On March 15, a team from AAPM&R, including staff and Past President Dr. Barry Smith, met with representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss payment accuracy of the care of people with mobility-related disabilities.
The meeting was arranged in response to a code CMS created and finalized in the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for the additional work completed by physicians and physician offices in the provision of office visits for mobility impaired patients. The Academy has provided feedback to CMS on this code in the form of comment letters in the past. However, it was recognized that a face-to-face meeting would potentially be a more productive way to inform CMS of the important work physiatrists do for mobility impaired patients.
In preparation for the meeting, the Academy hosted a Virtual Town Hall meeting on March 8 to engage members on this important issue. Feedback from the Virtual Town Hall was used during the discussion with CMS to provide a broader perspective on physiatry-related issues. CMS will consider the information AAPM&R provided as well as information provided by other specialties in its development of the 2018 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, which is expected to be published in July.
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