Congress
ASCP Advances Advocacy Agenda on Capitol Hill
Society Shares Issues of Laboratory Workforce, Physician Self Referral
Mounting a display of political prowess, members of ASCP’s Commissions on Public Policy (CPP) and Membership as well as the Institute Advisory Committee participated in the Society’s third Annual Capitol Hill Day. ASCP members conducted more than 60 Congressional visits in both the House and Senate to urge lawmakers to take action during this pivotal time in the management and delivery of health care.
Congressional meetings were held with key, high level staffers and members of Congress. For example, CPP member Phyllis Walker, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB led the California delegation, securing meetings in the offices of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. Institute member Kay Doyle, PhD, MT(ASCP)CM met with a senior member of Kennedy’s health team, a medical doctor himself, Doyle and ASCP Executive Vice President John Ball, MD, JD, presented an ASCP Patients’ Advocate Award for Senator Kennedy’s work on behalf of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). See related story under Society News.
Additional meetings included a visit with Representative Jim Matheson (D-2-UT); Karen Brown, MS, MT(ASCP) and a member of the Society’s Membership Commission shared with her member of Congress directly the concerns of the laboratory community. In addition, one of our advocates, Anne Walsh-Feeks, MS, PA(ASCP) secured a meeting in the office of newly appointed New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Society advocates came from across the country to represent ASCP and the laboratory field; there were delegations representing California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois. In addition, representatives from the states of Alabama, Florida, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Louisiana, New York, Arizona, Washington and Virginia rounded out the laboratory team to educate lawmakers on the needs of the laboratory community.
Participants were asked to address the following issues with staff and Members of Congress: the laboratory personnel workforce shortage, physician self-referral and fixing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), making three specific requests:
- ASCP has long maintained that the growing shortage of laboratory personnel may create a disconnect between the current and future needs of patients and the ability of laboratories to provide laboratory services. Specifically, advocates were urged to ask lawmakers to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), appropriate money for community-based job training programs, and to restore funding for Title VII programs aimed at training allied health professionals. For detailed information regarding the laboratory workforce shortage and ASCP’s strategies to address the problem, click here.
- ASCP’s leadership also lobbied Congress to exempt anatomic pathology services from the Stark self-referral laws in office ancillary services exemption and to pressure the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to fix the anti-markup rule on anatomic pathology services. These steps would help prevent clinicians from marking up the cost of pathology services they order on their patients, which has been reported to distort rational medical decisions, lead to the overutilization of health care services and higher medical costs. For a comprehensive look at ASCP’s position on physician self-referral, click here.
- Finally, advocates were asked to urge Congressional Leaders to fix the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), which would end the continued cuts being made to the Physician Fee Schedule. Click here to learn more about ASCP’s stance on fixing the SGR.
The day of meetings on Capitol Hill proved to not only be an opportunity to discuss health policy but also to educate many about pathology and laboratory medicine. ASCP’s Washington Office will follow up with the respective legislative offices that advocates met with last month and will continue to reach out to other Congressional offices in an effort to enhance legislative efforts to support laboratory medicine.
Federal
CMS Suspends MUE Phase VIII
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has temporarily suspended Phase VIII of the Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs). CMS suspended the Phase VIII edits in March due to a disproportionately high number of claim rejections. CMS plans to reinstate these edits, which were initially implemented on January 1, 2009, once it resolves the technical flaws with this batch of coding edits.
Policy Statements
Society Casts New Light on Physician Self-Referral
ASCP’s Board of Directors approved at its April meeting a revised policy statement on self-referral, markups, fee splitting and related practices. The policy statement lays out ASCP’s opposition and concerns to abusive billing arrangements that can adversely affect patients. It has been reported that self-referral and markups can distort rational medical decisions, lead to the overutilization of health care services and higher medical costs. To view the policy statement, click here.
Evolution of Cervical Cancer Screening Catalyst to Revised Policy Statement
The ASCP Board of Directors approved a new policy statement on cervical cancer screening. With the advent of a number of recent technological enhancements to the cytology based Pap test as well as the introduction of molecular HPV tests, the system for cervical cancer screening continues to evolve. This new statement reflects these advancements and replaces the Society’s previous policy on Pap tests. To view the cervical cancer screening policy statement, click here.
Society News
ASCP Honors Baucus, Kennedy and Velasquez for Leadership for Patients
The Society recently presented the distinguished ASCP Patients’ Advocate Award to Senators Max Baucus and Edward Kennedy and to Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. The awards were presented during the Society’s Annual Hill Day activities. To view a replica of the awards please click here.
Baucus
Senator Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, was honored for his outstanding leadership on issues related to quality laboratory medicine and patient-access. His leadership on the Senate Finance Committee helped to craft the “Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.” This legislation contained important provisions that improve patient access and care as well as ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to quality laboratory services.
ASCP President Barbara J. McKenna, MD, FASCP met with Baucus on April 22, 2009, to present the award in Washington, DC. McKenna and other ASCP leaders talked with the Senator and his aides about health care reform and pathology.
Kennedy
Senator Kennedy’s award was presented by Kay Doyle, PhD, MT(ASCP)CM to a senior level staff for the Senator’s lifelong advocacy on behalf of our nation’s patients as well as his recent work in establishing the new Joint Pathology Center as part of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). Kennedy was instrumental in saving the AFIP’s repository from closure as recommended by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. His actions will assist our nation in providing high quality care to the veterans and military health care systems as well as the civilian community through second opinion pathology consultations.
Velázquez
Rep. Velázquez was honored as the first leader in Congress to recognize the multiple problems (patient-centered issues as well as damage to small business) associated with the Medicare Competitive Bidding for Laboratory Services Demonstration Project. The legislation Velázquez introduced and the hearings she held as Chairwoman of the Small Business Committee were instrumental in exposing the flaws of the project. The award ceremony with the Representative will take place on Capitol Hill in the near future.