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2009
ACS FAQ Regarding Health Care Reform Legislation HR 3200
The American College of Surgeons releases a series of Frequently Asked Questions regarding health care reform and the ACS’ initial support for H.R. 3200, the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009”.
ACS Statements on H.R 3200, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
In a July 16, 2009 statement to Chairman Rangel, Waxman, and Miller, the American College of Surgeons express support for H.R. 3200. While the legislation includes a wide range of provisions, it does embody many of the top legislative priorities of the College including addressing the underlying problems of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) used to calculate Medicare physician payments, resetting the budget baseline for the Medicare physician payment system, and ensuring that increased payments to primary care are not financed through reductions in payments for surgical care.
View the statement online (155K PDF)
Comments on the House Tri-Committee Draft Health Care Reform
In a June 30, 2009 statement, the American College of Surgeons, along with 20 other surgical specialties, responds to draft legislation on health care reformrecently introduced by the House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor Committees.
View the Statement online (135K PDF)
United Surgery Agenda
The surgical community stands united in the effort to bring fundamental and long-term change to the Medicare physician payment system. The House of Surgery has three top priorities for this effort: Repealing the current sustainable growth rate (SGR) and establishing a new baseline for the physician payment system; Replacing the current SGR with a system of multiple conversion factors; and Ensuring that any additional payments that are made to primary care physicians are not budget neutral within the physician payment pool.
View the full Statement online (30K PDF)
American College of Surgeons Statement on Health Care Reform
In its newly issued Statement on Health Care Reform, the American College of Surgeons urges Congress and the Administration to take action concerning three critically important and interrelated goals for health care: Quality and Safety, Access/Workforce, and Reduction of Health Care Costs. This document sets forth for each of these priorities specific actions that Congress and the incoming President and Administration should support, as well as related activities the ACS is committed to undertaking.
View the Statement online (100K PDF)
Online December 5, 2011