ACS NewsScope
A Weekly News Update from the American College of Surgeons
March 28, 2008
Highlights for the week:
Legislation to Stop Medicare Payment Cuts in 2008/2009 Introduced in Senate
On March 13, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Save Medicare Act of 2008, S. 2785. This bill would stop the 10.6 percent cut in Medicare physician payments scheduled to take effect July 1 and would maintain current Medicare payment levels through the end of 2008. Furthermore, the legislation would take the important additional step of replacing the scheduled 5.4 percent cut in Medicare payments in 2009 with an increase of 1.8 percent. The uncertainty of Medicare payment levels is making it increasingly difficult for surgeons and their practices to plan their financial futures and, therefore, their ability to ensure patient access to surgical care.
In a March 25 letter to Senator Stabenow, ACS Executive Director Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, expressed the College’s support for the Save Medicare Act. To view Dr. Russell’s letter, go to http://www.facs.org/ahp/index.html.
Highlights
Mark Your Calendar for the 2008 Clinical Congress
The 94th Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons will be held October 12-16 at Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA. New to this year’s Clinical Congress are discipline- and theme-based tracks, which have been designed to focus specifically on the needs of various surgical specialties and learner groups. Online registration will open in June.
For details, visit http://www.facs.org/clincon2008/index.html . You can also sign up to receive an e-mail alert when the program has been posted online by visiting http://web.facs.org/notice/ccnewnotice.htm. Your e-mail address will be used only for the purpose of notifying you that the Clinical Congress program is available.
Highlights
Medicare Trustees Issue Annual Report
Medicare’s Hospital Trust Fund will go bankrupt by 2019, as expenditures for Medicare Part A and Part B continue to outstrip the economy as a whole, according to an annual report that the Medicare trustees released on March 25. The trustees also claim that by 2035, Medicare expenditures will account for 7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP); in 2007 Medicare spending was 3.2 percent of the GDP.
The report presents a particularly bleak outlook for the annual Medicare physician payment updates. Under current law, payments are scheduled to drop by 10.6 percent on July 1, and then by another 5.4 percent on January 1. These two significant reductions typically will be followed by annual cuts of about 5 percent until 2016. However, in 2013, the actuaries predict a positive update of 3.3 percent, due to a one-year infusion from the physician assistance and quality initiative (PAQI) fund established in the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance Protection Extension Act of 2007. On the other hand, because the PAQI allows for only $4.96 billion of additional spending, the estimated increase in program costs in 2013 will require an offset of about -13.1 percent in 2014. If Congress continues to override the sustainable growth rate, Part B growth rates will average about 8 percent per year. For the full text of the 2008 Medicare trustees’ report, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ReportsTrustFunds/downloads/tr2008.pdf.
Highlights
State-of-the-Art Neurotrauma/Critical Care Focus of Joint Symposium
Members of the American College of Surgeons are invited to attend the first joint symposium of the National Neurotrauma Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congresss of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care, which will take place July 27-30, 2008, in Orlando, FL, at the Hilton Walt Disney World. This joint meeting, which will occur under the banner of the 26th Annual National Neurotrauma Symposium, will provide an opportunity to hear the most up-to-date clinical and basic science in neurotrauma and critical care in a collaborative environment.
Through this joint effort, specific clinical sessions have been created for the practicing physician and neurotrauma nurse, as well as the basic scientist. These sessions are intended to help attendees better understand the state-of-the-art management of neurotrauma and critical care through both didactic sessions (such as management of TBI, spinal cord injury, and intensive care) and hands-on sessions (such as spinal column trauma reconstruction, multimodality monitoring, and surgical management for brain trauma). It will provide attendees with an excellent opportunity to learn what is new and easily incorporated into clinical practice, and also to hear about what is on the horizon clinically and scientifically in neurotrauma and critical care, with plenty of trauma-specific CME (up to 25 hours of AMA PRA Category I). The goal of this joint symposium is to create a better dialogue and collaboration between clinicians and scientists that might “translate” into improved patient care in the future.
For program information and to register online, visit http://www.neurotrauma.org/2008/index.htm. Contact David Adelson, MD, FACS, Program Co-Chair, Chair, AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care and Chair, Neurosurgery Subspecialty Group, Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons at karen@tlceventsgroup.com for further information.
Highlights
Input Needed from All Female Members of the College
Patricia Turner, MD, FACS, division of general surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, has received the Joan Giambalvo Memorial Grant from the American Medical Association’s Women Physicians Congress to pursue research into attitudes and opinions related to childbearing and pregnancy during general surgery residency. All female members of the American College of Surgeons--regardless of age, position, or personal childbearing status--who have completed (or are completing) a five-year general surgery residency are encouraged to participate in the survey. More than 1,300 responses have been received so far for what is likely to be the largest study to date on this topic. For further information, please contact Dr. Turner directly at pturner@smail.umaryland.edu.
If you should be a participant in the survey but have not received an invitation, please contact Dr. Turner. Surveys will be accepted until April 1.
Highlights
Save the Date: ACS NSQIP to Hold Third Annual National Conference
The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) will hold its third annual national conference from Sunday, June 22, through Tuesday, June 24, 2008. The conference will be held at the Boca Raton (FL) Resort & Club. Specialty training sessions on CPT Coding, Surgeon Champion Training, Data Display, and more will take place Sunday afternoon. The conference will also provide a forum for surgeons, nurses, and quality professionals to learn how to use ACS NSQIP for quality improvement (QI) activities, improve on data collection and automation efforts, and focus on a team approach to QI.
Registration will open in April. Because space will be limited, conference registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will be guaranteed to the first 500 participants.
For all the latest updates and information on the Third Annual ACS NSQIP National Conference, including hotel information and conference fees, visit http://www.acsnsqip.org.
Highlights
Final Two Advanced Coding Webcasts Set for Coming Weeks
Registration for the basic and advanced coding workshops scheduled for April 10 and 11 in Las Vegas, NV, has reopened. The College temporarily stopped accepting enrollment for these sessions due to space limitations. Subsequently, the organization secured a larger venue, so more ACS members and their coding staff may participate.
On April 10, “Introduction to CPT, ICD-9-CM, and Evaluation and Management Coding” will be presented. Betsy Nicoletti, MS, CPC, of KarenZupko and Associates will lead this workshop, which is aimed at surgeons and staff who are relatively new to coding. On April 11, we will sponsor “Surgical and Office-based Coding and Reimbursement.” Mary LeGrand, RN, CCS-P, CPC, of KarenZupko and Associates will teach this advanced course, which is geared toward surgeons and staff with at least two years of coding experience. Each course is certified for 6.5 continuing medical education credits for surgeons or 6.5 continuing education units for coding professionals.
Although registration has been extended, time is running out. To enroll in one of the courses, go to http://www.facs.org/ahp/workshops/registrationfees.html. For more information, go to http://www.facs.org/ahp/workshops/index.html or contact dmariani@facs.org or call 202-672-1506.
Highlights
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The American College of Surgeons is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the study, training, and practice of surgery. ACS NewsScope is a weekly news service for Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and other interested individuals provided by the ACS Communications staff.
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by the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL 60611-3211
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