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Washington E-Newsletter

House and Senate Appropriators Advance Health Spending Bills

On July 14, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor, HHS and Education) Appropriations Subcommittee approved its Fiscal Year 2024 legislation. Subsequently, on July 27, the Senate Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Subcommittee advanced its version of the legislation. The bills support programs of interest to neurosurgery, including funding for: Click here for […]
Washington E-Newsletter

Government Watchdog Raises Concerns about Prior Authorization in Medicaid

In July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report raising concerns about prior authorization in Medicaid managed care. In the report titled “High Rates of Prior Authorization Denials by Some Plans and Limited State Oversight Raise Concerns About Access to Care in Medicaid Managed Care,” the OIG noted […]
Comment Letter

Neurosurgery Urges Aetna to Modify Coverage Policy re Cages for ACDF

Via email: ExecutiveResponseTeam@aetna.com SUBJECT: Medical Policy Number 0016 “Back Pain – Invasive Procedures” Dear Mr. Kane and Drs. Moffitt and McDonough, On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN), we write to express our […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Position Statement

Summary of Proposed 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Summary Overview On July 13, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule. According to the proposal, the proposed rule’s relative value unit (RVU) provisions will result in an overall -1% cut in neurosurgery payments. In addition […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Comment Letter

AANS and CNS Comment on CMS Breakthrough Device Coverage Policy

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AdministratorCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesAttention: CMS–3421–NCMail Stop C4–26–057500 Security BoulevardBaltimore, MD 21244–1850 Subject: Notice with Comment – Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (CMS3421-NC) Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure: On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), representing more than […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Letter of Support

Neurosurgery Endorses GOLD CARD Act

Subject: Support for Gold Card Legislation Dear Representatives Burgess and Gonzalez: The Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), a coalition of national physician specialty organizations seeking to reduce regulatory burdens that interfere with patient care, is pleased to support H.R. 4968, the Getting Over Lengthy Delays in Care As Required by Doctors (GOLD CARD) Act of 2023. […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Comment Letter

Neurosurgery Supports Medicare Coverage of Carotid Artery Stenting

Tamara Syrek Jensen, DirectorJoseph Chin, MD, Deputy DirectorCoverage and Analysis GroupCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services7500 Security Blvd.Baltimore, Maryland 21244 SUBJECT: Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty of the Carotid Artery Concurrent with Stenting (CAG-00085R8) Proposed Decision Memo Dear Ms. Jensen and Dr. Chin: On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Comment Letter

100+ Representatives Urge Collaboration on Medicare Physician Payment Reform

Dear Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jefferies: We write again to bring to your attention a matter of great urgency. Financial uncertainty in our nation’s health care system has been growing for years, and further escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite spending significantly more on health care than other industrialized countries, the United States continues to […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management
Position Statement

Neurosurgery Joins Coalition in Urging Congress to Repeal Ban on Physician-Led Hospitals

Physician-Led Hospitals Coalition Letter We, the undersigned organizations, representing physicians and patients, support the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act (S. 470/H.R. 977), introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) and Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX). The legislation would improve patient access to high quality physicians and hospital services, […]
  • Health Care Competition
Comment Letter

Neurosurgery Urges House Committee to Advance Prior Auth Legislation

Subject: Inclusion of Prior Authorization Provisions in Health Care Price Transparency Act Dear Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Neal, On behalf of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), a coalition of national physician specialty organizations seeking to reduce regulatory burdens that interfere with patient care, we are pleased to see that the House Committee on Ways […]
  • Reimbursement and Practice Management