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AOA Latest News
House approves long-term fix for flawed SGR formula
The AOA has released a statement applauding the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the "Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act" (H.R. 3961). Addressing one of the AOA's top legislative priorities, this policy establishes a fair and equitable payment system for physicians, while recognizing the value of primary care and removing barriers to access to care for patients. Representing more than 67,000 osteopathic physicians, the AOA thanks the 243 lawmakers who took this important step toward preserving access to health care services for Medicare beneficiaries. Read the statement. updated Nov. 19
CMS releases 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative results
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the results of its 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). According to the report, more than 85,000 physicians and other eligible health care professionals who reported quality-related data to Medicare under the 2008 PQRI received incentive payments totaling more than $92 million. The average incentive amount for individual physicians was more than $1,000, with the largest payment to an eligible health care professional totaling more than $98,000. To learn more, view the CMS fact sheet. updated Nov. 17
AOA applauds lawmakers for passing historic health care reform legislation
The AOA congratulates the House of Representatives on passing the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" (H.R. 3962) by a vote of 220-215. Ensuring increased access to health care for all Americans, the legislation marks a significant step toward the enactment of meaningful health care reform. The AOA now calls upon lawmakers to ensure that the reforms included in this legislation reach their full potential by immediately enacting the "Medicare Physician Payment Act" (H.R. 3961), which will help create a more stable and equitable Medicare reimbursement system for physicians. Read the AOA statement. updated Nov. 9
CMS announces plan to discontinue payment for consultations
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that consultation codes 99241-99245 and 99251-99255 will be eliminated when the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule takes effect on January 1, 2010. According to CMS officials, the decision to eliminate the codes was made after several attempts to differentiate consultations from other evaluation and management services failed. This will set the conversion factor at $28.4061, a drop of 21.2% as mandated by the sustainable growth rate formula. For more information about the change, watch for the November coding hint on DO-Online later this month. Read CMS news release. updated Nov. 6
More than 600 DOs pack AOA town hall meeting on HIT and health care reform
The AOA hosted a special town hall meeting and panel discussion focused on health information technology (HIT) and health care reform during the 114th Annual Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition (OMED) in New Orleans. During the meeting, IBM executive Janet Marchibroda discussed federal HIT regulations and explained how physicians can earn bonuses for implementing electronic health records in their practices. Also during the session, White House Senior Health Policy Adviser Kavita Patel, MD; Joseph Antos, PhD, of the American Enterprise Institute; and David Kendall of The Third Way; shared their perspectives on how health care reform will impact physicians and their patients. Read more | View presentation slides. updated Nov. 5
The DO magazine launches online publication for osteopathic physicians
DOs and osteopathic medical students can now look to their computers instead of their mailboxes for The DO magazine’s latest coverage of the osteopathic medical profession. Following nearly five decades in print, The DO has been reborn as a strictly online publication, aligning with the “Leading Change” efforts of AOA President Larry A. Wickless, DO. In addition to benefiting the environment by saving an estimated 236,000 pounds of paper and 5,600 pounds of ink during the next fiscal year, The DO’s online transition will provide several new perks for readers, including more frequent news, interactive features, slide shows and more. Visit the site to learn more about the changes in store for readers as The DO bids farewell to print and hello to cyberspace. updated Oct. 28
AOA awards Certificates of Excellence for 2007-09 CME cycle
Physicians who have earned 30 hours of Category 1-A CME credit and 150 hours of applicable CME credit during the 2007-09 CME cycle may view and print a Certificate of Excellence by logging on to the password-protected section of DO-Online. After choosing to view their 2007-09 activity report, DOs who have completed CME requirements will receive a congratulatory message and will be given an option to print the certificate. View and print a Certificate of Excellence. updated Oct. 22
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