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Independent Payment Advisory Board
The AOA on behalf of the AAO-HNS is asking administrators and their physicians to contact their U.S. Representatives in opposition to the creation of an Independent Payment Advisory Board. While much talk recently has been focused on a stall in Congress regarding Health Care Reform, it is not time to take a breath.
As Congressional leaders decide where to "salvage" some sort of legislation, you will want your members of Congress to know that you are opposed to the creation of an independent board that is appointed by the president and not elected officials to rule over Medicare spending and benefits.
The AAO-HNS and others in the surgical community are adamantly opposed to the creation of an independent advisory body within the Executive Branch, charged with developing Medicare payment policy.
Congress must hear from America's physician practices! Please call your U.S. Representative today to deliver this important message!
PQRI
PQRI is a voluntary reporting program providing incentive payments to practitioners who satisfactorily report data on specific quality measures. Early experience with the program has been mixed, with many physicians discouraged by being told that they do not qualify.
The Senate healthcare reform bill provides incentives for PQRI participation through 2014, but then will impose penalties for practices that do not participate after 2015. Specifically, the Senate bill provides for a 1 percent boost in Medicare payments for calendar year 2011, and 0.5 percent in each year 2012-2014, but then mandates physician participation in quality initiatives.
While it is widely reported that physicians are supportive of current healthcare reform, the AAO-HNS and 15 other surgical specialty organizations have come out to actively reject the inclusion of current PQRI language in healthcare reform. This program purports to improve the quality of health care delivered to seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries, but experience demonstrates that this program is largely a failure and does not improve quality in any meaningful way.
It is important that we contact our States' Senators and Representatives to let them know the negative impact this will have on our medical practices.
Contact your State's Federal legislators today and voice your opinion that you cannot accept mandatory participation in PQRI initiatives.
For information on how to contact your State's legislators For the Senate
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
For the House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/writerep/ | 
