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7/25/2025
On July 14th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed rule for the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Fee Schedule, which includes key provisions that impact Medicare physician payment. AGS staff, consultants, and leadership are currently reviewing the nearly 2,000-page rule, which can be found here. A few of the topline proposals include—as required by statute—two separate conversion factors, one for qualifying alternative payment model (APM) participants (QPs) and another for physicians and practitioners who are not QPs; updates to the practice expense methodology to better reflect current clinical practice, specifically for practitioners in office-based settings; updates to telehealth services under the fee schedule; and a proposal to create optional add-on codes for Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM) services that would facilitate providing complementary behavioral health integration (BHI) or psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) services. Additionally, AGS is very pleased to see that CMS has proposed to extend the application of the visit complexity add-on code (G2211) to home and residence evaluation and management (E/M) visits – a change that AGS has strongly advocated for since G2211 was created. As AGS has previously written, the principles that resulted in the appropriate recognition of the additional work and other resources related to a longitudinal care relationship in primary care or in the care of a patient with a serious or complex condition are identical whether the care is in the office or the home of the patient. In the coming weeks, the AGS team will continue to analyze the rule and develop the Society’s comments during the 60-day comment period to address issues of importance to geriatrics healthcare professionals and the older adults our members care for. Comments are due September 12th and will be posted to the Where We Stand (Payment and Services for Older Adult Care) section of the AGS website and shared via AGS’ member listservs.
Additional Resources:
- CMS Press Release
- Physician Payment Schedule Fact Sheet
- Medicare Shared Savings Program Fact Sheet
- Quality Payment Program (QPP) Fact Sheet
Ambulatory Specialty Model Fact Sheet
Registration is now open for The AGS/ADGAP Leadership & Life Skills Curriculum, offering a unique opportunity exclusively for AGS Fellows-in-Training and Early Career Professional members to develop and enhance skills that are essential for success throughout their career. Designed to be flexible and easy to fit into busy schedules, the free virtual program will run from August 2025 – July 2026. Register today.
The Virtual Program includes:
- Access to an online curriculum that covers a broad range of leadership, life, and career-related topics
- Resources and Tools: self-directed online presentations, audio companions, journaling exercises and supplemental readings
- Community support through a dedicated online community where you can network, share experiences, and receive support from peers and mentors
- Interactive workshops with curriculum authors and advisors
- Certificate of Completion for those who successfully complete the program
Click here for more information and to register for the LLSC. For additional questions about the AGS/ADGAP Leadership & Life Skills Curriculum, please contact Deena Sandos (dsandos@americangeriatrics.org).
The Alternative Treatments to Selected Medications in the 2023 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria® (DOI: 10.1111/jgs.19500) has just been published in the most recent edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) and will soon be incorporated into the AGS Beers Criteria® Mobile App for easy access on-the-go. This updated clinical resource is designed to help healthcare professionals identify safer, more appropriate treatment options for older adults. This companion tool builds on the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults (DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18372), identifying medications which may be inappropriate to prescribe to older people. The list is full of common evidence-based alternatives, both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic, that are often safer and equally or more effective than the potentially inappropriate medications they can replace. Also included are additional resources for more in-depth recommendations and links to patient guides and other resources for help in implementing the alternative strategies into their clinical practice.
AGS has published a new position statement advocating for telehealth policies that support high-quality, equitable care for older adults. The statement—authored by Alison M. Holliday, MD, MPH; Ardeshir K. Hashmi, MD, FACP. AGSF; Adaora O. Okoli-Umeweni, MD; Arbi Khan, MD, MPH, AGSF; Shivani K. Jindal, MD; Swati Gaur; MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF; Veronica Rivera, MD. AGSF; and Neela K. Patel, MD, MPH, CMD, FAAFP, AGSF—includes recommendations for policies that address barriers to providing telehealth to older adults.
Read the full statement in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70004
We’re excited to share that the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is now on BlueSky! As part of our continued effort to expand how we connect with our community, you can now follow us at @amergeriatrics.bsky.social for the latest updates in geriatrics, including our advocacy work, educational opportunities, member highlights, and much more.
In addition to Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter/X, and Instagram, this new platform gives us another way to connect with our community and share the important work happening across the AGS network. If you’re already on BlueSky (or planning to join), be sure to give us a follow and help spread the word.
We’re looking forward to engaging with you there! #WeAreGeriatrics
The AGS Opportunities for Investigators resource serves as a central location for geriatrics and aging-related opportunities such as grant funding, presentation or publication submissions, travel stipends for scholarly meetings, networking events, comment periods, and in-person or virtual meetings and webinars. Some upcoming opportunities we'd like to highlight include:
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will release its next Broad Pragmatic Studies funding opportunity on August 12, 2025, to support patient-centered research comparing effective interventions. Special focus areas include menopausal symptoms, maternal sleep health, and Alzheimer’s-related mental health.
- The Clin-STAR Visiting Professor Program is designed to expose clinician-scientists and other faculty and trainees, especially those at institutions lacking robust aging/geriatrics research programs, to leaders in aging research.
The MyAGSOnline Events Calendar is a valuable resource to discover and register for upcoming events, webinars, and other opportunities. Some upcoming opportunities we'd like to highlight include:
Join the American Junior Investigator Association (AJIA) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) on September 9th for a workshop addressing the challenges physician-scientists face in their career path. This event will bring together leaders across sectors to explore innovative, collaborative solutions to support and sustain this vital part of the biomedical workforce.
- Geriatric Oncology: Cognition and Communication 2025 will be taking place on September 18th and 19th. This complimentary two-day virtual workshop is designed to address the nuanced communication challenges facing clinicians caring for older adults with cancer.
- The European Geriatric Medicine Society will be hosting their 21st EuGMS Congress, “New Landscapes in Geriatric Medicine”, both virtually and in Reykjavik, Iceland, from September 24th to 26th, 2025. The comprehensive program will address the latest advancements, cutting-edge research, and clinical practices in geriatric medicine.
Have an opportunity or event you'd like to see listed? Email the details to Jennifer Fisher at jfisher@americangeriatrics.org