Federal Watch

December 20th, 2012

AGS is tracking developments of interest to geriatrics health professionals in order to provide weekly updates for our readers via our List Serv, americangeriatrics.org, our Facebook page, and our Twitter feed. This week, we ask for your immediate assistance by urging your legislators to prevent the Medicare pay cut scheduled for January 1. In addition, you may find a recent letter that we submitted to leaders of the House and Senate that addresses the danger of sequestering funds.  With the New Year upon us, we ask that you take this opportunity to contact your legislators, urging them to support several important pieces of legislation that are critical to geriatrics health providers and their patients, such as: the repeal of the SGR and comprehensive Medicare payment and delivery reform, the across-the-board cuts, or “sequester” scheduled for January 1, and opposing elimination of the Medicaid bonus payment for primary care providers. Please visit our Health in Aging Advocacy Center to learn more about these issues and to contact your members of Congress directly. 

Urge Congress Now to Prevent Medicare Pay Cut Scheduled for January 1
With just 13 days remaining until Jan. 1, Congress has yet to negotiate a solution to prevent the 26.5 percent cut in Medicare physician payments required under the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. During this critical period, the AGS urges you to contact your members of Congress and ask that they address the flawed SGR formula. 

AGS Writes to Senate and House Leadership Regarding Impact of Sequestration
Last week, AGS submitted a letter to leaders in both the House and Senate regarding the impending impact of sequestration cuts, which are scheduled to take effect on January 1. Specifically, our letter addresses how across-the-board cuts will weaken healthcare workforce training as well as aging research initiatives. We ask Congress to preserve funding for geriatrics education training programs under Title VII and Title VIII, as well as for the NIA. Click here to view our letter. 

REMINDER: 

Quality Reporting Communication Support Page Officially Re-Opened through January 31, 2013for Medicare 2013 Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Payment Adjustment Hardship Exemption Requests
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has re-opened the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page to allow individual eligible professionals and CMS-selected group practices the opportunity to request a significant hardship exemption for the 2013 eRx payment adjustment. Significant hardship request should be submitted via the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page on or between now and January 31, 2013. CMS will review these requests on a case-by-case basis. All decisions on significant hardship exemption requests will be final.  Important -- Please note that this is for the 2013 eRx payment adjustment only. Hardship exemption requests for the 2014 payment adjustment will be accepted during a separate timeframe later in calendar year 2013.  For more information on how to navigate theCommunication Support Page, please reference the following documents: 

• Quality Reporting Communication Support Page User Guide
  
  
• Tips for Using the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page 

For additional information and resources, please visit http://www.CMS.gov/ERxIncentive. 

How You Can Help
In addition to opposing elimination of the Medicaid bonus payment for primary care providers, AGS reminds you that we are seeking your immediate assistance around the following important initiatives: 

• Across-the-board cuts, or “sequester” scheduled for January 1 as mandated by the Budget Control Act (BCA).  Please take action on this important campaign and let your legislators know how these cuts to discretionary funding would affect services for older adults and the supply of qualified professionals available to care for them.
  
  
• Repeal of the SGR and comprehensive Medicare payment and delivery reform.  AGS also encourages you to contact your members of Congress and urge them to call for both the repeal of the SGR and comprehensive Medicare payment and delivery reform.  

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Susie Sherman, Senior Coordinator of Public Affairs & Advocacy, ssherman@americangeriatrics.org. 

Modified On: December 20th, 2012