been notified via your online dashboard or email from CMS of the updated downward adjustments to PCF payments. These payment adjustments are a part of the transition of PCF Cohort 1 into quarter 3 (Q3) of the payment methodology of the program and reflect payment accuracy adjustments for primary care services that are provided outside of the PCF participating practice.
ACP is seeking input from our members who are participating in this program about the degree of preparedness you had for this adjustment, how this adjustment may impact your ability to provide comprehensive primary care, and how this adjustment impacts your perspective on continuing in PCF or joining similar programs. For comments and questions please email our Regulatory Affairs Associate, Sarah Starling Crossan at scrossan@acponline.org.
New ACP case study examines Lab Result Reporting, Ethics, and the 21st Century Cures Act Rule on Information Blocking
A new ethics case study from ACP, “Lab Result Reporting, Ethics, and the 21st Century Cures Act Rule on Information Blocking,“ is now available for CME credit and MOC points.
The case study dives into the benefits and potential ethical implications for patients and clinicians of the 21st Century Cures Act Rule. The information sharing standards of the 21st Century Cures Act standardize information formats to allow patients direct access to their clinical information. While information technology may give patients an opportunity to become more involved in their care, there are risks. Releasing information alone may harm both the patient who is left to interpret test results without context, and also the patient-physician relationship, which includes developing appropriate further diagnostic and then treatment strategies together.
This ethics case study was developed by ACP's Ethics, Professionalism, and Human Rights Committee and the Center for Ethics and Professionalism.
To learn more about ethics and professionalism activities at ACP, visit the Ethics and Professionalism Resources on our website.
Apply Now for ACP's 2023 Health Policy Internship
ACP's annual Health Policy Internship provides an opportunity for medical students and residents to learn about the legislative process, health policy, and advocacy in organized medicine. Interns will provide assistance with researching and analyzing current issues in health and medical education policy, assist with on-going advocacy initiatives, and the development of advocacy materials. The 2023 internship will take place from May 1 to May 26 in ACP's Washington office. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 31.
Additional information and application instructions are available on ACP's website.
ACP Advocate is copyrighted ©2022 by the American College of Physicians.