Reimbursement and Practice Management
On April 14, 2015, Congress repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) permanently eliminates SGR and provides positive annual payment updates lasting through 2019. Since MACRA significantly changes the way Medicare pays physicians, we have developed a MACRA Resource Page to help educate neurosurgeons about this topic. In addition to our efforts on MACRA, the Coding and Reimbursement Committee is actively involved in bringing or reviewing new or revised CPT codes, is a strong advocate for appropriate valuation of neurosurgical services and neurosurgery’s Rapid Response Team works tirelessly to ensure that third party payors cover necessary neurosurgical services.
Key Resources
Position Statement
Published: November 20, 2024
OverviewOn Nov. 1, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule. CMS finalized a CY 2025 PFS conversion […]
Letters
Published: November 13, 2024
Re: Support of H.R. 10073, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2024 Dear Representatives Murphy, Panetta, Miller-Meeks, Bera, Bucshon, Ruiz, Joyce, and Schrier: As patient and physician […]
Letters
Published: November 13, 2024
RE: Physician Payment Reform Outline Dear Chair Rodgers and Chair Guthrie: The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (the “Alliance”) represents more than 100,000 specialty physicians and surgeons across 16 specialty and […]
Article
Published: October 14, 2024
Subject: Request to Pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8702/S. 4532) Speaker Johnson, Leaders Schumer, Jeffries, and McConnell: On behalf of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), […]
Letters
Published: October 11, 2024
Dear Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries: The undersigned bipartisan members of Congress write to urge you to expeditiously pass legislative fixes that not only stop another damaging round of […]
Letters
Published: October 9, 2024
October 9, 2024Manisha Dhuria, MD, MBA, CPEAssociate VP, Physician Leadership, Humanamdhuria@humana.comDear Dr. Dhuria, We are writing on behalf of the more than 95,000 members our undersigned societies represent. Our members […]
Letters
Published: September 11, 2024
Ms. Chiquita Brooks-LaSureAdministratorCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesATTN: CMS-1807-PP.O. Box 8016Baltimore, M.D. 21244-1850 Submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov Subject: CMS-1807-P Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY […]
Letters
Published: September 10, 2024
Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader Jeffries: On behalf of the undersigned physician and non-physician organizations, representing more than one million clinicians and the […]
Letters
Published: September 9, 2024
Medicare Payment Challenges Facing Surgical Care September 2024 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to put forth annual regulations that exacerbate the underlying problems within the […]
Letters
Published: September 9, 2024
Ms. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AdministratorCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesUS Department of Health and Human ServicesATTN: CMS-1809-PPO Box 8010Baltimore, MD 21244-8010 Submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov Subject: CMS-1809-P Medicare Program: Calendar Year […]
Letters
Published: September 9, 2024
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AdministratorCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesAttention: CMS-1807-PMail Stop C4-26-05,7500 Security Boulevard,Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 Submitted electronically via Regulations.gov RE: CY 2025 Payment Policies […]
Letters
Published: August 22, 2024
Subject: Support for the Electronic Prior Authorization for Prescription Drugs Act Dear Senators Marshall, Lujan, Wicker, and Manchin: On behalf of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), a coalition of national […]
Letters
Published: August 2, 2024
Submitted electronically via cures.rfi@mail.house.gov SUBJECT: Comments on Request for Feedback on Cures 2.0 Legislation Dear Rep. DeGette and Dr. Buschon: On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) […]
Letters
Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader Jeffries: The undersigned national medical societies and state medical associations write to collectively urge Congress to prioritize and […]
Letters
RE: Bolstering Chronic Care through Physician Payment: Current Challenges and Policy Options in Medicare Part B Dear Chairman Wyden, Ranking Member Crapo, and members of the Senate Committee on Finance: […]
Letters
Dear Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo: On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing key stakeholders in the surgical care of Medicare beneficiaries, we write to commend you for the […]
Press Release (DC Office)
Neurosurgeons Applaud Introduction of Bill to Streamline Prior Authorization in MedicareThe AANS and the CNS are optimistic that Congress will pass this critical legislation this year. Washington, DC—Today, the American […]
Letters
Ms. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AdministratorCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesATTN: CMS-1808-PP.O. Box 8013 Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 Submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov Subject: CMS-1808-P Hospital Inpatient Prospective […]
Letters
Ellen Montz, PhDDeputy Administrator and DirectorConsumer Information and Insurance OversightCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services7500 Security BoulevardBaltimore, MD 21244-1850 Submitted electronically via: Ellen.Montz@cms.hhs.gov Subject: Biomechanical Interbody Devices and Anterior Cervical […]
Medicare Advantage Data
Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure, The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (the “Alliance”) represents more than 100,000 specialty physicians across 16 specialty and subspecialty societies. The Alliance is deeply committed to improving access […]
Article
Published: April 25, 2024
Robert McDonough, MDSenior Director, Clinical Policy Research and Development Aetna April 26, 2024Dear Mr. Kane and Drs. Marans, Fitzgerald, Moffit and McDonough,The aforementioned societies would like to request a change […]
Letters
Published: April 23, 2024
Meena Seshamani, MD, PhDDeputy Administrator and Director, Center for MedicareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services7500 Security BoulevardBaltimore, MD 21244 Subject: Medicare Device Payment Policy for Add-on Codes Dear Dr. Seshamani, […]
Letters
Published: April 16, 2024
William N. Parham, IIIDirector, Division of Information Collections and Regulatory ImpactsOffice of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs Division of Regulations DevelopmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesRoom C4-26-057500 Security BoulevardBaltimore, Maryland […]
Position Statement
By: - AANS/CNS Washington Office
Published: April 11, 2024
Alliance of Specialty Medicine Statement for the Record Senate Finance Committee Hearing“Bolstering Chronic Care through Medicare Physician Payment” The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (“Alliance”), a coalition of 16 medical specialty […]
Amicus Brief
Published: March 20, 2024
Case No. 23-40605 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALSFOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION; TYLER REGIONAL HOSPITAL, L.L.C.;DOCTOR ADAM CORLEY,Plaintiffs-Appellees/Cross-Appellants, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; […]
