Physician Burnout

Although it is an ongoing battle for every medical specialty, physiatrists are particularly prone to the detrimental effects of burnout. Your Academy is acutely aware of the growing weight physiatrists carry and has taken the following steps to continue to support our members:

• Fighting reimbursement denials.
• Developing AAPM&R’s Registry to provide a mechanism for gathering the essential data for proving the value of physiatry.
• Advocating to the American Board of Medical Specialties and American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) to lessen the burden of Maintenance of Certification.
• Advocating for Post-Acute Care Reform and Regulatory Relief. AAPM&R urges Congress to avoid harmful Medicare savings proposals that would erect arbitrary barriers to rehabilitation in post-acute care settings.
• Collaborating with the AMA on a series of short video tips, including one providing practical tips for preventing burnout.

View the AAPM&R Endorsed Prior Authorization and Utilization Management Reform Principles

View this webinar from April 15, 2019 for an update on the latest actions your Academy is taking to reduce physician burnout. 

Related Comments/Sign-on Letters

• AAPM&R responded to an RFI CMS released in the summer of 2019. The RFI asked for information on reducing physician burden. The RFI was part of CMS’s Patients Over Paperwork Initiative. AAPM&R had two responses – one was a joint response with AMRPA that focused on documentation burden in IRFs and Medicare Advantage prior authorization in IRFs. AAPM&R’s other response was a follow up on the residence capabilities in IRFs concerns.
  • Comments to CMS RFI on Reducing Burden - Resident Capabilities in IRFs (8.12.2019)
  • AAPMR and AMRPA Joint Submission to CMS RFI on Reducing Burden (8.12.2019)
  • Your Academy also signed on to 2 comment letters:
    • Sign-on: CPR Comments on Patients Over Paperwork RFI (8.12.2019)
    • Sign-on: ITEM Coalition Comments on Patients Over Paperwork RFI (8.12.2019)
• AAPM&R CY2020 Proposed IRF PPS Comments (6.17.2019)
• AAPMR Comment Letter to CY 2020 MA Call Letter (3.1.2019)
• Letter to CMS Asking for Clarification on Residents' Capabilities in IRFs (2.15.2019)      
  • The Academy spoke to CMS officials about this and were advised to submit questions to this email address: IRFcoverage@cms.hhs.gov
• Letter to CMS Regarding Medicare Claims - IRF Denials (2.12.2019)
  • The Academy went to CMS to discuss this issue. Some of our recommendations regarding technical denials were particularly well received and CMS asked us to submit more. We are in the process.
• Joint Response to OIG Report on Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals and Units - Executive Summary included (1.14.2019)
• Reforms to Improve Medicare Audits of Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital and Unit (IRF) Claims
  • The Academy went to CMS and OIG to discuss this issue. OIG offered a follow up meeting after the Academy has had a chance to review a small portion of the OIG’s cases and data. We welcomed the opportunity and are in the process of acquiring those files for review and scheduling a follow up.