ACP Regulatory News
Medicare Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program Changes Elicit Mixed Review from ACP
Some moves reflect ACP priorities, but others fall short of hoped-for change.
Advocacy In Action
Physicians Fight Back Against NRA Attack Over Firearms Safety Policy
ACP leads effort to promote a common-sense approach to gun violence.
In Case You Missed It
ACP analyzes, rates performance measures in 2019 CMS MIPS
Just nine of 18 performance measures relevant to internists within the 2019 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) have been found to be valid measures of physician-level quality performance, according to an analysis by ACP's Performance Measurement Committee.
Internists Call for Immediate Action to Address Climate Change
In light of recent reports about climate change, ACP issued a press statement about the negative impact that climate change is having on public health and patients, and that these effects will worsen without immediate action. ACP's Climate Change Action Plan provides resources and tools to help physicians reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in their practices. Additionally, ACP is a founding member of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, which brings together 22 medical associations representing approximately 550,000 clinical practitioners to address climate change.
ACP Encouraged by FDA Plans to Begin Regulatory Process to Ban Menthol in Tobacco Products
ACP is encouraged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) announcement that will start the process to restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in certain retail outlets and ban menthol cigarettes and cigars. ACP's 2015 policy paper, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, highlighted the dangers that ENDS present to individuals, particularly minors, and called for a ban on flavored tobacco products.
Core Quality Measures Collaborative Formalized to Continue Improvements in Health Care Quality
As health care moves toward a more value-based system, it is important that stakeholders align around evidence-based measures that can be influenced by providers and are meaningful to patients. To achieve that goal, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), have partnered with the National Quality Forum (NQF) to be the Core Quality Measures Collaborative's (CQMC) operational home and further improve health care quality for every American.
New ACP position paper details how patient-centered care can improve outcomes
ACP has released a set of four principles that aims to solidify the role of patients and families in care.
ACP Advocate is copyrighted ©2018 by the American College of Physicians.