Advocacy News

The Academy urges federal agencies to advance imaging interoperability in ophthalmology, reduce administrative burdens in quality reporting, and expand opportunities for specialists to participate in value-based care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on May 21 plans to expand efforts to audit payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) in the coming months.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a final rule which includes a significant penalty on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for providers found to knowingly commit information blocking.

After hearing from members that they continue to face challenges from the Change Healthcare cyber-attack, the Academy wrote to UnitedHealth Group again this week urging ongoing and expanded support for physician practices.

On May 1, both the Senate Committee on Finance and House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held hearings in which they demanded answers from the UnitedHealth Group CEO on what caused the Feb. 21 cyberattack and requested clarification on the loan terms for affected practices.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a detailed letter to UnitedHealth Group seeking answers on the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and the Health Subcommittee held a hearing on the strength of health sector cybersecurity this week.

The Academy joined the American Medical Association on a call with Optum and CMS leaders to share recent survey results showing small practices are still overwhelmed by the Change Healthcare cyberattack and require more assistance.

As more payers come back online following the Change Healthcare cyberattack, follow this guide and work with your practice managers to ensure your claims processing goes as smoothly as possible.

As some practices struggle to stay afloat following the Change Healthcare cyberattack, the Academy is urging major commercial and Medicare Advantage payers to step up their financial support and flexibility for physicians and practices.

Our March 12 letter outlining the unsustainable situation Academy members face following the Change Healthcare cyberattack yielded a productive meeting between Academy CEO Stephen McLeod, MD, and UnitedHealth Group’s chief medical officer.