AGS Advances Public Policy Advocacy Goals in 2007, Plans Further Progress in 2008

Gathering for the American Geriatrics Society's second annual public policy planning meeting in New York City in January, AGS' leaders, staff and Washington consultants reviewed the Society's progress with its policy advocacy efforts in 2007, and identified policy priorities for 2008. (See related story)

In addition to progress with its advocacy efforts on behalf of continued Title VII Geriatrics Health Professions Program funding, the Geriatric Assessment and Chronic Care Coordination (GACCC) Act, and Congressional action to block a 10.1% Medicare physician pay cut that had been slated to take effect January 1 (for more, see related story), AGS advanced a number of other policy initiatives in 2007.

AGS advocated both for passage of the Geriatric Assessment and Chronic Care Coordination (GACCC) Act and a Medicare demonstration project based on the Act. AGS members Drs. Stephen Counsel, Peter Hollmann, Alan Lazaroff and Richard Stefanacci worked with staff, WolfBlock (AGS' Washington consultants), the Alzheimer's Association, and bill sponsor Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), to help draft legislation for the demonstration. The project was under consideration for inclusion in Congress' end-of-year Medicare bill but was dropped from the legislation after legislators were forced to pass a bare bones bill at the eleventh hour. The demonstration could be reintroduced, however, when the Senate Finance Committee hammers out new Medicare legislation later this year. AGS continues to work toward that goal.

Over the past year, AGS also developed and submitted recommendations to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) regarding its ongoing study of the geriatrics workforce. The IOM is expected to release its report -- which will include a blueprint for geriatrics care in the 21st century -- in late March. In its Future of Geriatric Medicine report, AGS called for an IOM report as a key component of ensuring high quality, patient-centered care for older Americans. AGS' planned activities around the IOM release of the report include offering a session during the 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting on the report and devoting the 2008 Hill Visits program to IOM recommendations. (See related story)

In addition to launching a series of advocacy campaigns urging Congress to block the scheduled 10.1% physician pay cut -- which was mandated by the controversial "Sustainable Growth Rate" (SGR) formula that Medicare uses to calculate payments each year -- AGS advocated for an overhaul of the SGR.

In further efforts to ensure appropriate payment for healthcare services provided to Medicare beneficiaries, the Society and its members continued to participate in the American Medical Association's Resource-Based Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) and in activities concerning Medicare's Current Procedural Terminology (CP T).

To shape quality and pay-for-performance initiatives, the society's leadership served on the AMA's Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI) Geriatrics Workgroup and continued to advocate for the inclusion of geriatrics quality measures in Medicare's Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). The initiative offers physicians and other eligible participants a bonus for reporting quality information. To ensure that other quality and pay-for-performance programs also include measures appropriate to the care of older adults, AGS' leaders also participated in the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Geriatrics Measure Advisory Panel , and monitored National Quality Forum activities to ensure these are in keeping with AGS' quality priorities. The Society participated in the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance's Performance Measurement Workgroup meetings as well.

AGS developed and launched an advocacy campaign on behalf of the Keeping Seniors Safe From Falls Act this past year. The Senate version of the legislation won approval in August and AGS continues to support passage of a companion bill in the House.

Throughout 2007 AGS continued to advocate for other legislation, initiatives, and efforts aimed at improving healthcare for the aging, by, among other things, ensuring adequate funding for the National Institute on Aging and Older Americans Act programs; introducing geriatrics loan forgiveness programs; launching a patient-centered Medical Home demonstration project; and enacting stronger laws to protect the elderly from abuse.

With ongoing policy advocacy, the Society plans to build on this progress over the course of 2008.