U.S. Senate’s failure to move Medicare forward causes more uncertainty for our nation’s patients
“The American Medical Association (AMA) is extremely disappointed that the U.S. Senate did not vote on the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MICRA) before leaving for recess today. Their failure to act leaves physicians facing a devastating 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements when the current Sustainable Growth…
U.S. House overwhelmingly passes legislation to permanently repeal the SGR
We've never been so close! Just moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that would permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula before the current Medicare payment patch expires on March 31. Now it's the U.S. Senate's turn to act, and time is…
ACTION NEEDED ON FEDERAL LEGISLATION
This is not a test. Repeat: This is not a test. Serious movement is underway in Congress to permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) before the March 31 deadline; repeal legislation, H.R. 1470/S. 810 is expected on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives next week.…
House leaders unveil draft bill to repeal SGR
Congressional leaders are all but predicting the final product will win enough support from both parties to move this year. Congressional leaders on Thursday released a bipartisan bill to permanently repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula. Most media analyses note that while there is broad, bipartisan support for…
Arkansas Joins Hundreds of State and National Physician Groups Urging Congress to Fix Medicare Now
CHICAGO – More than 750 organizations joined the American Medical Association (AMA) to call on Congress to pass legislation that would permanently eliminate Medicare's flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and strengthen Medicare for America's seniors. In a letter to House and Senate leadership, the groups strongly urged…
Beebe and Thompson Receive National Recognition
WASHINGTON – Former Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and former Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Thompson were among the seven recipients of the 2015 Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service – the highest award for elected officials and government employees from the nation's largest physician organization. The…
Uninsured rate dropped to 13.8% nationally, 11.4% in Arkansas
The Los Angeles Times (2/25, Levey) reports that the US uninsured rate “plummeted last year, with the improvement driven by states that have fully implemented the Affordable Care Act, a new nationwide Gallup survey indicates.” The survey found that the rate of uninsured adults nationwide fell from 17.3…
Healthcare groups recommend changes to Medicare shared savings program.
Healthcare IT News (2/10) reports that in a letter to CMS Administration Marilyn Tavenner on Friday, a “who’s-who” of healthcare stakeholders recommended a number of improvements to the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Signed by nearly three dozen organizations – including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of…
Republican lawmakers unveil ACA replacement plan
(AMA Grand Rounds, 2-5-15) - The New York Times (2/5, A18, Pear, Subscription Publication) reports that three “influential Republican members of Congress unveiled a comprehensive proposal on Wednesday to replace President Obama’s health care overhaul with an alternative that would halt the expansion of Medicaid and scale back…
More states embracing Medicaid expansion.
Bloomberg News (2/3) reports that Republican-led states that previously rejected Medicaid expansion under the ACA “have found a way to embrace it, under pressure from businesses to tap the flood of federal dollars it brings.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R), for instance, called lawmakers into a special session…
What CMS’ meaningful use changes could mean for physicians
From AMA Wire, 1-29-15: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Thursday its intent to modify meaningful use requirements, the notoriously burdensome electronic health record (EHR) incentive and penalty program, potentially making it easier for physicians to meet meaningful use. The agency said it would “engage…