The Lights Will Stay On at ACOS

Carter L. Alleman, J.D.

With the possible shutdown of the federal government, the lights will stay on at ACOS. No one quite knows whether the shutdown will occur, or if it does, how long it will last. With the recent announcement of the Speaker of the House John Boehner stepping down, the likelihood of a shutdown is high. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Administrator Patrick Conway announced that there would be no issues with the transitioning of ICD-9 to ICD-10 during the shutdown and claims would still be processed. Congress may not be operating, but that does not mean that ACOS gets to shut down.

September shaped up to be a busy month with advocacy. In the beginning of the month, ACOS participated in a meeting with the American Medical Association (AMA) and other health professional organizations regarding meaningful use and the proposed Stage 3 rules. The meeting centered on the need to ask Congress and CMS to pause the proposed rules to allow time for physicians to figure out the payment models found in Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the Merit Based Incentive System and the alternative payment models, before making all physicians adhere to another standard for a short period of time. The goal is to have CMS release a rule to modify some electronic health record issues while leaving physician payment alone for the time being.

ACOS is working diligently on forming a telemedicine policy. The AMA held a conference call to discuss recent developments in telemedicine. The call was in response to discussions with CMS and its desire to expand telemedicine coverage as a way of cost savings. ACOS will be releasing a survey in the near future concerning telemedicine and how it affects your practice. Telemedicine will also be a key component of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which will act as a clearing house for physicians to apply for licensure in multiple states at once. Eleven states have adopted the Compact at this time. ACOS is joining in the effort to have it adopted in the remaining states.

Please feel free to call me at 800-888-1312 or send an email to share your thoughts or concerns on any policy matter.