Society Volunteers Meet Members of Congress
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| Left to right, Bruce A. Koplan, MD, MPH; Jodie L. Hurwitz, MD, FHRS; Christopher A. Clyne, MD, FHRS; Andrea M. Russo, MD, FHRS; Robert C. Kowal, MD, Ph.D. and Richard I. Fogel, MD, FHRS, CCDS represented the Heart Rhythm Society at the Alliance for Specialty Medicine Legislative Conference. |
On June 21-23, 2010, the Alliance of Specialty Medicine organized a Legislative Conference in Washington DC. More than 80 physicians representing the eleven member organizations of the Alliance for Specialty Medicine traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected representatives and discuss fixing the Medicare payment system and other critical issues. The Heart Rhythm Society, as a member of the Alliance, participated in this conference. Representing the Society were Andrea M. Russo, MD, FHRS; Jodie L. Hurwitz, MD, FHRS; Robert C. Kowal, MD, Ph.D.; Christopher A. Clyne, MD, FHRS; Bruce A. Koplan, MD, MPH and Richard I. Fogel, MD, FHRS, CCDS.
The Legislative Conference included a Health Policy Forum on Tuesday, June 22, where influential Members of Congress and policy analysts presented their views on the implementation of health care reform. Among the topics discussed were:
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View the Alliance of Specialty Medicine's Issue Briefs, distributed on Capitol Hill:
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- Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)
- Quality related issues such as changes to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), the value-based payment modifier and the CMS Innovation Center
- Medicare physician payment cuts.
On Wednesday, June 23, attendees participated in a Capitol Hill Day, visiting their members of Congress and legislative staff to:
- Ask House representatives to cosponsor H.R. 4985, the "Medicare Decisions Accountability Act of 2010," or support similar legislation, that will repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The Alliance also asks Senators to introduce a legislation that will repeal IPAB
- Urge Congress to delay the implementation or repeal several provisions of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (P.L. 111-148), such as punitive PQRI, value-based purchasing and the CMS Innovation Center. The Alliance believes that if those provisions are implemented as written, they will be detrimental to patient care for Medicare beneficiaries
- Ask Congress to act immediately to replace the flawed Medicare physician payment system known as the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula
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| Heart Rhythm Society Health Policy Chair Richard I. Fogel, MD, FHRS, CCDS with Dan Burton (R-In). |
The Health Policy Forum Speakers (June 22) included the following individuals:
Honorable Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.
Mark McClellan, who is a medical doctor and economist, works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA)
Congressman Pete Stark has served in Congress since 1973. A senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, he is currently the Chairman of its Health Subcommittee.
Robert A. Berenson, M.D.
Dr. Berenson is the Vice Chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), an Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute, and formerly was in charge of Medicare payment policy at HCFA (now CMS).
Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK)
Senator Coburn was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Previously, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sen. Coburn is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which has jurisdiction over NIH, FDA, CDC, the new health reform law and public health programs.
Chuck Todd
Chuck Todd is the Chief White House Correspondent for NBC News, as well as the co-host of "The Daily Rundown" on MSNBC. He became NBC News' Political Director in March 2007. He also serves as NBC News' on-air political analyst for "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," "Today," "Meet the Press," and MSNBC.
Honorable Tony Coelho
Tony Coelho was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978 from California's Central Valley. He first served as the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 1981 to 1986, and then as the first-ever elected Majority Whip from 1987 to 1989. Mr. Coelho currently serves as the spokesperson for the Partnership to Improve Patient Care, a multi-stakeholder coalition organized to promote well-designed comparative effectiveness research.
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN)
Congressman Roe is a specialist physician (ob/gyn), who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. He introduced H.R. 4985, the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act of 2010, which would repeal the section of law establishing the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).
Rep. Zack Space (D-OH)
Congressman Space has represented Ohio's 18th Congressional District since 2007. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health, which has jurisdiction over Medicare, Medicaid, FDA, NIH, CDC and other public health programs. Congressman Space has played an active role in addressing health disparities for residents of rural areas and fighting chronic diseases.
The Alliance’s highest policy priorities include:
- Ensuring that the implementation of health care reform has a positive impact on patient access to specialty care
- Reforming the Medicare program to ensure the greatest access to care for seniors
- Advancing reforms of our nations’ medical liability system
- Ensuring the highest quality care possible
Below, many of the more than 80 physicians representing the eleven member organizations of the Alliance for Specialty Medicine traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected representatives and discuss fixing the Medicare payment system and other critical issues.
