About this newsletter
The ACP Advocate is an e-newsletter, edited by the College's Washington, DC governmental affairs division, created to provide you, our members, with succinct news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care. To learn more about ACP's Advocacy and to access the ACP Advocate archives, go to www.acponline.org/advocacy.
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Welcome to The ACP Advocate.
Late last week the House released an updated version of their comprehensive health care reform legislation, which is expected to be voted on as early as Saturday. In our first story we tell you about this new bill and how compares with a version that was released this summer. ACP has prepared an analysis of how the bill compares to our policies, and we have written a letter of support that details dozens of provisions that we support. ACP also supports another bill, being championed by the House leadership, which would repeal the Medicare SGR and create a new system that will provide higher updates for all physician services. This bill, too, is expected to be voted on imminently.
In this issue we also tell you about a new report from the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative and let you know about upcoming changes for Medicare beneficiaries in 2010.
Also, as some of you may have already heard, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the final 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule last Friday. The schedule looks largely similar to the proposed rule that was released in August, but look for an expanded analysis in our next edition of The ACP Advocate.
For more coverage of health care reform and what’s happening in Washington, take a look at my blog, The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty. I encourage you to post your own comments and become part of the discussion taking place among members like you.
And, as always, please send your feedback and suggestions on this newsletter to: TheACPAdvocate@acponline.org.
Yours truly,
Bob Doherty
Senior Vice President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
American College of Physicians
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In the news
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Doctors Urged to Help With Medicare Changes |
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Patients may need help understanding open enrollment options, advocates say |
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For Medicare open enrollment, which starts in just over a week, people across the country will want or need to make changes in their coverage.
But doctors, too, could play a role in this annual rite.
With an average of more than 30 ... » Click to read the full article
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In focus
Confused about Health Care Reform? Visit ACPs Advocacy homepage to stay up to date about what is happening in health care reform, as well what ACP’s top priorities are for health care reform this year. Turn to ACP for your health care reform questions, as we continue to update our resources, including a new snapshot tool that compares the new House health reform bill with ACP policies. |
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