Specifically, the AGA has said it will fight the following four key provisions if current healthcare reform legislation passes:
• Creation of an Independent Payment Advisory Board, which would have broad authority to ratchet down Medicare reimbursement rates with virtually no opportunity for Congress to change;
• A provision on misvalued physician payment services, or so-called “shadow RUC,” which would allow the HHS secretary to review payment codes without adequate physician input (this authority could negatively impact endoscopy and other GI codes);
• A punitive Physician Quality Reporting Initiative system if physicians choose not to participate; and
• Lack of reform to the Medicare physician payment formula.
Read the release on the ASA’s fight against healthcare reform.
