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Washington E-Newsletter

2023 MIPS Exception Application Now Available

On May 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) opened the online portal to accept 2023 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) exception applications. CMS will continue to allow clinicians, groups, virtual groups and alternative payment model entities to request MIPS performance category reweighting for performance year 2023 under its EUC policy through Jan. 2, 2024. As a […]
Washington E-Newsletter

AANS and CNS Urge Cigna to Rescind Modifier 25 Policy

On April 18, the AANS and the CNS joined more than 100 state and national medical organizations in a letter urging Cigna to immediately rescind its policy requiring the submission of office notes with all claims that include CPT® codes 99212, 99213, 99214 and 99215 and modifier 25 when a minor procedure is billed. The […]
Washington E-Newsletter

AANS and CNS Lead Amicus Brief in Surprise Medical Billing Case

Under the No Surprises Act (NSA), physicians and insurers can use an independent dispute resolution process to determine the payment amount for services. The process was intended to keep patients out of the middle of these billing disputes. Unfortunately, the final rule implementing the law unfairly favors insurers when settling out-of-network payment disputes. Last year, the AANS and the […]
Washington E-Newsletter

Neurosurgery Comments on FTC Proposal to Ban Non-compete Agreements

On April 19, the AANS and the CNS sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) supporting, in part, its proposed ban on non-compete clauses. The letter agreed with the FTC that non-competes can be anti-competitive and unduly restrict physicians’ ability to choose their employer or practice setting, stifling competition and impeding patient access to the […]
Washington E-Newsletter

NeurosurgeryPAC Supports Bipartisan Candidates

During the first quarter of 2023, NeurosurgeryPAC contributed to candidates who support organized neurosurgery’s policy priorities. The PAC contributed to the following candidates for the House of Representatives: Reps. Ami Bera, MD, (D-Calif.); Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.); Larry Bucshon, MD, (R-Ind.); Michael Burgess, MD, (R-Texas); Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.); Kathy Castor (D-Fla.); Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.); Tom Emmer (R-Minn.); Ron Estes (R-Kan.); Drew Ferguson, DDS, (R-Ga.); Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.); Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.); Richard Hudson (R-N.C.); John Joyce, MD, (R-Pa.); Mike Kelly (R-Pa.); Dan Kildee (D-Mich.); Darin […]
Washington E-Newsletter

Please Make Your 2023 Contribution to NeurosurgeryPAC

NeurosurgeryPAC is more than halfway to reaching its annual $250,000 fundraising goal, but we need your help. Please join the PAC’s “Why I Give” campaign, contribute to NeurosurgeryPAC today and support those candidates for federal office who support neurosurgery’s 2023 policy agenda. NeurosurgeryPAC is a nonpartisan political action committee that does not base its decisions on […]
Washington E-Newsletter

Contact Congress to Co-Sponsor the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act

The Medicare physician payment system is broken, requiring Congress to intervene to prevent steep cuts year after year. One flaw is that Medicare payments do not automatically receive an annual inflationary update. Medicare physician pay has eroded by 22% over the last two decades relative to inflation, and temporary patches to the Medicare physician payment […]
Washington E-Newsletter

AANS and CNS Urge Congress to Reauthorize Pandemic Preparedness Programs

On March 21, the AANS and the CNS submitted comments to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce supporting the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). Initially passed in 2006, PAHPA has continued to improve the nation’s public and medical preparedness and response capabilities during public health emergencies and disasters. Reauthorizing these essential health […]
Washington E-Newsletter

Neurosurgery Endorses Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act

On April 25, Reps. Raul Ruiz, MD, (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon, MD, (R-Ind.) introduced the H.R. 2819, the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act. This legislation offers health professionals providing voluntary care in response to a federally declared disaster with medical liability protections. While federal and state laws are intended to protect volunteer health professionals from unwarranted lawsuits, many […]
Washington E-Newsletter

AANS and CNS Urge Congress to Fund MISSION ZERO Program

On March 24, the AANS and the CNS joined the Trauma Coalition in sending a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee asking for $11.5 million to fund the Military and Civilian Partnership for the Trauma Readiness Grant (MISSION ZERO) Program for Fiscal Year 2024. The MISSION ZERO program was signed into […]