President Biden Signs More Executive Orders
From ACG Legislative and Public Policy Council Chair, James C. Hobley, MD, MSc, FACG
This week, President Biden signed multiple Executive Orders. Of interest to ACG members, on Thursday, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The order includes a number of policies intended to improve access to care under the Medicaid program and the ACA.
The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider establishing a Special Enrollment Period on the federally facilitated exchanges for uninsured and underinsured individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Executive Order directs the HHS Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Labor to review all existing regulations and policies and consider suspending, revising, or rescinding any policies--including demonstrations and waivers--that:
- Undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions;
- Undermine the Health Insurance Marketplace or other insurance markets;
- Present unnecessary barriers to Medicaid or ACA coverage; or
- Reduce the affordability of coverage.
The order also revokes two Trump Administration Executive Orders: (1) Executive Order 13765 (Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal), and (2) Executive Order 13813 (Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States). Agencies are also directed to consider suspending, revising, or rescinding any agency actions arising from these orders.
ACG will continue to update membership on important policy directives from the Biden Administration.
Coding Changes to Evaluation and Management (E/M) Services: Important Guidance from the GI Societies
From ACG CPT Coding Physician Advisor, Christopher Y. Kim, MD, FACG
The ACG, AGA, and ASGE on-demand webinar series offers practical information you can implement immediately in your practice to maximize reimbursement and stay compliant with Medicare rules. Please share this valuable resource with any member of your team responsible for coding and billing. Learn about the 2021 changes to evaluation and management (E/M) codes and guidelines and coding for telehealth (video visits) and telephone E/M from our current procedural terminology (CPT) experts. Please click here to access the webinars and to learn more about the 2021 changes to E/M services.
The GI societies also recently provided membership with updated 2021 Medicare reimbursement rates for selected GI services (national average rates). Please click here to access this data.
Daniel DeMarco Added to AMA RUC
Former ACG Governor for Northern Texas Daniel DeMarco, MD, FACG added to the AMA RUC
ACG, AGA, and ASGE are pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel DeMarco, MD, FACP, AGAF, FACG, FASGE, to the AMA RVS Update Committee (RUC) rotating seat for internal medicine subspecialty.
Dr. DeMarco has been actively engaged in coding, reimbursement and practice management related activities on behalf of gastroenterology for almost 20 years. Since 2009, Dr. DeMarco has been an active advisor and alternate advisor for ACG and ASGE to the AMA CPT Editorial Panel. He has also been an active member of the Tri-Society CPT/RUC Team that provides guidance to help advance priorities related to GI coding, reimbursement and coverage.
Representing the entire medical profession, the RUC provides medicine a voice in shaping Medicare relative values by describing the resources required to provide physician services which CMS considers in developing Relative Value Units (RVUs).
Dr. DeMarco’s term will start at the April 2021 RUC meeting. His term is for two years with the option to serve an additional two years. All three GI societies jointly nominated Dr. DeMarco for this position in November.
Register Today for Upcoming ACG Endoscopy Resumption Task Force Webinar
What is the Practice Management Toolbox?
The Toolbox is a series of short articles, written by practicing gastroenterologists, that provide members with easily accessible information to improve their practices. Each article covers an issue important to private practice gastroenterologists and physician-lead clinical practices. They include a brief introduction, a topic overview, specific suggestions, helpful examples and a list of resources or references. Each month a new edition of the Toolbox will be released and will then remain available here along with all previous editions. The Practice Management Committee is confident this series will a provide valuable resource for members striving to optimize their practices.
