2017 Public Policy and Practice Management Year in Review:
What did ACG do for you?
Another look at last year’s important policy highlights.
December 2017
- Important Date: MIPS Advancing Care Hardship Exemption- Due December 31
- Patient and Physician Advocates Testify at Massachusetts State House: Urge Support for Step Therapy Exemption bills (S.551/H.492)
- MACRA exemptions for ACG members affected by recent hurricanes and wildfires
- Attention Solo and Small GI Practices: Get Your 2017 MIPS Crash Cart!
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: Is MACRA Hurting America’s Sickest Patients?
November 2017
- AMA House of Delegates Passes ACG Resolution on Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
- State Ballot Issues Impacting GI: Maine and Ohio Vote on Health Care Ballots
- Federal and State Call to Action: Step Therapy Bills Need Your Advocacy!
- ACG on Capitol Hill: Joining the Discussion to Promote and Preserve Independent Health Practices
- Questions on Biosimilars in IBD? Slides from the recent ACG Workshop with the FDA and EMA
October 2017
- Reducing Regulatory Burdens: ACG has a seat at the table for new CMS initiative, “Patients Over Paperwork”
- Speaking of regulatory burdens: Help us help you! Please Provide Feedback to CMS on MACRA’s GI “episode of care”
- At the state and local level: ACG Leadership Testifies at Ohio State House- Urge Support for MOC Legislation
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: ACG Offering Various MACRA Educational Courses at WCOG at ACG2017
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: MACRA and Your Employment Agreements
September 2017
- ACG Urging CMS to Grant MACRA Exemptions for Areas Impacted by Hurricanes
- ACG Urges Congress to Make Necessary Changes to MACRA
- My Reflections on ABIM MOC, by Dan Pambianco, MD, FACG
- Legislative Call to Action: ACG needs your help! Urge your support for HR 3120 & HR 3726
- CMS Advisory Panel finds insufficient evidence for health outcomes in the Medicare population for surgical and endoscopic procedures
- ACG’s MACRA Tidbit for the Week: ACG urges CMS to help independent GI practices successfully participate in MIPS and APMs
August 2017
- ACG Submits MACRA Comments: Urges CMS to help independent GI practices successfully participate in MIPS and APMs
- August Recess: Great time to advocate for your patients and GI practices
- FDA Safety Alert: Liquid-filled Intragastric Balloon Systems – Potential Risks
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: How long does CMS think it takes for you to report Advancing Care Information (Meaningful Use) Measures?
- 2017 MIPS Hardship Exemption: Applications Now Open
- Back by Popular Demand: Joint ACG-FDA Fellowship Program
July 2017
- ACA Repeal Watch: Early momentum leads to dramatic flop for Senate Republicans and Administration
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: A review of what it may take to get a MIPS bonus
- ACG Member Call To Action: Get Involved in MOC Legislation in State Houses Across the Country
- CMS Releases Proposed 2018 Medicare Payments Regulations
- At the State and Local Level: ACG Fighting Ancillary Services Reimbursement Medicaid Cuts in Ohio
June 2017
- CMS Releases MACRA Proposed Rule for 2018
- OH House Introduces Anti-MOC Legislation: Please express your support
- U.S. Supreme Court rules on biosimilars
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: Will my physician assistants and nurse practitioners be subject to MIPS? What do I need to know?
- At the State and Local Level: Texas Legislature Passes MOC Legislation- Thank you ACG Members in Texas!
- CMS Approves GIQuIC as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry for the 2017 Reporting Year
May 2017
- Be the go-to policy wonk at your Memorial Day Weekend BBQ: health reform updates and forecasts
- HHS Releases Guidance for Practices on Latest Cybersecurity Threat
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: Preparing your practice for MIPS “Improvement Activities” Performance Category
- At the State and Local Level: An Update from the ACG MOC Task Force
- Congress Passes Budget with Increase to NIH Budget- Thank you ACG Governors
April 2017
- Important Date for ACG Members: May 15th for Sunshine Payment Review
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: Learn More about the MIPS “Improvement Activities” Performance Category
- 2017 ACG Governor Washington D.C. Fly-in
- ACG Members: Get your coding questions answered
- Message from ACG President Carol A. Burke, MD, FACG: ABIM Announces Its Version of Improvement on MOC; TN introduces MOC legislation
- ACG, AGA, and ASGE Release 2017 CPT Coding Manual Update
March 2017
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: ACG Working to Reduce Burdens Heading into MACRA’s Full Impact
- ACG Members Join Patient Advocates on Capitol Hill
- ACG Joins Patient Advocates in Washington D.C.
- ACA Repeal Watch: Very Busy Week for Repeal and Replace; what to watch for?
- March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: Use ACG’s MACRA Resources
February 2017
- MACRA Help: New ACG Quality Reporting Checklist
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: How is your MIPS Quality score actually calculated?
- Important Dates for ACG Members: Know Your Meaningful Use Dates
- MACRA Webinar: Guidance and Answers from ACG & CMS
- MACRA Tidbit for the Week: How will repealing the ACA impact MACRA?
January 2017
- At the State and Local Level: Good news from Massachusetts
- What else is ACG monitoring: How is Congress going to pay for health reform?
- At the State and Local Level: Thank you ACG members in Connecticut
- ACG Practice Management Center: Important Updates for ACG Members
- At the state and local level: ACG working to eliminate ASC tax in Connecticut
- ACG Guidance on Moderate Sedation Changes- What do you need to know?