Advocacy News

The year 2020 was a busy one for the Academy's health policy advocates. Here is a rundown of our top issues.

We raised your concerns about timely approvals; agency pledges improvement.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has repeatedly assured the Academy on several occasions that all MACs were ready to implement this policy change.

Societies urge agencies to eliminate prior authorizations barriers in Medicare Advantage plans.

A recent Academy survey indicated that 13% of our members now say they use telehealth services to treat patients.

Vendor information blocking has hobbled efficient patient care, clinical data registry participation and clinical research for years without an available recourse for physicians.

Medicare’s forthcoming 2021 change to E/M reimbursement, as currently configured, will have a devastating effect on ophthalmology.

Services provided outside of the hospital outpatient setting — including ambulatory surgery centers — are not subject to the new prior authorization requirements.  

Our efforts are securing relief from a problematic measure that has inappropriately attributed things like hernia repair costs to our members.

Here’s what you need to know about what’s happening and how and why these cuts are occurring.